El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-06-30

"You can easily verify the state
ments set forth in this protest if you
will, and if you do so you can not
doubt that tue rates you have pre-
scri bed are 'prohi bitive," and that
these express companies must either
refuse the business or Increase the In
terstate rates to cover the loss. There
is no magic about the business. % IL Is
the simple proposition that one dollar
earned will not pay two dollars OF 'ex-
pense Like every other business, 1t
must earn enough to cover the cost and
a fair profit or t can not be cOnt1nu-
.ously prosecuted. One class of traffic
may, temporarily, be maintained at
loss by charging the loss upon another
class, but this would not benefit the
people of your state. Ore portion,
merely, would profit at the expense OF
another portion: Nor would this be
fixing just and reasonable rates. t
would simply produce inequality and
discri mi nation, and benefit one class
while injuring. apOthef.1' -
Mr.. Morseman, in closing his protest
with the commission, makes the follow
Ling. argument: -:
THE rates now prescribed by your
com N issiOn in express tariff No. i are
lower than blythe terms of our contracts
with railroad companies we are per-
nit, ed to make The: order. of your
com ission impairs the obligations of
| these con tracts. tits usually expressly
proNided in contracts between railroad
companies and express companies for
transportation for the latter, that no
rates shall be made by the express
cOmpan es lower than one and One-half
times the frei ght train rates on the
same class of traffic, unless by special
| agreement to meet some emergency,
| ,,,l & -lxy neH
upon it is always understood. The OBJ
| iect and Justice OF this rule is obvious.
A man will always take the best thing
he can get for the same amount OF
money. This is an economic law. LII
| the rates by express were as low, or
| lower, than by freight, nothing would
go by freight trains. Tie railroad
company would lose its freight bust
| ness to the express company and
| to perform the service for which
they are designed. Besides, the eX-
press companies cannot carry con-
| tinuously and generally at one and
oue-half times freight train rates for
| the same class of traffic without loss.
This minimum of one and One-balf
times reight train rates for the same
class OF traft is the estimated value of
passenger train service for similar
transportation by railroad company
without responsl bility and without the
cost of handling, aud your commission
mas recognized this in fixing for rail
| road companies rate for passenger
| train service equal to double the rate
prescribed for freight train service.
| Express companies must be permitte d
| to charge the public not only as much
| as they pay to railroad companies, but
enough more to cover their responsible
| lily, the cost of additional and more
valuable service performed by them
and fair profit or be driven out OF
business. 1t would be an injury to the
people of your state if these companies
were driven out of business there or
driven to abandon any part of their
business, as the business could not be
carried on by these companies. No
person or company contlnlng itself to
the interstate business alone in the
state Of Texas, and being provid-
ed with all of the facilities
which these companies now pos
sess, could prosecute that business at
.ezs than about double The rates now
Charged By these express companies
The business of these express CON-
panies is not merely important to the
companies, but it IS equally important
10 the pu Dlic. They render an impOr-
tant and iUdl-per sable service to the
puOllc ScdrCe.y 1853 lbolS pSuSd DlS 9udu
the United States mail service. The
people generally appreciate the SER
vice done and are satisfied with the
rates charged by these companies.
There is no business carried on In
Texas which produces less dissatisfa
ton amorg it. patrons than the bust
ness of these express companies. 1t Is
only when some particular interest de-
Sires special advantages that complain Mt
is made. This is precisely the charac-
ter OF the few complaints that were
made to your commles-O GA at the hear
ing on June II. A few large pro-
ducers were demanding a rate that
would enable them to place their pro-
ducts in towns in Texas at long dis
tances in competition with similar pro-
ducers living nearer to The same towns
This demand, proceeding from selfish
ness was naturally made without rea-
son and without regard to either the
intere SITS or the necessities of the ex-
press companies or the general pub
lic.'