Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-03
SUIT AGAINST COMMISSION.
Railways to Test the Right Of Conn
press Regulations.

There Is a suit to come up In the
district court at Austin this week the
result of which Is awaited with the
keenest interest by railway people. The
suit In question Is one Instituted by the
Southern Pacific interests TO determine
whether or not the state railway COM
mission has the right under the CONF
mission law to promulgate and en-
force cotton compress regulations,
Among the recent actions of the COM
mission was the PRONUNCIATION of an
order that all cotton for shipment
should be compressed at the nearest
compress to the place OF origin. In
other words, that cotton say from De-
catur. en- route to Galveston or Hous-
ton, shall be compressed at the tirst
compress encountered In transit, and
not hauled to Waco. Houston or GAL
weston before being compressed. The
commission holds that under the law
II has q perfect right to make and en-
force this regulation. The railways.
on the other hand, contend the COM
missions action Is arbitrary, uncalled
for and entirely unwaranted by law.
In the matter of the compression of
cotton they claim the right to concen-
trate and compress the staple at any
point on their respective lines that Is
most advantageous to themselves.
This Is the precipitation of a row OF
considerable magnitude, and the result
Is fraught with great importance not
only to the railways, but TO otherAlarge
interests as well.
For instance, II a big cotton Buyer
erects compress in Weatherford, With
the idea that he viii mako that city
the base of operations, concentrating
all his purchases there and compress
Ing 1t before shipment to the outside
market. suppose that the bulk of his
.tNN oil. ~ a LII.
Weatherford, and some enterprlsing
compress man In search of location
should erect plant at Gordon. Then,
under tn rule OF the state raj way ON
mission, the owner OF the Weatherford
compress would have to unload every
bale of his cotton at Gordon and have
It compressed, even though his own
compress at Weatherford was Standing
idle and failing Into decay from disuse.
That is one SIDE of the question.
Now for the other.
II will be remembered that not many
years have elapsed since II was de-
veloped that high railway officials of
some Of the lines OF this state were
largely interested in congresses To-
Gated at some points on their lines, to
which points they diverted all tine cot
ton they could possibly control, to the
detriment and disadvantage OF many
interests. Indeed the abuses in respect
became so fragrant and unbearable that
they resulted In the action that has
been undertaken by the commission, in
the hope OF adjusting these matters on
proper lines.
II may be that In consequence of this
action that some OF the lines are suf-
terers from the consequence Of In
dlvldual wrong doing. but that does not
lessen the necessity for the correction
of an existing evil.
Inc Southern Pacific people are very
much interested In congresses AZ Uous-
TON and some other points on their
lines, which have suffered. It is said.
IN consequence OF this rule of the COM
mission. Having confidence In ,ha
business OF their cause and believing The
commission is acting without AUTHORITY
OF the law. they seek to restrain that
n9uy from regulating this business
s. me result or that Austin suit is
state. '' e"'''e