The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-09
IN THE RAILWAY WORLD.
Disadvantages Under Which the State
Commission is Laborina.
SOUTHWESTERN TRAFFIC MEETING.
"""f" OF administration Eiected-sou,h.
ern facifc's Financial Report.
Cattle Shipments.

Austin Texas, April s-Some time age
'he railroad commission suspended It's
oruer giving the shipper control of his
Shipment where there are two or more
routes between points of origin and desti.
hatioh upon the presentation by traffic
men oil various and sundry logical reasons
shinn"r. piacins ~ IN the power of the
| 1870, W Iofce the movement of freight
Utter the longest route simply 10 get gwen
WIN WIN certain carriers against whom he
Aeid srudge. 'e
Representatives. of several sbor, i,n,,
Win Two or more junction points along
- .ha route argued, in addition, that II
r ,np,i We're permitted to arbitrarily
route their consignments the revenues az
| Saiu snort lines could be materially re-
uueea without occasioning the least saw
ing IN freight rates TO any one. by any
80, ,,,' ~ shipper who might take notion
~ route freight Via such junction points
IT, tue originating line could earn the
| ieist uiNislon through. The short-lne peo-
~ 80 called attention 10 the fact that
| "h,ie thty could get the benefit of sew
| ,I1i competing connections at their termI-
| 10, ~ >, would not be right TO place 1t in
~ Power OF any one 10 deprive them OF
! the advantage of such competition hy
| loIChg freight over intersecting lines
| without benefit to the shipper either in
POINT OF rate or shortnoss OF route. AS
w commission Is rather inclined to the
nriei tnai tho long lines are generally
| able to take care of themselves and that
| Inc snort lines are entitled to considerable
| consideration, IL Is probab Bile that short
| line logic had a great deal to do with lis
actlon in suspending the order referred
| to above. However, another question has
presented Itself in this connection which
may eventually cause the commission law
| 10 he amended so as to give the commits
SION authority TO inquire into the manner
IN which, connecting lines divide the rate
shipments over two or more lines. and to
render divisions of rates subject to COM
mission approval.
AS the matter stands now. miniature
rate wars arc continually in progress at
points like Fort Worth, for instance. ..
10 illustrate, suppose the Fort Worth
and Rio Grande railroad originates. n
shipment OF cotton for Houston or Gal
Ve%ton at Comanche The shipper having
no say so as TO which route said cotton
snail take to the point Of destination, the
Fort Worth and Rio Grande can play it's
connections at its termin Fort Worth
ana BroWnwood, against each other until
it secures Il big and disproportionato-
considering the amount Of hauling it has
to do-dvislon out OF the through rate
rms, of course, means that its connection
which eventually secured the final haul
shrank its divisions way below the estab-
nsnSd tariff , and practically Violated the
commission law TO get the Fort Worth
ana Rio Grande's business but the ship
per got no benefit from the shrinkage.
io paid fun tariff rates, and the Fort
was actually entitled to out of the haul |
The point in all this now is whether If |
the connecting lines can afford to cut their
rates under such circumstances. they
can't afford to cut them AL the time and
give the shipper instead of the originating
line the benefit of the cut, That's why ii |
las been suggested that divisions of rates |
should he made subject to commission ap-
prevail and that 1t has been n,mated that |
the next legislature would he asked to |
amend the commission law so az to con-
r. for.
commission.
II is cutie likely also that an effort will |
be made to amend the commission law |
confer upon the commission power to |
regulate divisions of rates.
by the fourth clause OF section 6 of the
act of congress of March . lsSg entitled
An Act to Regulate Commerce" II Is
provided that rates in force snail not be
by common carriers except after
ten days public notice, and that reduc-
lions in published rates shah only be
made after three days previous public
notice
l5y the Texas railroad commission law
the State commission can only establish
or change rates, except when applied for
by the railroads. after ton days public
notice, and when established it can only
make them effective after another pubic
notice of twenty days.
From the above 1t will be seen that
|
traffic may increase their rates on ten
lays notice or may reduce them on n
three days notice, and may IN that way
seriously and iniuriously affect tn" busl-
ness of the people and of the roads en-
aged In State traffic the commission
has no power to meet these changes in
ess than thirty days.
II has been charged that one interstate
inc at least has been making II p'actic" of
aking advantage of the above conditions
20 annually Hood the Stat" with Kansas
III
)e SO adjusted as to meet the rates under
which 1t gets in its work. The practice
: to quietly notify tho Kansas grain
handlers month in advance to concen-
rate their stun at certain points in an
icipation Of a. cut rate 10 he promul-
satcd on certain day, and suddenly 10
rive the requisite interstate three days
notice If "A reduced rate to Texas and to ,
move the Kansas product into the state
ven before the requisite Texas. ten days !
lotice has expired, let alone the twenty
ate can become effective, This operates
toward Texas grainmnn, be. 5
ausc 1T loads up the state with Kansas
rain before they can get n rate that Will (
nab,c the home commodity 10 move In
with the alien product
To meet such n condition II IS necessary
nat such amendments TO the law be made S
will enable the commission to counter
he establishment and changes OF rates by
Dads engaged in interstate traffic and a
rotect lhe railroads and people OF Texas 9
gainst rate fluctuations occasioned 10y
ate wars or arising from any other cause. a
The railroad commission is daily in re- /
eipt Of requests from different parties !
or copies of documents and specific infor- y
IA ton about matters within its 1urisdic- II
ion. compliance with which demands the II
Expenditure of n vast amount of labor, I
h performance of which, with the limit /
Il force at the commissions command, Is
ctrimental TO the public service so far as a
hat department is concerned.
The twentieth section of the raiiroad
lication of any person the commission u
hall furnish certified copies of any ciassi, !.
cation, rates regulations or orders, and Z
ron certified copies furnished by the Il
ommission shall he admissible in evil {,
ence In any suit and sufficient 70 estab- i
sh the fact that amy charge. rate, rule, II
,dor or classification therein contained
ma which may be in issue in the trial
the official act of the commission;
ny person may demand such copies with
-, snecifvinp the nee to which they are u