The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-27
THE COMPRESS RATES.
Interior Press Men Argue for ! Resterstlsn
10 Ten Cents.
TESTIMONY SUBMITTED TO COMMISSION,
Contention Ii that the FORT Come
presses VIII Get Rich ~ the Ex-
pcnsc Of the Interior Presses.

~~'fA'tesAvh eiis iHcrnluS kNNc Iuuttutt "
representatives OF the Interior Compress
association in the matter Of proposition 10
amend paragraph OF the new cotton tariff,
which is TO 80 Into effect on November ?,
SO as to make the maximum amount Of the
cost Of compreesing assumed BY raslio odd
companies 10 cents per 100 pounds as at
present. instead of s cents as proposed in
said paragraph. There were no railroad
representatives present, but letters were
read from e. ]. Martin, traffic manager of
the San Antonio and Arkansas Pass, and
from r. s. L.oyett and j. w. Terry, attor-
neys respectively for the Southern Pacific
and the Santa Fe lines. ohjecting TO re-
tention OF the lo-ccnt maximum owing 10
the accent reduction In the cotton rate
made in the new tariff. Messrs. Loyest
and Terry also In their communication sug
geeteu that II the commission would pro-
viue for concentration at a lever number
OF congresses the business OF COMPRISING
cotton could be carried on al profit at
cents per 100 pounds
Hon. Scott Field opened the case. In Ell
feet he commended that an Scent maximum
would close UP many interior presses and
throw the cotton business OF the State
Galveston firms Interested in presses at
those points and In a position to collect 10
cents a bale from the ships. IL would be
unjust. furthermore, he thought, to reduce
the compress rate at this time OF the yeir,
When the congresses were bound up by
contracts based upon prospects justified by
| the Decent maximum in effect nj the begin
ming of the season. Referring 10 the mat
ter of earnings, he said that there Is not
the money IN COMPRISING cotton that Is
supposed by the general public. Speaking
! for the Calvert compress. which he repre-
sents, he submitted figures to demonstrate
| that as yet Il had not proven what might
be termed good thing Ia the matter OF
| earnings AS to who should stand the
| 2-eent reduction In the cotton rate contem-
| plated by the fixing OF an Scent maximum
compress charge he did not wish TO fssten
| It upon the railroads, but he submitted
that IL said maximum was established the
whole burden Of the reduction would be
| placed upon tho shoulders OF few in
terror pressee, as II would not affect presses
| controlled by large cotton buyers, the lat
ter being in position to even themselves
up at the expense of the ships with which
| they contract directly for the carrying OF
| their Gotten to the continent.
| Following MIR. Field. Hon George G.
Pendleton OF Bolton argued that reduc-
| ton In the compress charge would not in
|
| profits OF the Bolton press, ha submitted
| would this year amount to a percent age
just about equal TO that OF the proposed
reduction In the rate.
~
| At the conclusion of Mr.. Pendleton's re-
marks request by Mr.. Field 70 Introduce
testimony as to the cost OF performing SER
| vice at interior presses in Texas in COM
parison with the cost OF such service In
| other States was granted. Before the TAX
ing OF said testimony was begun the TO-
lowing was offered ard Ned, however,
Mr. Gus Mckenzie, Drlskill Hotel. Aus
| tin. Texas.
Houston. Texas. October 2s-Dsar
Sir: Replying TO your favor of he
a2d inst we beg 10 say thar we do not
care TO go 10 Austin at this time. as
the matter of COMPRISING Is imma-
terlal to us. when the commission
amounted their ruling In regard TO
price OF comprecsng, reducing price
from 10 cents &c cents per 100
pounds. we immediately reduced the
price we were Paying shippers TO con-
form 10 the commissions rate, as ail
compressed cotton will be reduced IN
value TO the extent of cents per 100
mounds Il Is irnmaterial to rr what
the rate is. as VIC Pay the shippers the
commissicn's rate For all compressed
Gotten we have purchased for the last
couple OF weeks We have only paid
cents per 100 for COMPRISING. The
farmer loses the cents per 100 pounds.
on account OF reduction made by com
mission, as we buy compressed cotton
for . cents per 100 less than we did for
merlg. thereby reducing price our in
terror buyers nav for cotton to this ex-
tent. Yours truly,
fnman & Read.
Per A. L. Nelms.
Mr.. Webb OF Minden. La, compress man
ufacturer. was placed on the stand an'
testified that the rate charged for com
preslage east OF the Mississippi ranges iron
8 l-2 TO 1S cents per bale Labor. fuel
etc. he said Is 1uch lower IN Lousans
Arkansas, Mississippi and the older safe
| than III Texas, ana the cost OF material en-
teiing in the construction OF presses 4
the later Is mncn the highest, In fin'
: | he said that everything connected vii
comyressing In Texas WAS greater IN Goa
than anywhere else. and thai under tn
circumstances tho rate IN Texas Is com
usratNeiy the lowest IN effect throug
. out the cotton States. Less bands even q.
placel around Inc cotton in older stat
than in Texas. In Georgia, for iTbstane'
the character OF the cotton makes II niue
| CASTE ~ l.t@s aN9 tsilaSOIt. Ing buiitD-
OF broken bands being snfi5iteslmal. Ful
thermore, In Texas railroad and s;eanshl
agents get twice the benefit out OF cor
pisssage on al average thal they 40
the older States because the average ha'
10 reach the ports is much greater IN Ia
I slate than east OF the Mississippi. Flu
;hernore, the character OF Texas con
pressage Is a great deal better than tn
. OF the compressage done in older State
}, HIS experience was that m5Ttgage notes {
!. presses sold east OF tho fiississppi wei
| paid oil sooner than similar NOES on press
sold Ia Texas. Texas priests are compell'
10 provide themselves vita the most rla
1 form room also, ne said. The roiiud pa
0 presses n Texas are also putting up
4 CREST deal OF ccttna now which the con
: presees are losing ne said, In concipsic1.
s Mr.. Flager. cotton buyer and conpre
2 msn from Jacksonville, testified that
!, reduction In The compress rate wo2ld
3 affect McFadden, Inmaa or Rail- BFos., b
% cause Ehey gel the cost Of eompressase ba
r iu an allowance from the salle. H4re
o made CONTRACTS ahead for ship ro5m
this seasol on the iO-eent bass, tasy "
: simply absorb the 2-cent reduction pr
: posed by the commission 10 profit Taste
et giving Ii 10 the producer In the xha
OF an addition 10 the p-ine paid 10 nm