Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-19
MEETING
OF Railroad Representa-
tiYeS Held.
A PROPOSITION OF THE RAILROAD
COMMISSION WAS UNDER
DISCUSSION.
THE RATES ON GRAIN
BROUGHT THE RAILROAD REPRE-
sENrATIvEs TOGETHER.
The Roads Claim That the Proposed
Reduction In Grain Rates would
he Too Heavy.
THE RATES ON GRAIN
BROUGHT THE RAILROAD REPpE-
sENrATIvEs TOGETHER.

Austin, Tex, March lS.-tSpecial.)-
The railroad commission OF Texas to-
day held meeting with representa-
tlyes Of railroads doing business in
Texas Tor the purpose of discussing the
commissions proposition to reduce the
maNimum rate on grain, grain products
and hay. There We're present the fol-
lowing railroad men:
II, a. Jones, general freight agent of
the Houston and Texas Central; Judge
L. &. Perkins, general attorney Of the
Cutton Belt: G.. W. lSarnhardt. general
freight agent OF the Cotton Belt; j. -
Bartholomew. acting general freight
agent OF the /, Il. q, NJ, j. Z. Leith,
general freight agent OF the Texas Mid
land; W. i. Sterlay. chief clerk IN the
traffic department of the Fort Worth
and Denver city railway; j. j. Ryan.
general freight agent OF the San An
tonic and Gulf Shore; Judge Y. j. Free
II an, general attorney OF the Texas and
Pacific; j. IL. pennison, secretary OF
the Galveston freight bureau Colonel
Polk, general freight agent of the Gulf.
Colorado and Santa Fe.
Judge Stedman then read the notice
OF the meeting as follows:
"Whereag serious doubt has arisen
as to the scope Of the action that may
be taken by the railroad commission
OF Texas under the notice afforded by
circular No 20l and circular No. 2l3.
the former Issued January p, 1896, and
the latter February Z, 1896; and, where
as the commission desires that a notice.
unmigtakably sufficiently broad to
serve rs the foundation for the reduc-
tiOn and modification Of the maximum
rates on grain, grain products and hay,
~ well as the foundation for the reduc-
tlOn Of Joint rates thereon within such
maNima MS may he prescribed. and for
n tariff. complete in all respects, sup
planting commodity tariff No. ., shall
be given. 1t Is therefore ordered by the
railroad commission of Texas that the
accompanying tariff OF rates and rcgu-
latiOns for tho Transportation of grain
grain products and hay. by railroads
between points In Texas, shall be and
II IL hereby submitted to all parties
interested Ms the schedule Of rates and
the regulations which now appear nee
essarv for tho interests Of all parties
concerned. and as n guide for the de-
velopment N n complete tariff, inclul-
ing said schedule md regulations cN-
nctly or approximately. which VIII en-
brace all details In compact form. and
which, n adopted. will be known MS
commodity tariff No. . \ and will
supersede commodity tariff No. .; and
thnt notice be and Is hereby given to
all parties Interested In such matter
that the same will be considered by tho
rNilruad commission a" Texas at Its
office In the city of Austin. Tex, on
the 18th day OF March, 1896"
Judge Perkins, general attorney OF
the Cotton Belt, was the first to re-
spond to Judge Storey's request for
Information He urged, In brief terms,
that the proposed reduction viii not in
any case Increase the tonnage, but
viii materially decrease the roads rev
cnues which his road could not pos
slhly bear.
Then came General Freight Agent
Polk OF the Santa I'c with long ar
ray of figures to show decrease in
the amount OF tonnage moved by his
road. and by the Texas roads the pres-
ont season as compared with the husl-
ness of the previous season, from which
he concluded reduction OF rates moth
Ing less thnn disastrous to the roads
at interest, In his argument he showed
a decrease not only In grain and grain
products and hay, but also cotton and
cotton seed and products.
He explained that although the grain
crops OF 1895 We're larger than in 1891.
the traffic business was II per cent
smaller than in 1895. He accounted for
this by the statement that the farmers
had fed much OF their grain and hay
to hogs and cattle, and are now con-
graduating themselves on their wis
dom, But he said, "our Increased
revenue for carrying cattle and hogs
has been much less than the decrease
on grain and hay"
He then produced figures to show
that " the proposed rate reduction Is
put IN effect the average decrease IN
revenue on -four will be II per cent:
ON wheat and seeds, II per cent; corn
and other grains, 20 per cent; ana hay.
II per cent This is whert the carriage
IL over one line. while on two lines OF.
a Joint haul" the average reduction i'm
revenue Will be nearly twice as great.
He then read correspondence be-
tween himself and Assistant General
Freight Agent Hudson OF the Santa Fe,
This was brought out by the fact that
the Texas commission rely greatly I'M
on the tariff rates promulgated by the
Kansas railroad commission In 1891
which are lower than the proposed
rates In Texas. Mr. Hudson wired Mr..
Polk that the rates OF the Kansas com
mission were never In force, as thew
were made rldlculously low In order
to curry favor with the Popullsts and
never seriously intended. Nor ala tho
roads pay any serious attention TO
them.
Your proposed reduction" said Mr..
Polk, is simply more than we can
stand. Not road in the state is to-
day making more than operating ex-
y. q tAe.f ARtN NAs Nlih iutNt CONF
plants ana demands for the spollation
OF railroads come. not from bona-tidc
farmers, but from politicians who want
udice."
Mr. j. II. bartholomew. assistant
general freight ascnt OF the I. & q. N
opened his remarks by saying that Eve
are confronted with an Increased tom
mage and decreased revenue" some
or mis- decrease he thought duo to the
mission, and he thought 4, unjust n
compel n continuous decrease Of rates
IN the face OF constant loss in rev.
enue.
IL. A. Jones, general freight agent OF
me Houston. and Texas Central, asked
y any complaint had been made from
on short hauls