The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-12-02

proposed schedule of freight rates. on
the articles named. to be considered III,
stead of the schedule of rates submitted
by the petitioners on the 18th OF Septem.
Der. stating that this new schedule or
rates had been agreed to by the lrafhc,
managers of the Missouri. Kansas ana
Texas and Texas and Pacific railways
and that it was acceptable to the petit
TONERS. and stating that the rates lTo-
posed are higher than those suggested
in the petition filed with the conf
mission on September II. on nc
count of the doing away with two
or more line differential. Subsequently,.
Mr.. Goodwin. the general freight agent
of the Gulf. Colorado and Santa Fee Rail
way. stated that the proposed new rates
would meet no objection from that COM
pany. The officers of these three roads
consented to the putting into effect of
the proposed rates. if. as shown by the
letter of Mr. Allen of the Missouri Kan
sas and Texas road. it could be done
without change or alteration
The proposed schedule would make the
rates on such articles, first-class, higher
than existing rates for most distances
up 20 147 miles from the point of ship
ment After reaching the distance of 149
miles from the point of shipment the
rate is rapidly reduced until the. maxi
! mum distance of 1S5 miles is reached, at
which point il makes the maximum rate
! II cents for a hundred pounds. instead
of the present rate of IS cents per hun
dred. reduction of II cents per 100
pounds for all distances of lS5 miles or
more.
On the second-class of these articles,
! which embraces the great bulk Of them.
it is proposed 10 make the rate higher
than the present late for all distances
mp 20 81 miles, and from that until the
maximum rate is reached ut $50 miles
the rates are made lower. being at that
distance, and ut all greater distances, -
cents per 100 pounds, instead of so
cents which is The present rate. Il re-
ductiOn of % cents on the 100 pounds for
all distances greater than 1S5 miles.
| On the thir1-class. on which hut little
il carried. it makes the rate higher to %
| miles and for all distances less than that,
! and lower from all points &c miles from
the point of shipment to 1S5 miles: where
I the maximum rate is reached, at 40 cents
per 100 pounds, instead of the present
rate of g. cents, being a reduction for
1S3 miles, and all greater distances. of
~ cents per 100 pounds.
On the fourth class. on which few or
none of these articles are carried. II in
creascs the rates mp to and including.
distance of - miles, and reduces the
rates from that point until the maximum
is reached at 1S5 miles. where il makes
the rate 40 cents on the 100 pounds. in
! stead of the present rate of 90 cents.
making a reduction for all distances OF
1SJ miles and more of - cents on the 100
pounds.
4 careful consideration of the one rate
for each class, in the schedule proposed
bv the manager of the Dallas Freight
bureau, for all distances less than sixty
miles. fails TO furnish any justfiab.e
reasons for the considerable increases
! exhibited. While the petitioners have
assigned no reason for these particular
cases, il is safe to assume that they are
intended to appear as an offset against
| the concessions asked in the rates for the
| long distances. and those resulting from
| the abandonment of the system of joint
rates for all distances. At the outset it
may be well 10 remember that the exist
| ing rates for short distances are quite as
high "a the people should IN required 10
pay for the service rendered by the rail
| road companies.
! If, as stated. the rates are as high as
the people should he required TO pay. il
| is very reasonable to assume that the
| existing burden of freight charges borne
by them should not be increased. The
natural question then is. will the petit
TONERS and all shippers of agricultural
|
| shrink their profits tn compensate for the
| increased expenses of transportation?
! The offer has been made by the petition
| era. under the appearance Of generosity,
to increase the revenues of the roads. and.
if they are sincere they should stand
ready to make good the offer without ex
/, pecting the consumers of their goods te
bear the results.
The railroad companies have in many
| honO forcal IN establish for
| short distances, rates lower than those
prescribed for general use, in order to Sc
| cure to themselves the transportation of
| goods which would otherwise he moved
| by wagons. II would not be natural 10
| expect even the most generous of the
petitioners to give the railroads freight
at the proposed rates when they are able
| to secure wagon transportation on more
| favorable terms.
| This ~ the situation in which the large
! distributors of agricultural implements
! and machinery can not be at the same
time loyal to the interests of their custom
era and to their pledges to increase the
revenues of the railroad companies
| Each one is bound, under the natural
laws of trade. and in the face of growing
competition, TO take into account every
item favorable to the distribution in
which he is 70 engage. and if a tenmster
should offer to move his shipments over
the distance of ten. twenty or thirty
miles or more. ut rates cheaper than
those charged by the railroads for like
distances. there is no consdera ton so
strong as would induce him to resist such
offer.
Another consideration favoring the
maintenance of graded rates for short dis
tances is this: In the populous portions
of the state which are most affected by
such rates, there are many distributing
cCnters. some of them small and others
large, and. consequently, more powerful.
. The establishments ut the small centerS
can. under the present system of rates,
supply customers at points in their i'm
mediate neghborhoods without resorting
to the facilities afforded by wagon roads,
in fair competition with the more power
full establishments. which are more dis
tant from the same consuming districts.
If. however the commission should
adopt rates that will he the same for all
distances of sixty miles and less, and as
suming that all goods will he shipped
over !he railroads at such rates, it Is
evident that the more powerful estah-
lShments will speedily gain control OF
the entire patronage. even to the eNtermi.
nation of the smaller establishments
Measures leading to such results would
be neither just nor eXpedient. being. 9s
they are. favorable to few individuals
/, ! and rllinouS to many.