El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-14
HOW TEXAS
HANDLES RAILROADS
Thew Are Treated In A Busi-
ness-Like Way, Forced To
Pay Equitable Taxes, Give
People Reasonable Rates
and Do Not Run State POLL
tiCS-A1lisOn Mayfield Ex-
plains How 1t Is Done.


100000 OOOOOOO1
The railroad commission of Texas is
strong clear through, from Chairman
Reagan to Secretary Arthur, but per-
haps the most astute of the entire
Texas.
Mr.. Mayfeld was elected commits
sioner in 1897 and is the youngest men,
| Der of the board, but since his conuec-
| ton with it, the commission has accom-
! plish ed work which is acknowledged
| to be the greatest and most advantage
GUS to the people of Texas than any
thing previously done since the railroad
commission was inaugurated.
The work referred to is the enforce
ment of pre-eminently important re-
ouirement of the state constitution
adopted in I875-a requirement which
had been strangely disregarded for
more than twenty years-tbe dictum in
regard to the maintena nce Sof general
offices within the state lines for the
preservation of the sovereignty of the
state in it's government of the railroads
operated therein.
In order to adequately set forth the
details of the reforms accomplished in
this regard, it may be as we'll to quote
the words of Mr.. Maybe himself, who
with the modesty which Is one of his
characteristics, attributes the work
generally to the commission, though it
1t is we'll known that it was his deter
mination and energy that inaugurated
the investigation of conditions and
pushed to the consummation the sys-
tenn contemplated by the constitu-
ton.
1.-THE attention of the commission
was attracted to singular state of
facts appearing in the reports OF certain
railroads in the state," said Mr.. May
field.
"As everybody knows. the traffic
rates of road are figured from it's net
earnings, the profits over and above all
operating expenses. The railroad
commission, in it's efforts to fix equit-
able freight rates, was constantly
encountering astonishing statements
from the railroads respecting their
earnings.
previous commissioners, having fix :
ed rates, had been chagrined to find
evaded by the railroads through ap-
peaIs by the United States courts. To-
AUCTIONS were asked for on the ground
that the freight rates fixed by the COM
mission were unreasonable and exces-
sive, their earnings, as set forth in the
railroads statements being bu. little
in excess of their operating expen-
ses.
These pleas were invariably sue
cessful with the United States courts.
and the commissions fixing the rates
was merely q nominal affair that had
no practical utility.
Determined to put an end to this
farce, the present commission, year
or more ago, Instituted quiet lnvesti-
cation. 1t WAS found that the roads
that ran through the richest portion
81 ,xot oh hn or
There was the Missouri. Kansas s.
Texas railroad. for instance. From the
Missouri river to the gulf it passes
through what one might almost call q
garden. Fertile fields and
orchards on every hand and, in Texas,
it goes through the cotton belt, the
richests region in the state.
"And yet their alleged net earnings
were very small, SO small, that had one
been guided by them, he would have
been driven to the conclusion that the
road was on its last legs and must in
evitably go into the hands of receiver.
1--WE called up one of our expert &C
of whom the commission
has six, and asked him if he could &C
count for this surprising thing. He
said he could not. He WAS morally
ticed, for the showings of earnings
made by other roads, smaller roads,
that lay wholly within the state, were
three or four times as great.
$50 then, and examine the books
and bills and accounts OF this M. K. q
7. road, and find out what's the mat
ter said the commission.
81 cannot replied the accountant;
they have no offices in the state. All
side the state
There Is where we got our cue, "
continued Mr.. Mayfield, land right
,hen and there we realized that some |
thing corrective must be done. We at
3nce commenced an agitation for the
of the constitutional re-
]uirement which had long since been
made operative by the enactment of a
statute in line with its terms.
1.-THE attorney general walked up to
The situation and commenced proceed |
ngs against the Missouri, Kansas & |
Texas railroad and that corporation |
loon had forced upon it the necessity |
If living up to the constitution or, as an
the surrender of its char
Ter.
THAT settled it. The railroad beg
general offices in Texas and to conduct
business according to law. The effect
lpon the earnings of the road was mag
al. In the year following they in
creased more than million dollars.
This fact proved that our theory had
been correct, that the road had con-
misrepresented the facts to
he state and had been thus enabled to
it's own rates, regardless OF
he action of the railroad commission,
through the kindly aid of the United
States courts.
1.-THE same course WAS pursued with
'egsrd to other roads that had put
practice similar tactics. OF course
here was q general howl on the part
If railroad men and thousands whose
interests compel them to dance when
he railroads make the music, But we