Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-22


tefnal markets. Southern and North
srn. A sharp natural competition eN-
lists between lines operating In oppo-
site directions between points In Inc
Interior OF Texas and the external mar
krts, and this competition would In
spite, OF any local tarln that might
he adopted. 20 adjust the through rates
hs 10 place the compelling lines ON an
equality as to the cotton business.
therefore. In the Texas territory sub
Iect 10 this competition, the Interstate
rates must necessarily be OF the blank.
81 system. With almost solid lines
leading from middle and southern Tex
as through Texarkana. Paris, Denison,
gainesville. etc, to the North, there
are positively no reasonable grounds
Tor expecting any one OF those lines to
ABSTAIN from taking cotton from points
as far south as practicable. to furnish
return louds for cars sent south with
other classes Of merchandise, Expert
ence has shown Il IL practicable for
the lines from the North to come about
as iar south as 100 miles from Houston.
ana, therefore, that, by reason OF their
blanket rates. they may not north
OF that distance exclude Houston and
galveston we have prescribed that AS
the distance 1T which our blanket ON
cotton shall begin. oven the lines
most deeply Interested In moving the
cotton through the ports OF Texas are
compelled to use the Northern routes
for u share Of the cotton they handle,
for II they should, In strict loyalty 10
their principles refuse TO accede TO
the demands of shippers In this respect
other lines, differently Interested
would promptly accept ana route the
cotton as desired. with rates thus
arranged for the movement OF cotton
northw0rd, the Southern lines cover
the state with rates calculated to draw
cotton towards the South, and this
NaE 40. a.. .s4N
remote points In the competitive TERRI
tory the same rates as they carry from
points less distant from the gulf ports
aud forming the limit Of the blanket
| established for the movement of north
| bound shipments,
This result Is perfectly natural and
while the commission In not In the
slightest degree disposed To indorse
| or encourage H. there ~ positively no
means that could be employed In over
coming IT, What then should he done
with regard to the transportation which
| actually comes under the Jurisdiction
| OF the Commlsslun2 Common sense
would suggest that the rates of the
| state be made strictly with regard to
| existing conditions, aud those cOndi-
| tons certainly demand "A tarin embody-
| ing the blanket features. The ability
of Galveston to handle share OF the
| cotton produced In Texas depends upon
| from Galveston. the aggregate Of
which, II II does not equal wiz close
| ~ approximate the through rates made
from points In the interior TO points
outside OF the state. with Il tarlf of
"strlctly mileage rates. In force in
| the state, the aggregate of the rate to
and from Galveston, for a very large
portion of the cotton producing terri
| tory would he In excess of the blanket
lntcr tate iutes above referred TO-
| and that excess would be equivalent TO
a tax imposed for the sole purpose OF
obstructing operations Of Galveston and
| Houston dealers. Regardless OF the
quantity of cotton that would be di-
Verted from Texas markets, u Is plain
that all that part OF the state lying
north of nj line 40 miles north OF Ilous-
ton would in order to reach Houston
and Galveston under q mileage scale
have to pay more than they now pay
for having their cotton hauled to either
Houston or Galveston. The blanket
now puts all that immense territory
upon equality. while II rates were reg
ulated according to mileage every sta
tion away from the iiO-mlle line would
have to pay more than the station
next nearer the line. Surely 1t can be
no disadvantage to the Texas farmer
living In McLennan NeVarro, ELLIS,
Dallas, Collin. Graysou, Cooke, Lamar.
Fannln. Red River, and all other cuun-
ties more than 40 miles north of Huus-
ton, that they can reach Houston and
Galveston upon terms OF equality with
each other and with other counties and
sections. Moreover inasmuch as all
of the cotton received by Galveston,
except small quantity transported
over the Santa Fc route, must pass
through Houston no fair mileage tarlfr
could be constructed that would not
give Houston The advantage over Gal
NH4asHN sag. Unl la tor 1n| ltuN
supposed to be conferred by the differ
entail as ia obvious when II Is stated
that Houston II 80 miles nearer to the
cotton region thnn Galveston Reali2-
Ing this difficulty, Galveston proposed
TO this commission when 1t had the
question under consideration that IA
consecutive mileage equal to one-third
of the actual distance between Houston
and Galveston should be established"
A more arbitrary proposition was never
conceived or proposed by mortal man.
And yet these fair. Just people Of Gal
weston must plllory the commission for
being arbitrary and fixing n dlffcrentlal
which cannot possibly make their con-
dltlon worse than II Is naturally.
Great sticklers are MIR. Rogers and
his associates OF Galveston for mile
age system. but be 1t known to all men
that It must be OF their own peculiar
make. n mileage that will make so miles
Ifhh 80 lilllfN liH nNN hltAAiN IlN-
cess. by which to meet the necessities
OF Galveston, mile IL made TO contain
600 yards, IL an objectionable effrontry
on the part of people who lift their
hands In holy horror because OF alleged
arbitrary conduct OF the commission.
2. The third resolution passed Mt said
meeting il as follows: sd. That the
selection OF Galveston. Nelasco and
Texas city from all the localities OF
the state and establishing a dlferential
between these and any other point IN
Texas Ia gross and palpable injustice
TO the business interests OF these local
tiles and to the entire people of the
state, In that IL lrvics a tax upon the
people TO give them the privilege Of
trading In such markets, or forces the
business interests Of said localities to
pay special tax TO secure such trade"
Considering that MIR. Rogers inspired
the resolutions, as any one VIII sec who
will read the Rogers article and the
revolutions, and that no complaint has
heretofore In all the discussion OF the
question been predeated upon the
Imaginary injustice TO Vclasco aud
Texas city. to save space and time.
we must limit our attention to the
question MS II Affects Galveston alone
Necessarily In discussing the first and
second resolutions much has been sail
that applies to the third, and TO avoid
repetition. we shall only supplement
the reasons already given by the adj
- 900 ,th ar II 10 tasb