The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-23
HAVE MADE REPORT
OKLAHOMA COMMERCE COMMITTEE
SUBMITS A FEW REMARKS.


sources of the West and the Trcmend
Gus Tonnage Produced for Shipment
They Tell About Frauds and DiscriIni
nations on the Part OF Railroads.
The meeting Of the interstate COM
mercs committees Of Kansas. Nebraska
Oklahoma and Texas al Guthrie dur
Ing the week was an important event
and there is hardly question but VIVA,
the movement inaugurated there 10 &c,
al the states Of the west together will
result in great good. At the meeting
Colonel Brooks Forrest of Ell Reno was
secretary Of the Oklahoma committee al
the Texas meeting and Captain Garrison
Of Grant county, who was made chair
man. made the following report to Gov
eraor Renfrow. II will be found of in
terest now when it is apparent that the
people Of the west are getting together
in an effort o secure a reduced cost of
transportation for the products of their
farm. The report was published in out
line in Fridays Eagle, but an outline
was not adequate for such an important
matter, and the report is given in detail
as follows:
To His Excellency, the Honorable w. c.
Renfrow, Governor Of Oklahoma.
Dear Sir: Pursuant TO the provision
of joint resolution No. 9 Of the Fourth
general assembly of Oklahoma territory,
the following named persons were duly
appointed 10 confer with like commit
tees appointed by the legislatures Of the
states OF Kansas and Texas concerning
the Inauguration Of methods 10 pro-
cure reductions in transportation rates
to deep water, to-wit: BY Governor
Renfrow, C. A. Galbraith and R. B.
Forrest; by the president of the council,
William Garrison and II. c. Hammer; by
the speaker of the house, r. B. Shannon,
". Christian and ]. P. Cherry. Having
accepted said appointments said COM
miitete begs leave to submit the follow
Ing report of proceedings had by such
committee:
The members Of the committee met
during the closing days of the legislature
In the city of Guthrie and organized by
The election Of Senator William Garrison
As chairman, and subsequently selected
z. B. Forrest as its secretary.
Upon the 9Th day of April, 1897, the
committee met at Oklahoma City with
the like committees appointed in the
btate Of Kansas, and joint conference
was held between the Oklahoma and
Kansas committees; said joint confer
snce resulted In the appointment of a
subcommittee of six, consisting of w.
F. Brown, c. w. Johnson and Ed. T.
Hackney Of the Kansas delegation, and
Senator William Garrison and Represen-
,atives Shannon and Cherry of the Ok
ahoma delegation. The duty assigned
10 this subcommittee was to visit Tex
as, and particularly the gulf points Of
that state, 70 gather statistics and data,
TO be of use at the general conference
ST the committees to be thereafter held
on the 18th day of April. 1897. al the city
Of Austin, Texas Said subcommittee
was to report TO the Kansas and Okla
homa committees on the 14th day Of
April. 1897, at the city of Austin.
Pursuant 10 arrangements the said
subcommittee proceeded to Texas for
such purpose, Senator Garrison and Rep
resentarive Shannon accompanying it
from Oklahoma and on the evening of
the 14th day Of April, 1897, did report
to the Kansas and Oklahoma commit
tees as follows:
Mr.. Chairman:-Your subcommittee,
acting under your instructions, pro-
ceeded directly from Oklahoma City to
Galveston.
I'VE We're given a most hearty recep-
ton by the business men and leading
citizens of the city, who were unsparing
and unremittinG in their efforts 10 make
our stay both profitable and pleasant,
and they were Jealous in their endeavors
20 give US all the information in their
possession.
We have visited the great wfarves and
warehouses which are capable OF ac-
commodaling an immense ocean tom
mage.
I'VE found elevators capable OF hold |
ing about 2,45O00O bushels OF grain, |
while it is proposed TO erect another in |
the near future.
Major Miller. who has charge Of the |
government work, and who superintend-
ed the construction of the jetties. tend |
cred the committee an invitation to ac-
company him on the government tug for
tour Of inspection Of the jetties, which
invitation was gladly accepted. This
work is one of stupendous magnitude
The general government has expended
from frs: 10 last something like S., 5000
300 on this work. which Is now practi-
cally completed. Soundings were made
AZ the mouth Of the jetties and showed a
tvs ~ ho1
10 thirty feet. despite the fact that the
tide was al its lowest cob. and as the
tide raises to a height OF about two feet,
proves that the high tide is sufficient to
doat vessels Of the largest tonnage.
Your committee is fully convinced
that the port Of Galveston is one of
boundless and limitless possibilities. and
we are assured by one Of the leading
shop brokers, that while he furnished
100 ships during the past six months OF
an average tonnage Of $500 tons. he
could have furnished 100 more, had there
been sufficient freight to demand il.
Your committee is fully convinced
further that Galveston harbor is one of
the finest and safest in the world. and
while We are discussing this phase Of
the question il might be we'll 20 notice
'Gthe facilities for handling grain a lit
tile further and the cost thereof.
The railroads that enter Galveston
eli have their terminals az the wharf. OF
which there are about foruteen miles, so
al grain for export is hauled by the en-
CINE directly into the elevator. where it
Is unloaded into the chu,ss. and the YES
sells anchor by the elevators side and
the grain is loaded directly from the ele-
va;or into the ship. and TO illustrate The
.apidity with which this work can he