The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-17
DISCUSSION OF RATES.
The Visitors and Railroad Men Got
Together.
DEGENERATED INTO POLITICAL ROW
Gould Not Make Lower Rates
Except mt Loss.

Austin, Texas, April 16--There was an
interesting meeting held in the Drskill
hotel parlors this evening at which the
Kansas and Oklahoma and Texas rate ad-
justment delegates and representatives of
the interstate and Texas lines were pres
ent.
Tho conference was held at the request
OF the Kansas and Oklahoma visitors, whose
mission here is to secure lower rates on
their products to the deep water ports OF
the gulf
| There were about 100 in attendance.
Governor Leedy Of Kansas presided aud
| there was a general interchange of opinion
on the rate situation.
Senator Campbell and Mr.. Brown of Kan
sas explained the conditions In their State
| and urged the necessity OF lower rates to
the gulf in order to bring about a profit
able movement of the vast grain crops
| raised there.
President Ripley OF the Atchison ex.
planned the attitude OF the roads He
said that they We're ready and willing
TO aid all In their power TO develop the
country traverscd by them and build up
ITS business. hut that under existing con
dltions the roads could not afford to re-
duce rates, as there was but little margin
below the line of profit
He was piled with numerous questions
by the Kansas ard oklahoma delegates as
to why roads could not move freight
southwark at as low rates as they do TO
the North and East.
His reply was that the country 10 the
south was sparsely settled and the return
business was light, while to the north and
east the country was more densey popuat-
ed and as all or practically oil the fac
tories We're located North and East the
return business from that territory was
good.
Judge Perkins, attorney fo' tho Cotton
Belt road. spoke. He said he had listened
| to the testimony before the commission
and was prepared to say that from what he
had heard the Cotton Belt was as poor as
the Kansas farmer IVES represented to be;
1t, too, was mortgaged-not only once bui
several times. He said that the trade of
Texas was improving, and the railroads
he thought, had done reasonably fair by
Galveston; so much So indeed. as 10 arouse
the protests # Chicago. st. Louis and Kan
sas City. RateG and prices must be regu-
, lated by supply and demand Wherever
the supply Is greater than the demand. the
customer pays the freight. He illustrated
this proposition in n practical way. lie de-
MED the ntmation made that any freight
traffic man had ever had instructions TO
divert traffic to the eastern seaboard, and
asserted that on the contrary all their in
structions had been 10 handle traffic in the
best possible way 10 secure some margin
of profit. The roads were ready to meet
tho people OF Kansas and Oklahoma en-
any reasonable proposition. and ready to
co operate and help build up Galveston
harbor, but did not wish to be reduced to
a position Of doing business on basis of
ruin and bankruptcy
Mr.. Brown of the Kansas delegation
stated the grievance Of his people and said
that rates would have to be lowered to en-
able his people to reap any return from
their labor
Senator Campbell OF Kansas said the
people Of his State had been liberal to-
wards the railroads In the way Of voting
them bonds to aid in their construction.
and that they thought they were entitled
10 consideration In return in the way of
fair rates to tho gulf They did moi want
to be forced to it. but they would build
roads Of their own, If they had to, to get
relief
Bailey r Waggener of Atchson attor-
ney for the Missouri Pacific, denied that
the neoplc OF Kansas were paupers and as
serted that the railroads 81 Kansas paid
sixth Of the taxes, People Of that
State had been educated to return their
property nj low valuation and stick It 10
railroads. In the city OF Atchson no as
serted there was over 81 900 900 Of fire
insurance carried on properly returned at
a little over $500 0oo to the tax assessor.
This provoked the iro Of the members Of
the Kansas committee. and a running fire
OF more or less acrimonious remarks were
aimed al him to which he replied V it'll
considerable vehomence until the discus
sion deGonerated into a political debate,
during the progress OF which much Kan
sas campaign linen was exhibited to the
amused audience
Tho row was finally stopped by Mr..
CO, fNs N,by 10 bA tp1 Int
n committee of one from each State bc an
pointed to further confer with the trafflc
men. which suggestion was adopted and
the meeting dissolved