The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-07
NOTE AND COMMENT.


NOTE AND COMMENT.
| II is always tbankiess task for the time
being to dash TO the earth a mans or COM
meni,y's "eaEties In spHln." and clothe too
/ bright dreams with sober hue; but il tho
I Ectnuess OF disappointment at later period
is lessened loves labor has not been wholly
lost when therefore. The Post admonishes
Galveston not to be too sanguine over the
Huntington terminal and proposed wharves on
Galveston island 1t offers the suggestion in
I the utmost Kindness. And this Is no Joke.
] TIE Galveston people have offered Mr. Hunt
I iiigton valuable monopoly upoa consider
able plat OF ground IN their city contiguous
/ &c the bay For this grant they expect TO OBJ
/ tain the Southern Pacific road, and anticipate
that such acquisition Is going to make Gal
/ weston an immense city and enable II to don1-
nato the gulf ports. The more enthusiastic
citizens down there imagine that Houston is
10 become railway whIstling station only,
while New Orleans will lose the great Hunt
ibgton interests and rapidly decay South
ern port Il IS species OF cruelty to diapci
ouch bright iaBees, but The Post has duty
to perform, duty TO plain, everyday, matter
oi-fact truth and common sense. Then again
It is not exactly kind in Galveston to rob
Houston aud New Orleans OF all hope OF the
future and reduce tle one. In prophetic vision,
TO way station aud the other to a fishing
village on the Father OF Waters.
/ ~
In estimating the extent OF the concsntra-
ton of Huntington interests at Galveston 1t
Is better TO regard the official utterances Of
those high in the Southern Pacific maragg-
ment than to listen to the idle gossip OF those
who hope for all things. IL Is worthy of note
that some people in New Orleans became
little apprehensive that Huntington's going
10 Galveston might lessen his concern In New
Orleans TO a harmful extent 1t seemed
proper. therefore for feAssuring utterance
from some Southern Pacific official authorized
to speak In the premises. and the result was
a communication TO the New Orleans Plea
yune from President Hutchinson OF the Texas
and New Orleans lines. Mr.. Hutchinson
among other things significantly remarked:
IAN the business Of ou- lire ana its cxttn-
/, sive connections naturally centers mere, and
viii so continue. but reeeat events have ma
teTielly changed conditions as affecting traffic.
, Galveston. which f6r years past has lacked
' the facilities Of this port especially so III the
, matter Of depth OF water, Is now fully as we'll
Of IN this respect as New Orleans As a nat
ural result. freight rates to and from all for
sen ports are as low at Galveston as at New
Orleans. while ,he railroad haul is only fifty
Joint, as against s61 miles to New Orleans.
As result. Il Is fast becoming impracticable
to bring export freight through this port, as
} against the very much shorter mileage to and
/. Il ON Galveston.
Il am not aware OF any method by which
tht railroad line from Houston TO New or
With the fifty miles between Houston and
Galveston, hence II Is not surprising that New
= Orleans should lose large share OF this ex-
, nUrt traffic which she has heretofore handled,
I end II is only because OF this that the South
|, EN- Pacific company. In order to hold this
character OF business FOR its Texas lines seeks
an outlet through Galveston. This company
can not under these conditions, compete with
the other Texas roads unless through the use
q the shorter mileage TO the shipping port,
way 70 meet such competition on equal
terms
II will be observed that at least three I'M
portant propositions OF general interest appear
In this extract;
Flrst--All tho business OF the Southern Pa
cihc system tmeaning the general business
east Of the New Mexican frontier and the
; ,rsnscontinentai eastward business and rs
3 extensive connections. naturally cepters
I here''-st New orleans-"snd VIII so CON
,lnus." New Orleans then, is not TO be aban-
doned TO the bats and evils Of the Louisiana
, swainps.
seccnd-The Southern Pacific oIn order to
hold certain business for It's Texas lines seeks
an outlet at Galveston" The move TO Gal
weston Is Of local limits aud In order TO com
pete In Texas shipments with the Santa Fe
the International and Katy. II is another de-
yelepment OF the movement that has 10 an
X extent already Interested Mr.. Huntington in
Sabine Pass, and Arkansas Pass. aud that will
De still further promoted by deep water at
Houston, II means that the Southern Pacific
is ready 10 avail itself OF the shipping faeill-
ties OF all the Texas ports IL can reach. That
road has felt the Inconvenience OF but limited
terminals on the gulf coast. Guarantees
have often been to its disadvantage, and the
opportunity at any time TO choose one OF sew
ersl ports in an emergency addresses itself to
pe business shrewdness OF the HUNTINGTON
managers. In a word. Galveston is another
convenience for Mr. Huntington. but not the
only port on the beach!
Third-liouston as 'the central division
point remains the key TO the railroad situa-
ton and determines rates. dinerentlais and
the direction OF commerce. II becomes, in
consequence OF this fact. OF still greater i'm
portance 10 Mr.. Huntington. When deem
water Is secured here II will be OF yet further
use TO the Southern Pacific system. 1t Is here
that the other railroads which Galveston has
shut out by its monopoly grant 10 Huntlnrton
Will be able TO fsht the Southern PaclAe ana
bis utilization also OF our advantages will not
only be necessary but Of surpassing value 10
him.
~
The general situation. therefore. as outlined
by Mr, Hutchinson, does not deny to Calves
ton valuable acquisition IN a railway aud
Shipping direction, but II does not promise
any lessening OF Mr.. Huntington's interest
elsewhere II demonstrates. on the other
hand. the purely local character Of the move
% Galveston. for which that city has Prob.
ally sacrificed any further railway eompeu-