The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-30

are used to Galveston and Houston when
ever the CONTAMINATION OF iocais are not iese.
ana such lower rates are not lllado by The
rsiiroaus as 4 matter OF choice. but IN or
oer TO meet the rates estA blisheu by the
iines east OF tho Mississippi river. From
snc Atlantic seNboard tcrrNory most OF the
business u moving through New York 10
Galveston. and tho rates IRON the balance
OF the country involved are based on ST.
| LOUIS, other points either taking the same
rate or uinercntisl higher or lower.
Between 81. Louis and Galveston there
Is water navigation almost an 4 direct limo
tho Mississirpi-Guif OF Mexico route.
lhat the Mississippi river has a large In
Iiucnce ON transportation rates we think
mas been conceded until the appearance OF
the Dallas freight bureau. The Importance
OF the navigation OF that stream was
| deemed SO great TO the North that 1t has
been assigned by historians as one OF tho
reasons why the North could not afford TO
permit the South to retire peaceabsy. Yet
the bureau treats this great stream as
though II were a twin brother OF tho upper
| Trnity. Shades OF Dc Soto
| Thus In April. 1911, DE Soto. little
aware OF the magnitude Of HIS discovery,
was standing on he banks OF the Missis-
sppi Justly called by tho indians Father
| of Waters y This discovery has mc~e sure
than II he had fauni those mines OF silver
and gold which he sought with such In
dorado hidden ~ the Fioridian Wild
| El Dorado hidden In the Fioridian Wild
crness. To conceal his death, his body
was wrapped ip a mantle, and In the still
| ness OF midnight was silently sunk In the
middle OF the stream. The discoverer OF
the Mississippi slept beneath its waters.
He had crossed large part OF the conti-
nent In search OF gold and found nothing
so remarkable AS his burial place.
1T seems that De Soto and the Dallas
| freight bureau are the only two persons,
corporeal or incorporeal. who have mover
| realized the Importance of that great
stream. In the opinicn also OF the bureau,
the Gulf OF Mexico has existed chiefly for
the purpose OF floating tho ships Of the
pirate Lafitte.''
The argument goes on to show that Dali
las formerly got her commerce via New
Orleans and Galveston, or via New Orleans.
tho Red river and Jefferson, In answer To
the proposition OF the complainant that
there are only two lines OH the Mississippi.
! carrying but n small share OF tho total
traffic. 1t Ia asked: what difference docs
II make whether the Lord created q river
whose bosom would bear tho drift logs 10
the sea, or created a gentle incline on tho
dry land by which barrel OF ilour once
started, would pursue the even tenor of It's
course overland 10 the sea? The Missls-
sippi represents the former case and the
Illinois Central the flour barrel course.
VI NJ pointed out that the existence OF the
Mississippi have enabled the Illinois Cen
trail to construct n line on a low grade
through n country inhabited by cheap labor
OF is a we'll known fact that the African
aud his descendants ccngrcgate in large
numbers In the woods), and there hnding
cheap coal is enabled to compete aud more
than compete with tho Mississippi Itself.
and II is therefore as much OF a dlssimilar
condition as tho existence or the Missis-
sippi itself Tho same is true OF the line
from New Orleans to Houston and Calves
ton paisslleling the gulf.
Illustrating the effect OF nayigable
Recommendations rot at present navlgatcd
upon rates. the recent Alabama Midland
| case. decided by the supreme court OF the
United States Is cited showing how the
Alabama river controls rates To Montgom-
cry ard other points, and in which the
court held TINT the open river constituted
a dlssminr condition at Montgomery 10
that existing at Troy. IL liz remarked that
the Mississippi river and The Gulf OF Mex
leo are more IMPORTANT factors than the
Alabama river, u is further arknod that
II the Mississippi river did not exist. ihnt
the water grade rail line. with its cheap
labor and cheap coal, enables II to handle
business at rates which would II applied
TO all their business, bankrupt the all rnll
lines running over she hills and mountains
from St Louis to North Texas. and which
In itself is a dissimlar condition. II tho
all rail lines are driven out Of tho business
to Galveston and Houston IL would legiti-
mately injure Dallas and Fort Worth. for
as long as thcy are permitted to make some
profit on the Galveston Houston business
they can afford 10 carry 10 North Texas Mt
that much less There is evidence tending
to show thai the rates 10 Dallas and NFolt
Worth are in themselves unreasonably
high.
The argument next notices the following
statement in cnmpainants brief:
at would seem that IL the proper effort
We're made there would be no difficulty
In the lines west OF the Mississippi river
inducing their Eastern connections 10 make
such an adjustment OF rates 20 New Or
leans as would relieve them from the
necessity OF having 10 employ the low rates
that are applied 10 Hnnston and Calves
ton
OF this proposition the argument says.
at the instance OF our friends residing at
the former confluence OF the unnavieable
headwaters OF tho Trinity with buffalo
trail the advantage which New Orleans
now enjoys OF being situated 10 the valley
Of the Father OF Waters is to be ruthlcssly
destroyed without any compensation being
made therefor either In law or equity.
Dallas does not have yellow fever. II she
s to be cqualizcd with New Orleans vi
the rate situation. how Is she going 10
cqualize New Orleans on the yellow fever
question? Dallas piumes herself on being
situated In the center OF the richest black
land country on earth. II Dallas Is to be
artificially moved down 10 a water hasis
on the rate question with Galveston, fIous-
ion and New Orleans, should not the lat
ter places be artlicialy moved up into the
black land country by abolislhng the local
rates between those points and the black
land section? 10 the meantime what would
become of the railroads.
The Justice of making rates by terri
tories is discussed at considerable Icngth.
With this conclusion; III separate rates
were made from each little town IN the
country TO every other little town, we
would have about as many tariff books 10
we have law books. when The business men
and traffic men would be ulder The same
difficulties that confront the legal fra
ternity.r