The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-18

the roads doing this business parallel each
other and divide the business to such an
extent as to greatly limit and reduce their
earnings. Take, for instance, the Hous-
ton and Texas Central, the Missouri. Kan
sas and Texas OF Texas and the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe railroads, run
niug from north to south through the
State They so divide between them the
business as to render 1t dmpracticable for
all OF them to earn eonugh to make them
good paying roads, with tho present
amount of population and business on
them. And these are also to considerable
extent paralleled by the San Antonio and
Aransas Pass road, as is seen by reference
TO the map of the state. So the Galveston,
Harrisburg and San Antonio and the San
Antonio and Arkansas Pags railroads dis
tinctly parallel each other and divide the
business between the cities of san An
tcmo and Houston and Galveston. And
these are. to considerable extent, paral-
leled by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas
railroad. The former of these roads, on
account OF the limited amount of business
on them, being the older road, and hay
Ing more extensive terminal connections
than the latter, has made the earnings OF
tho latter less remunerative than is de-
sirabie, without making rates too excess
sive to be borne. Surely, this Is not the
fault of the railroad commission, nor is
it IN the power Of this commission TO over
come this difficulty until the population
and business ON these roads shall be In
creased. We might enurnerate several OF
the less important roads in this State.
built doubtless as feeders to other roads,
or to occupy the territory in advance oil
other roads, which can not by the unittl
efforts of those who manage them and this
| commission, be made paying roads. These
facts ard not any unfriendly action OF
hi 10 i=atn
deficiency of earnings on number of the
railroads in this State. and surely can MOI
justify the eEjoining OF this commission
| from making ana enforcing the observanc,
OF reasonable freight rates on the railroads
OF this State.
In this connection we deem 1t proper &c
say that any ASSUMPTION that this COM
mission il influenced IN its action by hos
tility to tiae interests OF the railroad cor
porat.cns Ia a serious wrong done to 1t
We know. and act on that knowledge, thai
| the interdependence OF the producers anc
consumers OF merchandise. and the public
CARRIERS of IL, is such that any policy which
| would iniurlously affect tho cne would in q
| like laitio affeo, the other. and while 1t IL
| and has been Uur purpose to protect the
public against undue exaction and unlawfu
Determinations by the railroads. IL Is an.
has been equally our purpose 10 adopt ant
maintain such IN policy as would secure Il
| the railroads sufficient revenue to pay fol
! the management and repairs, and 10 pa,
Just interest on the value OF thei- prop
ertv.
| In the face of thets facts. Judge Of tat
| circuit court Of the United States has beer
found who by hds order arrests the bust
ness OF department Gf the State govern
ment, whose action affhots directly millions
| OF dcllars worth OF propertH and the ip'
d,tstrikss OF the State generally, In a much
larger dagnee than amy other department
of thc Stane goverrmsnt. and enio'ns Il
| frvm euforoing the freight rates adopted b,
| II on nine Of the prime pal railroads OF ths
State.