The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-05
RAP The WHARF COMPANY.
Trsffic Manager Miller Tells Why
Grain Isn't Going to Galveston.
NO INCENTIVE TO TAKE IT THERE.
Charges Too High To Warrant the
NJ, X. ana II. Jumping Into the
Field for the Business.

Galveston, Texas, September HOW
much business has Galveston lost BY req
son OF the terminal charges at this port!
..There Is no way to estimate 1t. we
simply have not been working for the busi-
ness and Of course can not pretend 10
estimate how much we would have gotten
had conditions been different
The above question was put to Vice
President and Traffic Manager ID. Miller
OF tho Missouri Kansas and Texas rail-
way this morning and his reply is quoted
Mr.. Miller. together with Vice President
and General Manager A. A. Allen, General
Superintendent j. W. Maxwell General
Freight Agent j. w. Allen and Assistant
General Freight Agent w. 3. Groseclose,
arrived hero this morning. They have
been expected for some time and Mr. Mil
Ter and Mr.. Allen went at once to the
office OF tho Wharf company, where they
had an interview with President Davis
and Secretary Bailey.
Mr.. Miller spoke as quoted above, aud
when asked to give In extenso his views
on tho Galveston situation, said III sub
stances:
eve inaugurated tho fight for recog-
milton of Galveston as q grain port ana
succeeded in the faco OF keen competI-
ton In bringing some grain to Galveston
at net loss to ourselves. Ii should be re-
mcmbered that the rate from Chicago by
the water routes to tho Eastern seaboard
is hardly ever over 8 cents bushel or
cents hundred. a large amount OF the
grain VIC bring to Galveston originates on
lines having entrance to Chicago. When
this grain is accumulated at Il center We
have to pay the locals from point o! origin
10 that center and take what liz left for
.-t II. e.,IA .t,. all
this way very low rate Is necessary, and
we need all tho help We can get at this
end of the line If we are to come out whole.
TO say nothing OF profit
when the movement Of grain to GAL
weston and tho gulf ports FIRST commenced
tho Eastern lines refused to regard It Sc
iously. They contend that n few hun
dred cars might bo shipped down here,
trouble would result and that would be the
end OF 1t. You could not make them be-
lleyo that their business In this line was
seriously threatened. These people were
slow to awake But they are thoroughly
awake now. Tho result is that compet-
ton Is Just as keen az Il can possibly be.
The idea that the fight IL over and that |
Galveston has won, If such an idea exists
In fact. Is folly pure aud simple Tho |
fight Is not over 1t Is fercer than ever |
1T VIII never BIO over, and to even retain |
what we have 1t Will have to be unremt-
tingly maintained.
THE Wharf company hna reduced It's |
chargoa on cotton and some other COM
modities, upon which wharfage Is paid by |
the shipper In every instance. whero the |
wharfage is absorbed by tho railways In |
their tariffs the rates have been advanced |
Perhaps their Idea was that II were better |
to contend with few railways than the |
nMppers at large. We have demonstrated
with them. We have tried to show them
how much We needed all the encourage
ment wo could get In return wo have
received fair words. but no action looking
toward relief has been taken. I have
been In correspondence with tho Wharf
company, but have accomplished nothing
rake. for instance. the elevator charge
on grain, That Ia commodity which the
railways undertaking to move II to Gal
weston must be confident TO do business al
'pe narrowest OF margins The Wharf com
pany makes its rates | cont bushel and
adps VI per car traekage. We have PRO
tested against this extra dollar trackape
ou' so laT to no purpose. Now FROM non.
competitive points we add this dollar to !
pur rates. From other points We have TO |
ABSORB II or lose the, business. The Wharf :
0oi'pamy says that cent bushcl is the | I
prevailing elevator rates on grain at New
orleans, Newport News and ether grain
port competitors OF Galveston, This Ia
practically true. But the Wharf compnnv
'verlooks tho fact that the elevators nj S
muse ports are owned by the RAILWAYS en- )
enins tnem IL Is to the interest of tbose
~ 70 maintain y higl, elevator
narge, In making their rates they not a
Wv i,gure upon what they will get out >
y their haul but profit from their eIe-
no, as well. Again these elevator ANIL Id
ermihM charges are added 10 the mar. b
.nsase Oh tho rate taken by the mort lines b
rom tneir connections and II can be seen b
va glance that they do not wish 10 re'
'uce their elevator and terminal charyaa h
're.errins to reduce rail tariffs II a re. s
ucion need bo made
WIN us II Is another story Our a.,
ator and terminal charges repr,sert'
ASH outlay and we never see the cash any, d
ho,e' we nave no profit from elevators "a ;,
ook 10 and must content ourselves Win
'nat we can got out OF the rail- han, -
say these charges arc high and CIV G.
advisedly. At st. Louis we have rratn "
aken from our cars and loaded into hargas o
y the river for N.50 per car The averags I,
70. ol unloading car OF grain Mt GaI- b
eston and transferring II to a shjn,s mol, ct
! VIZ. IL IL tire the elevator permits ar "
ms charge, ten days storage. bnt ,ha "a, o.
efence Is too great FOR that service, h
. as say we have been tryIpr n no, VI
MS business started this way. We hs"e v
'orked nard to divert 1t TO Galyesto, ans
o not now wish TO undertake To divert 4, NJ
some other direction. But we mus hare
$50"