The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-19

| fhe ssiSsSsSonv enteuce OF the PUBLIC we nprcn
AN, nuicS TO- govern the mode OF brine,n
Sompiaints snd matters for invesfiration = he
*. * me raiiroad commission OF Tcxas.'' am
fsi;rna nu les ana regulations controlling tn
al ga faiirosd stocks and bonds" as Appendix
ana Appendix q. respectively.
FREE TRANSPORTATION.
In most Of our Aanuai REPORTS We have ures,
inc Enactment Of law prohibiting the allow
ance OF FREQ passes by the railroad cornpan,e
OF this State. except as TO the employees o
such roads. whose Nance are shown ma smell
employees on the books OF tho company Anon,
the reasons for this Recommendation are;
l. The fact that In the swing Of such passes
4 the revenue Of the roads is 10 be preserved
~ an unjust tax on one part Of the peopi,
W make up the revenue lost BY giving IRE,
passes pa. 70 another part Of them. And this un
because, for tho most part such masses al,
svsn 70 persons able to pay for their trans.
portation and denied 10 the poor and needy.
those e s q Pr tns esHspns
siven 70 official persons, presumably for ths
EEg XVI, s 81 influencing their official conduct
nuu ibis IS mnde manifest by the fact thg,
sney arc not given to such persons except
WINE they hold official positions
II 2 railroad gives free passes to a mer-
Grant. MS travelling agents and his family, In
order to secure the Transportation Of his i,ier.
chandise, this would be an unjust disrrimina.
,ioh against other merchants not receiving
Kramer as TO avoid the penalties Of law. And
besides that. other citizens not enjoying sucn
tayors have to pay the rates to make up the
In the fourth annual report of Inc inter.
ssid '0mmeres commission, page 49, Y Is
pu IL tho q Sar 1n nasItsally carry great
gre made the higher to cover the cost
IA AN on the same page Of that report IL is
No evidence can BIO more conclusive that
US carrier Is, by his regular rate sheets,
charging something more than the reasons
ape ape prices for his service than the fact
.nat ettn6f openly or secretly he violates
tne law 70 accept from favored classes, or
.lon INDIVIDUALS, less compensation, or
b as1 ne p Pays large sums for procuring
manages his business that parties who
lave no legitimate connection with It are
enabled TO prey on 1t, and thus indirectly
+ The giving of free transportation TO per-
sons sons. Us we'll as to property, would Indicate
INN the regular published rates are higher
than they ought to be; otherwise the reduc-
tons should not be made Or else, il this Is
NOT the case. the sacrifice of revenue Of the
roSa as IN this way could only be accounted for
on inc ground that some Interior purpose was
70 be accomplished by means OF this sarri-
tcs not justified by law or reason Ii would
p. that this commission would be justified,
IN reason and fairness, II 1t should reduce The
freight rates, and thereby the revenue Of tne
roaos. by an amount equal TO the amount OF
revenue sacrificed by the giving of free passes
osta,n rnr nsls commission has not been able to
amount of revenue lost by she Railroad "a H.
panies by the allowance OF free passes, but
We We nave information which shows that the
amount ,. so lost must have, In marked de-
gree. reduced their revenues. We have re-
ports from twenty-ninc of the railroads OF
MS ms stnte FOR the year which endeu 5uAs 4 ;,
1873. These reports show that In the aggre
sate the number OF passes-annual, time ana
,r by them during that year was
!s,tie. Many OF these, however, were given
10 lne employees OF the roads.
Justice and fairness aud the public inter.
esea require that the practice of issuing Tree
passes should be prohibited by law, with such
exceptions us may be found necessary
employees OF THE COMMISSION
we think 1t to be our duty to faithful
and efficient employe OF this commission to
say that We are chiefly Indebted to II. G.
Askew. ESD, one of our expert accountants,
for the successful development of the fact,
as to the violation OF the law. and the recoy-
cry OF the penalties In a majority OF the re-
bate cases In addition to this, his services
have been of great and special ealuo to this
commission in grouping together and tabu-
lating the more important facts developed by
its action. which has enabled the commission.
In its annual reports. to furnish TO the public.
In condensed tables. great mass of iDforma-
ton in relation to the operation and MANAGE
ment of the railroads of this State. We feel
Justified in saying that In our opinion no Stato
railroad commission in the Union has fur
nished such valuable tabuated Information az
that thus furnished in our annual reports. And
his services have and will be OF special i'm
portance in the Injunction suits now pending
IN the Federal courts.
Under the act OF the legislature approved
April 10. 1881 making appropriations for the
support OF the State government for the years
1891 to 1898, the compensation OF the secre-
larry of the railroad commission was liked at
S2OtO per annuin, the salaries OF the two
clerks for the commission was fixed at Si5g9
each per annum, and $4,000 was appropriated
% pay experts and other NECESSARY expenses
Of the commission for the two years. Out OF
ibis sum the railroad commission allowed to
Us chief accountant $1,000 per annuni, and to
is chief rate clerk $1,000 per annum these
being the lowest prices for which persons OF
sufficient capacity, skill and experience could
De had. In the efforts OF the commission to
obtain the services OF persons qualified for
.hese duties some persons demanded from
1900 to $4,000 q year. Aud persons with the
necessary qualifications for the duties OF these
.wo positions In perhaps all eases get much
higher pay than this from the railroads.
by the act OF the legislature approved May
%, 1888 making appropriations for the sup
bort of the State government for the years
s93 and 1884 the same appropriations and
allowances were made as under the former
ict. These were the rates of pay for the
'fhcers and employees named for four years
rom 1891 to 1896.
BY the act OF the legislature approved May
I. 1895, making appropriations for the support
II the State government for the years 1895 to
s9T. the salary Of the secretary of the COM
mission was reduced from 5000 to $500 per
nnum, the salary OF our general clerk was
ednced from $500 TO $500 per annum. ard
he salaries OF the rate clerk and expert ac-
ountant We're reduced respectively fiom $4,000
o 5000 per annum.
The secretary OF the commission Is charged
With duties greater aud entirely different from
hose of persons usually designated as secre-
aries, and greatly more difficult and import
mt. Before entering the services Of the COM
ngsion he had had considerable experience Ia
abroad and express offices. and In the per-
ormance OF his duties II is NECESSARY. In
edition to keeping the minutes OF the pro-
eedings of the commission and making a
ecnrd of lite ,.,trrant ortfnn N oarry m rn,trh