The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-02
TEXAS COMMISSION.
Austin. re.as, january l. isl

The fourth annual report Of the railroad
commission Is completed.
| II shows that there are now fifty-nine
| railroads in operation In this State, an IN
crease OF one In twelve months Two new
| roads (the San Antonio and the Wichita
Falls railways) were opened for business
| during the year. but there was a consoli-
datlon Of two roads into one namely. the
La Porte. Houston and Northern and the
North Galveston. Houston and Kansas
City. There are eaoo.7o miles of railway
In operation, a net increase In main
track mileage of iT.lO niles
The gross amount OF freight carried
during the year ending June 80. 1895,
amounted to IL, b9i, 352 tons. an increase OF
| 2,305,1s5 tons over the year ending June
30, 1894.
The total number OF passengers carried
during the year ending June 80. 1895. was
| 6,537. $50. an increasee OF 400 over the
| preceding twelve months.
The cost OF operating tho railroads OF
the State for the year ending June 80. 1895,
was SIS. s64 1885. or sis5e,os7i6 more than
during the year ending June 90, 1894.
The not earnings OF all the railroads In
Texas for the period covered by the re-
port were slo,522 s75.ii. or sS,s345so.33
greater than they were during the year
ending June 30. 1854
| For those roads the amount OF whose
stocks and bonds are known the ratio OF
mel earnings TO their aggregate stock and
! bond Indebtedness was ~ per cent duHng
the year ending June 80. 1896 The ratio
| OF said net earnings TO the valuation
| placed on the Same roads by the commits
sion was III per cent for the same period.
The report recites that the commission
| has adopted eleven commodity tariffs
since lsat u gave the public an annual
resume OF rs work, ana gives figures to
refute the charge that since the dissou-
| ton OF the Injunction restraining 1t from
| regulating the transportation business OF
| the state the commission has established
| rates higher than those In force while the
| Injunction was in forco. Further than
that, II advances that even IL the commits
those established by tho railroads when
not restricted, the public would be mate
rally benefited by the commissions pro
hibition Of rate determinations. Atten-
tlon Is called 20 the fact that on cotton
alone the commission save ed shippers
about $4,000 during the years 1891 and
1895 by reducing The maximum rate on
that product 80 cents per bale 10 Calves
ton from common point territory. Atten-
ton - also called to the substitution by
the commission OF the practice of adding
certain nrbitrnrlcs to the single line rate
fot tho rule. adopted by tho railroads for
ascertainlng tho drought rate when ship
ments are handled by two or more lines
Said rule provided that the locals over
each road should he added until certain
maximum was reached Comparative ia
b.cs OF class rates are given to show the
reduC lions made by tho commission IN this
respect. which Will aggregate ~ per cent.
-:---:-
Forty-seven roads have been valued by
tho commission. Four of them. towlt:
The TeXns Louisiana and Eastern. Texas
and Sabine Valley, Texas Trunk and the
Waco and Northwestern. are in the hands
Of receivers. who are not advised as to
the amounts Of stocks and bonds on them.
8 stocks aud bonds of tho remaining for
ty-three amount to 1867 G77.OH These
forty-scvcn roads were valued Mt $40. SOl, %
0S3I by the commissions engineer Their
l valuation, as rendered for taxation for
the current year. was sGS.56o,7S0 Compar-
ativcly speaking, they earned eT per cent
on their stocks and bonds; IA per cent
: on the commission valuation and iin per
cent on the assessors valuation.
Tho aggregate number of officers and
3 employees OF Texas railroads was 1887 for
, the year ending June 49, ls95.
. Attention T. called to the inadegunoy
e Of tho clerical assistance vouchsafed the
commission 10 supervise and requiring
70 nearly 10000 employees to look after.
n Reference Is had to frequent complaints
/ received Of unjust charges made by eA-
II press companies, which the commission is
j ppwcrlcss to inquire Into. owing to the
n inncceUalbihtv of said companies books,
e because OF their not being required to
y maintain general offices In Texas, az Is
l. eXactod OF tho railroads.
Tho only contracts approved by the COM
| mlsHlon during the past year are those
Z entered into recently between the Gal
q weston, Houston and henderson and the
e International ad Great Noriher and Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railways. ~
. these the report says we consider them
OF great Importance and benefit to tht
4 people and the commerce of not only thls
..H1..
4 me'ce II seeking passage through the
b. port Of Galveston
~ Attention Is called to the fact that there
e are apparently thirteen railroads in TeNas
IL of the aggregate length Of 2lD5 n mules
Preference helng had 10 what IL commonly
known MS the southern Pacific system
Enthusiastically under n common manage
mont and control. a few Of them parable
and others competing roads" The abay,
10 is found under the heading "Consolida-
y wrilc nv follows; so long MS the railroad
II commission Is clothed with power ia max,
n and maintain rates. the interests OF IN,
~ public may not he seriously affected hN
. the Joint ownership and management OF
II railroads in this state as to non-parallo
/, and non-competine lines 4ut the provls
IA Ions OF the constitution of the stat,
=, should be respected IA relates to parable
u and competing roads"
'c since the last wears report the commits
he sion has approved railroad bonds to th'
~ amount of SLJ06,ooo, rs follows. for regis
- tatlon:
AZ | For the Galveston, La Porte ana Hnns
/ ton railway 81 000.
ii For the Wichita Falls railway. $4,000,
For the Culf and Interstate Railwa!
re COMPANY. s'NN od0
Ia For the RIO Grandc Railroad company
+, $4,000.
-
:, In explanation Of tho apparent paradox
n OF increased earnings with lower rates
,n tho report refers TO the increased tonnag
lc OF freight handled by the railroads dur
Ne Ing the past year, and argues that will
M the lowering of commodity rates within
,l tho state iohbing and manufacturing ha
ld boon stimulated and tho volume Of les
q, than carload shipments increased. the lat
All ter being profitable for the railroads t
~ handle.
The Influence OF Interstate rates upo
u State rates ia dwclt upon. ana the acto
0- OF the Southwestern Tsaffic associato
IA IN widening tho difference between tai
ui load and loss than carload rates from 81
NJ Louis defined territory 10 Texas oommo
NJ point territory s approViugly referred tt
er speaking OF export cotton rates, IN
.c. report says that "as an investigation o
h. this question rs now pending before thi
sts,pi.