Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-13
ADMITS A PORTION
Of CHARGES AGAINST GALVESTON
ARE TRUE, hut OFFERS SUM-
DRY EXPLANATIONS THEREOF.
Attacks tho Commission, Says Rates
Must he Reduced md Matters
VIII Adjust Themselves,

The article in last Sundays Gazette
anent the matter Of cotton rates has not
only attracted the attention OF rail-
way people. but has stirred the people
OF Galveston up Just a little.
The Gazette man yesterday met
prominent ship broker from that city.
and asked him for something from the
Galveston standpoint. In the course
or the conversation he said:
1T is perfectly true as stated that
whatever the through rate is via Gal
weston to foreign ports the RAILWAYS
also make the same through rate via
New Orleans Newport News, New
YORK and Boston. Irrespective of the
Instance, which seems very peculiar.
some years ago when Galveston
only hnd thirteen feet Of water on the
par ocean rrelghis from there to Liver
pool We're 1 cent per pound on cotton,
Since then the United states govern
lneht has successfully expended SO 00O-
OUO and decpencd the water on the bar
NJ this port to twenty feet, In conseuu-
ence OF which freight rates on cotton
! from Galveston TO Liverpool are now
only Ii OF cent per pound. Ocean
freight rates from there during the
cotton season are never higher than
I from New orleans, and some times
lower. and inasmuch ms the prIncl-
pal points In Texas are about 200 miles
nearer Galveston than New Orleans,
II stands to reason that foreign ship
ments should be forwarded via Gal
weston. considering. IA above stated,
| our ocean frolghts are MS low ms New
Orleans. Notwithstanding this, tho
railways by their modus operandi make
the same through rate via New Or
leans and Boston, which In other
words means that the local railway
rates In Texas are entirely too high.
' inasmuch A. the same compensntes
! the railways for hauling cotton over
! 1000 miles further distance than II haul
| ed to Galveston. The distance from
| Temple 10 81. Louis Is 800 miles. for
| which distance the railways proper
| tlon on the through haul to Liverpool
| via Boston IL presumably 40 cents.
| whereas II tho RAILWAY hauls the cotton
| from Temple TO Galveston. only 2ls
miles, It receives as cents Is this not
| positive proof that railway rates In
| Texas are too high, ana that the same
| could easily be reduced 30 per cent
| without reducing the proportion OF
| freight which the railways are vnlr"-
| tnrlly accepting undcr the through bill
| Of lndlng syatem In hauling cotton
out of the state? II their earnings are
reduced by the small cotton crop.
! why do they voluntarily ship cotton
out OF the state on through bills Of
| lading and accept n less proportion
Of tho through rntc than they would
| receive by forwarding via Gnlvcston2"
THAT Is question TINT railway
| people sometimes answer with the as
sertion that they do not care to ac-
| cent a short haul when they are equip
| ped for a long onc-they want to keep
the tracks free from rust from one end
TO the other. In the matter OF submit
l Lao slVaN Ia
not danger of another Injunction"
| asked the Gazette man,
| THAT may be-" was the reply. "Hut
| hclieve that the local railway rate
| within tho state established by tho
commission should he exactly such
sum rs the railways themselves volun-
/ tarily accept for the same distance
when hauling cotton on through bills
Of lndlng Under this system the rail-
/ ways would make their own rates,
| and surely no fault could be found
with the commission. II the railways
were thus forced to swallow their own
| medicine"
"'rhat seems reasonable PROPOSE
tion. but would II adjust Itself satls-
fnctorily to Galveston2 and what Of
feet would It have on the commissioner
IT Will answer that by an lllustra-
ton. The rate allowed by the commits
sion from points 40 miles distant from
leading from Shreveport TO Galveston
AN Interstate road with which the
| commission has nothing to discharges
only 2S cents for distance OF only
2S2 miles. Further, when the commits
sion was enjolned two years ago by
the railways in consequence of the ta-
rim then issued the railways in the
state hauled cotton In competition
with each other for much lower fig
ures than the present tarln, hence II
seems the consumers and producers In
general would be better OF II we had
no commission at ALL"
what have you to suggest with ref
erencc to Gnivestons advantages or
disadvantages as n shipping point?"
"WeIl, sir. would beg to state from
personal knowledge that no cotton port
In the United States has so many adj
vantages MS Galveston now has, and
It IN the cheapest port for vessela OF
any In the country. All the wharves
are covered and the goods absolutely
protected while being shipped. and the
improved terminal facilities enable
prompt handling OF same, and as ocear
freights from there TO foreign ports
are as low and sometimes lower thar
from New Orleans, the above state,
ments are amply proven"
"NVhat have you to say az to Calves
toms transportation facilitlesY'
The charge has been made that 0
lot of scows are loaded At Galveston
as compared with ilrst-claas steamers
loaded ut other ports, hence the higf
rate OF Insurance paid from Galveston
IN comparison with the other ports
This statement 30 partially right nnt
partially wrong. Both regular liner.
and tramp steamers THE same elias:
ns load at other ports) load at Gal
weston. Insurance by the latter cost:
from to 10 cents per bale more thar
by the former. but the real reason o.
the difference In insurance from Gal
weston TO foreign ports as comparet
for instance with Boston Is the dis
lance. innsmuch as marine Insurance.
Is based upon the danger to navigation
and the length OF time the shipment
Ia afioat: The distance from Calves.