The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-04

labor than for them to be paid low wages.
| / think 1t has tendency 10 produce a
| higher grade of intelligence. a better type
of manhood and more advanced civiliza-
| tion. The countries who have the cheapest
labor and pay the least wages where the
people live at the least cost are those
/, countries which TODAY are the farthest
back in civilization and intelligence. What.
ever service is performed should receive
fair and adequate conversation and no
more. whether that service be on the farm
or on the railway. in official posltion or In
/ private employ and the same rule should be
applied to the services per"artsyr by the
railways for the people of the State tnat Is
applied in all other occupations.
Now as to the particular request OF the
| complainant / desire TO make this sug-
gestion: II this commission were TO put in
a system of rates which would be the same
in all the common point territory III leNas
on less than carload lots OF merchandise.
and which would be lover Than the less
than carload rates from points OUTSIDE oil
the State 40 as to enable the Texas lobber
10 do all the business in the State and 10
drive out the jobber from points OUTSIDE OF
the State. 1t would not be week until
the less than carload rate from the outside
points would be brought down so as 10
permit those people 10 do business IN
Texas. The reason that that has not peeh
done heretofore is because the rates pro
mulgatcd by this commission. which
enabled the home iopber to control terri
tory Immediately surrounding him. has
been limited to short distances and 1t was
felt by the interstate lines that TINS con-
dition did not Justify the reduction OF the
rate TO all common point territory. BE
sides, any system of rates which would
permit the Texas iobber to exclude the
jobber from outside points from any par
ticipation in the trade OF Texas would not
meet with the approval OF the Interstate
commerce commission. and they doubtless
have the authority 10 grant relief under
such conditions and circumstances ana
would probably do SO with promptness.
Now. MIR. Chairman. speaking for all the
railways OF Texas. desire to say that II is
our wish to build up the Texas trade ana
especially the Texas 1obbing trade. ana 1t
IA our wish to serve the people OF TeNas at
as reasonable rate as We can ana main
tain efficiency OF the service at us pres
ont standard The character Of the pas
sengcr service furnished to the people OF
Texas has increased at least 20 per cent IN
comfort and almost the same per cent IN
speed within the last eighteen months.
This has been done because OF the public
demand for such service. and because the
attention OF the owners OF the railways In
Texas has been attracted to the prosperity !
and growth OF our State, for notwlthsteno-
ing he great financial depression that has
prevailed, the state of Texas has been de-
veloping, i,s population has been increas-
ing tho great financial IMPRESSION that mas |
and Just so soon as prosperity returns TO |
this country we Will see such a rapid |
stride and advance In the business inter
ests rs has never been witnessed In the |
history of the State. hut for tho time |
being We insist that our condition Is such !
that We can not stand reduction In rates. |