The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-02

committee asked what the depth oI ,va,sr
was al flood tide and Colonel Foster RENTED
that 1t was an average OF seventeen feet
ana between fifteen and sixteen when the
water was at low tide. This had been the
result since January, 1894
IL was the understanding that tho gov.
erhment must purchase the improvements
preliminary To further additions. and for
mat purpose board OF engineers had
oeen appointed by the government TO view
me work. make an estimate. which had re-
Gently been done, and report was expected
soon The company claimed that thew had
compiled with the law, which was wholly
an engineering problem. Colonel Foster re-
garded the improvements success. citing
again the Mississippi river and its relation
10 She commerce of this country
Inc CHARTER OF the company provided Mat
tney should charge tax OH all conmcice
passing through that port which would pay
| 'hem an interest on the investment. "A
committee had been appointed by congress
| 10 report on the most desirable port, and
they chose Galveston. where So $50, 900 had
pesh expended, and now 1t is to the inter
est OF the people Of Texas and other States
| Tor inc construction of competitive ports
ana IN no other way can the question be
| solved. Colonel Foster volunteered This
company would reimburse itself by charg-
| ing Tolls and would have done so had 1t not
peen for other water frontages
Chairman Hooker applied the question to
colonel Foster that II the government re-
port Of the board to the government was
adverse to the improvements would they
| continue theia, to which the spokesman re-
piled that he thought they would, but could
| not speak authortatively. MIR. Hermann
asked what the cost OF the improvement as
| was proposed. Colonel Foster replied that
he had no estimate himself but on the
| basis provided by the Waco board of trade
| it would require 81 100000 but basing 1t
upon the estimates of Lieutenant Tolfer, It
would cost S200000O TO create channel
from Waco to navigable water. other
| questions were asked to which Colonel Fos-
ter replied and the hearing of the Voascn
matter terminated with him again calling
the attention OF the committee to the fact
| that the tendency OF commerce was to r.
ports that gave free wharfage.
Hon. n. D. Hawley then spoke briefly,
saying that he, on the part of the people of
Galveston. was sorry that the committee
had not the opportunity to visit Vcaseo
and see the river: that the people of CAL
weston were as broad minded as the winds
that blow. and desired TO see the most good
done for the largest number of people.
C. a. Heating, president Of the Trinity
River Navigation company, on behalf Of
Dallas was next given the attention of the
committee. He contended that the river
movement as far as 1t had gone had proven
no benefit to the people Of the State, and he
desired to present the claims OF Dallas and
the vast country drained by the Trinity.
The river had been navigable as far up as
Magnolia, located opposite TO Palestine. and
at one time seventeen steamers had gone
to that place and later only as far as Por-
ter's Bluff. 1t il 800 miles from the mouth
of the river to Magnolia. Mr.. Heating said
and at Dallas. where there is no navigable
water, the banks were 100 feet and the
river proper only sixty feet in width, A,
Magnolia at present there is only four feet
of water, but the river has not been in
use for a long time on account OF the rail
roads. which furnished swifter transporta-
tion. Tho fall Of the river from Dallas &c
the gulf is foot to the mile, but the main
thing necessary is the removal Of the
shoals and location of locks and dams
about sixteen in number. between Dallas
and Magnolia. According to the report o
the engineers the improvement Of the rive
was impracticablc unless the bar at III
mouth is removed. and in this the gentle
man from Dallas volunteered the SAM
opinion While there were no feeders o
any size to the river there are innumerab
small streams. none of them. however
navigable Mr.. Heating closed his iufor
nation by saying that in the last fittee
years the cotton crop of the State and es
pecially the northern part, had Increases
to great figure while on the other ham
the rates of freight transportation had no
diminished at all, and that deep water Il
me Trinity would save to the people APP
proximately sSo0o,oon annually.
Judge Stedman remember of the Texa
railroad commission, next occupied the at
tention of the committee and presented
some valuable information about railroad
rates in Texas He said that there wer'
fifteen counties bordering on the Trinity
t an area of $4,000 square miles, and that tn
benefit to these people alone seemed
worthy Of deepening the river channel
There are forty counties in the northern
y part of the State, he continued, having al
! area of g 200 square miles, a territory ais
to be benefited by the Improvement. Thu
rate on general merchandise. he said T. on
q New York to Texas common points, wa
e 81 20 per hundred, being based on com
b hinatun OF locals. or the adding OF In
@ water and railroad rate from the aeaoolr
Il roinn He presented to the committee rg
I ures on rate combinations. with which h
e was perfectly familiar 10 show that III
= deepening OF the channel would save
/ gr, at sum OF money TO the people annual
+ by reason OF competition in tra1aportati1'
!, lines. Inc ERIE Canal WAS TelHFTtu ~, ubo
n which the government had expended S13,
t 600 600 and certainly $4,000, OoO--th'
: amount desired for the Trinity--seomet
v practicable when they already have tn
= channel In the Garth. and In the case o
the canal referred to 1t had TO be excavate
n AT an enormous cost. The committee wa
+ deeply interested in Judge Stedmans fact
a AMI figures aud 1t was easily to be heei
!. that his presentation caused an impression
h Captain J. ]. Farley, manager OF tn
o pallos freight bureau. also spoke on tn
i Trinity river His main point 'sas makln
n plain tho condition of the rivers banks
which are Known not to cave lie referro
to an Imaginary line upon each side %
which there were other lines. The G. ntra
y. one represented river and the others rail
y roads which were bound TO effect the rate
" NJ irgnsportaiion Captain Farley is Yer,
7 familiar with the art OF ratemakinS, an,
j. was listened to by the committeeman WI
\ interest The committee then adjourned a
: informally as it had assembled.
nv "a