The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-01

paDy Of its contemplated action In the mat
ter Of said rates, anl that raid company
d.i pursuant 10 said notice appear from
time to time before said commi sslou and,
such reductions In fatee. adducr evidence,
inclusdng that furnished by Its annual re-
ports to said commission which said reports /
have been annually filed under oath by /
said company pursuant to the statutes OF |
the State OF Texas and to the orders OF /
said commission. and which evidence
showed that the tariff rates. rules and |
regulations hereinbefore mentioned and |
established by said commission were un-
Just, unfair aud unreasonable, and amount-
ed to confiscation Of the property OF said
company and OF your orator.
AYERS that by the defendant COM
pany and It's predecessor com-
rany there has been necessarily ex-
pended in cash in the construction and |
equipment of the lines OF the defendant |
company as herelnbefore a7leged, about |
$4,000 per mile OF it's said railways; that
the lines Of railway of said defendant |
company have at all tinies been operated |
as economically as practicable, and that
its operating expenses have been at all |
times as reasonable and low 10 amount
as they could be made by economical and
judicious management; that said company
las at all Zines secured the se.yicss of
its officers and employees as che1piy as
practicable. and has employed no more than
necessary. and at fair aud reasonable rates
OF pay; that It has at all lines secured all
supplies, material and property OF every
character used In the operation OF its ia /
ways ct The cheapest market price, and
ut rates as low as the same could be Sc
cured, and has secured and used no moro
than was actually necessary for the opera
ton of its railways. That your orator re-
fers TO and Graves leave TO make part Of
this bill of complainlt the swo.n reports
made by the officers Of said railway COM
pany 10 the railroad commission of Texas
for the years ending June 30. 1891, 1892,
1888, 1894. 1895, 1896. 1897 and 1898, which
reports are now In the possession OF said
commission and which show its operating
expense in detail. each and every item Of
which was as reasonable in amount and
us low as possible. Your orator alleges
that the loss in revenue sustained by sad
company by the Observance and applica
tion of the tariffs established by the rail-
road COMMISSION as set forth in 'exhioit
| X" hersto annexed. in so far as said tariffs
have already gone into effect, and by the
observance and application of the tariffs
set forth in exhibit W whilst the same
were in effect. and on freight actually
moved by said defendant company, To which
said tariffs apply or applied, amounted to
the sum of about 100000 for the year end
ing June so, 1898, and will far exceed the
| sim of $350,000 for the year ending June
30 1899, when certairi of said tariffs not
yet in force shall have gone into force and
| effect and be applied 10 its traffic for the
| Year ending June 80. 1899; that said rates
made by said commission affect all OF the
| State tonnage of said company and the
greater part OF its entire tonnage.
| That the decrease in the rates of said
company made by said commission haze
| rot, and will not, cause any suah increa-s
in the tonnage Of the business Of the rail-
| ways of said defendant company as will in
any degree whatever make UP or compen-
| s.te for the loss in revenues caused by
| said reductions in rates. that the said COM
pany before and Outing the period when
said commission tariffs were and have been
| in effect, did and 1t does now, charge as
| high passenger rates as are allowed by the
| laws of the State OF Texas. and derived and
derives all the revenue possible from any
and all other sources. including interstate
! and foreign traffic.
AYERS that under the tariffs and
| rates prescribed by the railipad
| commission ana set forth in exhib-
its X and Y said railroad company is un-
able to pay its operating expenses. interest
| Upon its aforesaid bonded Indebtedness and
make ordinary repairs; and during the year
| ending June 30, 1896, THE deficit was
$2115.14 and during the year ending June
80 1897, it was 65,11010 and while for the
year ending June 30. 1898. there was on ac-
count OF une unusually large crop and the
increase in the volume OF other traffic due
thersto an apparent surplus of $4S. 222 H.
yet If said railroad company had made
all the repairs and improvements that 1t
should have made cut Of said ysar's earn
ings, your orator is informed and believes
that there would have been large deficit
That the coatiiued application 90 said rates
and schedules to this traffic of said rail-
road company WILL notwithstanding
the most judicious management
and rigid economy. result in an iu-
creasing annual deficit, for with an in
crease of 0991 per cent in the tonnage there
was a decrease of 10 per cent in the freight
earnings of said railroad company fer the
year ending June 80. 1898, under the sched-
ules and RATES of said commission set forth
in exhibits tx" and "Y" as compared with
the year 1892.
That the revenue per ton per mile de-
rived from the operation of the railways
how owned by said railroad company has
decree5ef fer many years, as shown by the
record thereof covering the period since
1854. when the same was 2.79 until the
present time when 1t is 1.24. and that the
following is a tabular statement OF the
revenue per ton per mile derived from trie
operation OF said railways during the years
mentioned:
Revenue per ton per mile. .......1sS4 2.79
Revenue per ton per mile. ...... 1856 2.Sa