The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-07

Wharf compapy's track without dlsre-
gordinp the commands of the statute.
Austin. Texas, February u, 1871
He continued:
"NIy critics assume that the object OF
that proceeding was to put the cal
weston Wharf company under the
rules and fees to be prescribed by tne
railroad commission There was no
pretense by any one that the Columns
sion had any power or 'authorlt! ~
regulate. or in any way control We
charges of the Wharf company. 40
such question was presented 10 Lnt
commission. and the charges ol e M
Wharf company were in no way AFFECT
ed by the action of the commission. My
opinion and action had no relation 10
that question. And as Il matter OF
fact the charges made by the WharI
COMPANY remained and still remain as
they were before the case referred 10
was brought before the commission.
$50 that it is seen that the startling
disclosures. made by one newspaper at
least. of the great wrong which Jonh
ii. Reagan had done to the people VINO
have so long honored him, of refusing
to subject Il monster corporation TO the
rules of the commission has not
scintilla of truth to rest on: ana mat
all of it's painful ordinations on TINS
subject are the idle vaporings OF some
one who had no real informat ton on the
subject about which he was writing.
"What have you to say about the
charge that you voted against putting
express companies under the control OF
the commissionT
Il have this to say, that the state law
subjects the express companies OF the
state to the jurisdiction of the railroad
commission; that all the members or
the commission, myself included, be,
lieved express rates were too hlgh, ana
that some reduction in them ought TO
be made. A schedule of rates was pre-
pared, which was sanctioned by ma
jority of the commission. | did not APP
prove those rates because L regarded
them too low. and as unjust to the
express companies. When this schedule
of rates was made public the managers
of the express companies requested to
be heard in relation to them. and were
accorded that privilege. Following that
hearing the commission, without dis
sent from any of it's members. made an
order withdrawing the schedule of
objection to it. So that if | was wrong
in opposing it my brother commissioners
must have been equally wrong in re-
volling it.
subsequently, the commission pre-
pared and put in effect a second
schedule of reduced rates of express
charges. This | also believed to be too
low and to be unjust to the express
companies, and it did not receive my
approval. AS to this schedule all
will now say is that the express COM
panies have instituted a suit to have
these rates annulled. and have obtained
an injunction from the court prohibit
ing the enforcement of them until the
question of their justice can be heard.
Pending this litigation l deem it i'm
proper for me to enter into my further
discussion of this question. While |
believe the express rates are too high
and that they ought to be reduced l
think it necessary to obey the letter
and spirit of our law by making such
rates reasonable and just alike to the
shippers and the carriers, and l have
not. and will not. sanction any rates for
either express companies or for railroad
companies, which do not. in my Judg-
ment, meet this necessary requirement.
'In this connection | think it proper
for me to say that many people fail to
realize that there is very material
difference between the rates and charges
of express companies and those of rail
road companies. The railroads receive
their freight at their depots and deliver
it at their depots. They are at no eX-
pense in bringing merchandise to their
depots. and in delivering it from their
depots to the houses or places of bust
ness of consignees. While on the other
hand express companies have to pay on
the average at least one-half of their
earnings to the railroads for carrying
their packages. Then they have to
maintain their separate offices and
clerks. their wagons and teams. and re-
ceive from the houses or business places
of consignors, and to deliver them to
the houses or places of business of con-
signors. From this it is seen that these
charges. in order to enable them to do
business and to accommodate the pub
lie. must be higher. perhaps double as
much as railroad rates. The failure to
understand this no doubt gives rise to
Il great deal of complaint against en-
press companies.
"And what have you to say in answer
to the charge that you voted against a
reduction of the tariff on cotton 80 cents
per bale?
81 am not aware that any such vote
was ever taken. The reduction of )
cents per 100 pounds in the maximum
rate on cotton, and the greater reduc-
ton on some of the distances not re-
ceiving the maximum rate, was sane
toned and agreed to by all of the
commissioners. as shown by the record.
If | was wrong i'll agreeing to a reduc-
ton of % cents in the maximum
rate on 800 pound bale of cotton
instead of approving re-
ductiOn of fifty cents per bale, then the
wrong must attach alike to each of my
brother commissioners, for all sanctioned
what was done in this respect
at should be said in this connection that
this was a second reduction of the rates on
cotton made by the commission, below the
rates which existed as made by the rail
roads, before the commission made rates.
In our tariff of cotton rates, effective Sep
TENDER l, 1894. we reduced the rate on
cotton % cents per bale of 800 pounds. The
reduction recently made was a still fur
Their reduction of over % cents on the 800
pound bale. This was as great reduc-
ton. in view of the net receipts of the
as we thought it would be safe
to make. 1t is often charged by those
who seek reductions of rates that the
freight rates as made by the commission
are higher than they were as made by the
railroads before the commission was or
ganized. The commission has made some
reductions on nearly every commodity
carried by the railroads. And in addition
to the reductions in commodity rates. by
reference to pages to IA of our Fourth
Annual Report, in making our rates upon
classified merchandise, which covers thou
sands of items. indeed the body of the COM
merce carried, it will be seen that we made |
liz IN tbo fraipht tao Of NOT lose