The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-09
POSTPONED FOR A TIME.
The Railroad Commission and Texas
Lines Met Yesterday,
IDEAS AND OPINIONS EXCHANGED.
The southwestern Association I'm.
Troubles of Its own md w,..
Consider Eastern Demands.

Austin, Texas December 9.--The roi,ro,a
commission THIS morning resumed the hesr-
Ing OF the application of the TRANSFORMATION
companies Of Texas for an increase in rates
10 compensate them for alleged losses NJ
| revenue on account Of the depression in
business prevailing during the Inst wear
| or so.
Judge Reagan submitted this inouirv.
Are the existing freight rates. applying
within the State of Texas, Just and rea-
sonable?' and announced that the commits
sion would hear evidence separa.elv on
each question 1t has propounded in this
case. MI. Terry for the Santa Fe. de-
sired to introduce testimony to cover all
questions at once, but was overruled. and
MT. W. w. Pope. auditor of the Santa
re was called to the witness stand and
sworn, but before he could be lnterrogated.
General Manager Campbell Of the Interna
tional and Great Northern arose and stated
mat although his line was not n party TO
the application under discussion, he real
lied that IL would necessarily be affected
by any action that might be taken therein.
ana ne therefore asked for recess cf ten
minutes for consultation with the traffic
men and attorneys of the other lines who
were present He did not think the time
! opportune for pressing the application. as
the board OF administration of the South
western Traffic association had under con-
Siueration over 800 subjects for determine.
t>on, discussion of every one of which
must perforce be entered into during the
iua. lon, .
| was proceeded with, and upon which no
definite information could be given TO the
commission by the railroad men, as they
could not themselves tell Just how they
would be disposed Of
Judge Reagan had no objection to al
lowing the railroad representatives to con-
Ter and stated that If the Southwestern
Traffic association and the railroads Of
IeXas would agree not to endeavor to build
! up trade centers for Texas outside Of its
| limits to the detriment OF local trade CEN
tiers. 1t would be easy enough Tor the com
mission and the railroads to get along He
| thought the State roads should cooperate
with the commission and enable Texas Job
bers and manufacturers to compete success
fully with outside interests of like ma
! turc.
| Mr.. Campbell said that such vas The ,ol.
icy of the Texas lines but that there were
other lines in the Southwestern traffic as
| SoSiuNlbl liul represented interests entitled
to recognition and that careful and CON
servative action was necessary in the REG
oncliation OF the some times conflicting
elements.
| MIR. Terry stated that insofar as he Sem
Ia Fe was concerned the expectation had
not been to obtain an advance In local rates
without corresponding advance In inter
state rates, so as not to disturb existing
competitive conditions.
Judge Reagan retorted that the commits
sion had not been fairly and squarely met
by the railroads in the cndeavor to bring
about an equitable adjustment of rates. 1t
was true that last year the difference be-
] tween Interstate car load and less than car
| load rates had been appreciably increased
on a number of articles, but that at the
same time the common point territory had
| been very much restrained so as to mini
mize the benefits to be derived rom said
! Increase. and that during the past year the
| adjustment of rates made June y, 1895. had
| in many instances been overturned. al
| though at the time ii was offered rs u sou-
| tion of the rate troubles then prevailing,
! II was admitted that but partial Justice had
/ been done Texas thereby End further fav-
1 orabe rate changes were promised.
Judge Stedman stated that TO increase
! State rates and correspondingly to increase
| Interstate rates would not accomplish What
the commission desired 1t was not so muo h
|
| tive conditions as one OF altering such con-
| ditions to give Texas relatively fair
| showing hereunder The adjustment Of
| J,nc |, 1885, was but a partial recognition
of the rights Of Texas jobbers and manu-
facturcrs, yet instead Of enla ging the bene-
hts accruing under said adjustment. as
promised, the railroads had gradually re-
stricted them.
Judge Terry thought that the question OF
difference between interstate car load and
| less than car load rates was one for the
I interstate commerce commission to settle
and as it was now before said commission
on complaint Of the business mems league
of St Louis that said differences now ob-
served were too great and unjust to St.
Louis defined territory less tLan car load
| shippers, he was OF the opinion that 1t
should not enter into the present discus
sion. He also called attention to the fact
that there we're other than Texas lines in
the Southwestern Traffic association and
that said other lines insisted on rates that
would enable them to distribute the prod
| uct of manufactures and the Commodities
handled by jobbers In their territory.
judge Reagan retorted that the Texas
lines were parts of interstate systems form =
ing the Southwestern Traffic association
and that they should see that no injustice
was done the State In the matter OF rates
H. said he. they persist in being parties TO
Injustice they must understand at once Tor
ali time that the commission Will retaliate
by putting down local rates,
Mr.. Terry asked how the railroads could
helm themselves If they should be met IN
the same way by the MISSOURI commission
for instance. Suppose" said he, that the
commi ssicn there should insist upo,. re-
ducing our local rates in that State II we
did not give the Missouri jobbers and man
uiacturers rates that would enable them TO
shin their products to Texas.
Judge Perkins remarked that the South,
western Traffic association had troubles OF
us own ana that In adjusting rates II mad
TO consider the demands OF the lines east
OF the Mississippi which insisted on hand
ling their share of the business OF the
southwest and had other ways OF getting
i, a. tho Southwestern Traffic association
attempted TO bar them out. They can reach
Texas over other routes than those con
trolled by the Southwestern Trahlc asso-
c..ticn he said. and II heir demands TIRE
not listened to will cut rates and do ou,i-
nets with Texas anyhow, and rum tne
southwestern lines and the territory triou-
,orv thprptO