The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-03-07
TEXAS DEEP WATER PORTS
What q Kansas Man Thinks About
the Outlook.
MORE EQUITABLE RATES NEEDED.
What IL Most Desired il Railroads No,
Controlled by tho Eastern
cities.

Phil p. Campbell OF Pttsburg, Kan,
member of the deep water utilization COM
mittee, passed through the city yesterday
on his way home from a tour of the Tex
as coast. He was seen Mt the Lawlor by
a representative of The Post.
What do thinl; o. Texas and the coast
country? / am much delighted with this
part of your state. in fact, with all Texas.
There is a wonderful field for Development
here L. seems to me all that you require
here upon the cost country is energy and
capital to make this one of the most veal
thy and productive places In the world"
The question of obtaining deep water,
Mr. Campbell said. is nc longer one about
which there is any doubt At Arkansas
Pass they have constructed jetty and
break water. which have SO directed the
outgoing tide, that II has cut the par
down four feet since the LIST of september,
and is making rapid gains daily. 1t is but
IL question OF q snort time until they Will
nave sufficient water there 10 enable
heavy ocean gong steamers to pass in and
out with safety. There is splendid har-
Dor at that point. AT Galveston. the work
is progressing to the satisfaction Of those
IN charge of 1t, and they are able to han
die "A large commerce with the water they
already have. They have about twenty
i've feet of water at Port Arthur and are
sending vessels out to sea loaded with
lumber"
The great question is not one OF deep
water" said MIR. Campbell, but one of
freight rates to the ports whore the water
has been obtained, The railways, owned
aud controlled In the East, are manipu-
lated and managed in the interest of the
Eastern haul. For instance. the Missouri.
Kansas and Texas railway and the Santa
Fe, both of which run into Galveston,
are today prevented by the Eastern Traf
he association from hauling ton of Kan
sas products into that port These roads
would gladly make rate based upon the
mileage If they were permitted by their
Eastern connections to do 50. They want
and need the business"
What do you think the commission APP
pointed by the Eastern and southern
traffic associations will do upon the ques-
ton of gulf port rates p"
Nothing" was Mr.. Campbelrs reply.
Then he added:
That commission was not appointed by
the railways that ii represented with
view of having it do anything What
these traffic associations want is the long
Eastern haul. These roads are not oper-
atel for the accommodation of their
Western lines and connections. Their
stock, bonds, Offices and officers are all In
the East. and the East controls them"
But the completion Of the Kansas City,
Pittshurg and Gulf railway into Port Ar
thur" said Mr.. Campbell, will give an
outlet to IA good portion Of the western
half of the Mississippi valley. This is an
Independent lii, II has its own terminal
at Kansas city and Will also have its own
terminal at Port Arthur The road runs
through a rich terrtory-a territory that
produces ahundantly corn, wheat, oats
and potatoes, in fact everything that Is
produced in the most splendid agricultural
country In the world This road will be an
outlet to the sea for Iowa. Nebraska, Kan
sas. Missouri, Arkansas. Texas and Louis
lana. Shippers and producers want TO
reach the markets of the world with the
shortest possible land haul and the people
of the West and South can only do this
through n0V.s the Texas mud ,f
COURSE, the port viii do the business that
aHn nave the freight taken to the ship
What do / think of city building at
these ports 1t Is impossible 10 prevent
the growth of large and prosperous cities
mt seaport where an immense COM
mcrce is handled Arkansas Pass will han
lie the cattle product Of Southwest Texas
$ soon as they are able to take care Of
that large business This industry alone
VIII make city nt that point"
with "A through line Of railway extend
iue through the western half of the Mis-
sissipp valley into Port Arthur said Mr..
the size of the city that viii lie built with
in the very immediate future at that
point, CAPITAL and enterprise are coming
South and business men and men of enter
prise who have watched the growth of
cities In this country and the increase of
values IN property will not lose sight of
the fact that all the best cities in the
world have the advantage of cheap water
transportation. AS soon as the Kansas
city, PittshurE and Gulf railway Is com
pleted into Port Arthur vessels viii he go
ing out OF that harhor loaded with tie
products Of the Western farmer and will
return loaded with the commerce of the
old world. The cars that have taken the
farmers corn to the ships side will return
loaded with lumber aud with imported
products That kind of business will make
a city. Why look at Galvestonl II made
a city of some fifty thousand with thir-
teen feet Of water. and l am told it is one
Of the wealthicst cities of Its size In the
United States"