The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-05-28
THE RATE HEARING,
Reagan Says Evidence Against Ger
tain Roads ls0in Preparation.
POOLING SUGGESTED AS A SOLUTION.
Colonel Houston Says 1t Will Settle
All the Trouble.
NIX. CRANE WANTS THE BOOKS.
Complained Especially of the False
billing of Cotton-Considernb
Attention to MIR. Farley.


Georgia cotton rates recently submitted Ivy
General Freight Agent Goodwin of tic
Santa Fe
Judge Perkins remarked that this letter
was but the forerunner of n number of
similar documents the commission might
expect to receive for some time. They
were inspired by landlord named Coch-
ran, street car man named Wakefield and
brickyard man named Harry for whom
Barney Gibbs wns furnishing the brains.
They were the remnants OF what was once
known as the band wagon or town-boonling
crowd. Gibbs. who is manipulating them,
had not met a man for two months thai lie
had not talked his arm Off about building
State railroad to the gulr. over whirh
ANYBODY could run trains that wanted TO.
He had not heretofore said much abou, this
crowd, but he was getting tircd of It's
monkey business and lie proposed from
now IN TO put the hot iron to II.
Judge Reagan said he understood what
was the matter. Somebody who had been
fattening Oft Of rebates before the commits
sion was established was sore because he
could no longer enjoy an inequitable ad-
vantage over his competitors In other
towns, hence the roar
Hon. A. w. Houston. representing the
San Antonio and Arkansas Pass, speaking TO
the question Of reducing rates, said that
the railroad revenues Of Texas were being
assalcd by combinations or trusts known
as freight bureaus, and that the railroads
must look TO the commission for protec-
ton These freight bureaus he asserted.
existed CLEARLY in violation OF the anti
trust law and brought every kind OF intu-
ence to hear to affect freight rates.
No cause has been shown for the reduc-
tion of the cotton rate No witness has
appeared to show that the price Of any
farmers cotton has been reduced because
of the existing cotton rate Twas true
that the chairman of that implement deal
ors' trust known as the pallns freight bu-
rcau had gratuitously attacked the COM
mission ana other persons on the stand
aud delivered himself OF unreliable state
monts In an effort TO conceal his real mo-
tires which contemplated nothing Of BEN
eft TO the farmer whom he assumed To he
representing. hut was no evidence upon
which 10 disturb rates.
The railroads are gratuitously charged
here with making untrue reports. - said,
yet the commissions own reports were
subject to the charge Of unfnirncss be-
cause they did moi show 100000 Of fixed
charges In the shape OF taxes which the
railroads rNy.
Judge REAGAN said that there was this
difference: that while the railroad Of
| ficcrs iaght he interested in making false
reports, the commission could have no mo-
tive Of that nature.
~ tho commission knows of any rail-
road official interested ia wasting his
roads revenues II ought To let the owners
Of the read know it. so that said officer
cau BE- punished" retortod Mr.. Houston.
| We're getting up the evidence fast
MS We can =" said Judge Reagan, hut here
tofore railroad operations have been so
concealed that ii has been impossible for
us or anybody else to learn anything about
them hnt wo'rc on the track now
| That's right" replied Mr.. Houston. III
my officer OF my railrcad is wasting its
revenues and the commission Knows u, II
should tell me all about it. That's whore
the remedy lies, and no, in reduction OF
rates.
There is but one certain way for tho
| railroad comm ssi0n to regulate rates, h
said, and that IS by a legollzed pool. Pool
ing may have been a crime before Tegu-
lion by commission became the rule. but
now that the law or atiug the commission
was based UPON the proposition that there
shall be no competition in rates between
railroads. pooling undGr the supervision
Of said commission was the logical solution
of the question.
Did not think that II was the correct
way 10 put II to say that the rates % a
| railroad supposed to be earning too mucl
money could not be reduced without in
creasing It's tonnage to the ultimate loss
Of parallel lines. The proper statement
was THAT the rates OF one Rad could not
be reduced without bringing In the rato'
OF its competitors. whether the commission
willed 1t or not Tac making OF different
rates for different roads was impracticable
as tho lowest rate would inevitably rule
anyhow.
Mr. Houston further maintained that thu
consumer and not the producer pays thf
| freight One might as well say that tho
producer pays the cost Of spinning cotton
into thread as that he pays the cost 81
getting said cotton to the mill, he declared
If the commission should reduce thu
rate on cotton 10 - cents per bale, ! don
believe the flrner OF Texas would fnd II
out untll the end 81 the next season. unless
il was circulated through the country
newspapers. MS Mr. Farley circuates MI
ISLANDERS rpcn you ard and the rest OF
u.s. solennlv asserted Mr. Houston hf
commission in its reports" he continued
''ruhlshos that It last year saved the PEG
ME Of Texas $500 Goa by reducing lhe cor
tcn r;ie : cents per 100 pounds. on that
principle il man suing my company 10Y
'25 600 damages compromises for sZ9o'
might report that hal gaved The c9tnlau,s
sa4 100 The commission undonpieuS
raytd somebody $500 oro-ihat is' II Keep
I INC railroads from getiing it--but the peo'
ducnr WINS no, the beneficiary Of this s,Y-
ip,r The liverpool cotton buyer MADE iha'
much more. that's all ,,.,.,.o,
Referring 10 the question OF diN'sionS
he asserted that no money was due ihe
producer or any one else X line leaalnf
10 Houston should haul cotton rees,a.,
from the Cotton Belt route, for instance
COR 90 cents 1t was done to Keep ~
cotton from leaving the State over Wv p
Northern route. and Galveston olsn' mo- =
complain. -, NJ, co,.
3 With regard 10 the charge TINT na, er,'
inn vas hauled to Houston for ~ 60 !.
there was no evidence In the ree0'u y
Far The company that he represented ~ ~
invited the commission 10 eHain'hs ,,n,
hooks. aud whenever the commissoh. 'y S.e,
Thai The Officers Of seid company h"u r v
a ,',ai,tin, the commission law no turlh.
invited ii TO bring said officer 10 ''''"'
by The proper judicial route .ho,,t,ot
In Nr. Huuston's judgment the aoV ,a,ori
~ The Galveston Houston dinerenul W ,s.
not result IN any benefit to Galveston III Il,