El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-15
COMING COMMISSION HEARING.
1t Is Being Looked Forward to With
Much Interest.

The hearing set by the Texas rail
road commission for Sept. is being
looked forward to with a great deal OF
interest by traffic men and shippers.
The proposition is to make the new
amendment of the western classifca-
tion, prescribing 3d. 900 pounds as the
minimum weight for carload freights
below third class, apply to Texas as
we'll as to interstate traffic. At pre-
sent the minimum weight on such
freights in Texas is "a, 900 pounds. In
terest attaches to what the Texas COM
mission will do in the matter, not
alone because of the influence their
ruling will have upon purely state traf-
fic, but because the classification will
have TO be withdrawn from interstate
traffic If il can not also be applied to
business moving within the state. AT
the present time the rate of 80 cents
per 100 on bagging and ties from ST.
Louis is for cars of not less than 80, 600
pounds, whereas the rate of Is cents
from Galveston and Is cents from
Houston is for q minimum weight of
$4,000 pounds. The Texas shippers
thus have their usual differeu. iRl OBJ
served, and have little the advantage
of the interstate shipper on the matter
of weight, which, in some instances,
outs . figure.
The publication of a rate of 80 cents
on fret class freight from New York to
Kansas City, made by the Maine
steamship line. Grand Trunk railroad
and the Burlington route, mentioned
in New York dispatch in Yesterdays
News, it is believed will bring on q
crisis in the Missouri river rate war.
While this new route is, of course. an
other competitor in the field for the
business. still, it is believed that the
innovation will in measure strength
en- the position of the gulf lines. The
Atlantic port lines have protested
against the rates carried by the gulf
route, and the chief argument has been
that such rates via long and circuit
Gus route were not justified. But the
new route just brought into play
is quite long and circuitous, and the
rail haul is much longer than via the
gulf route. In fact, the distance from
Portland, Me-, where the Maine line
steamers land the goods, to Kansas
City is much greater than the rail haul
from Galveston or New Orleans to
Kansas City. 1t seems rather odd to
have h rail and water route" making
rates lower than the rates made via |
call rail routes" when the rail haul
by the former is greater than via
the latter, but such is
the case, and the rates are justified be-
cause of the water haul and the fact
tuot tASJ are w LuGtU
by similar route. The fact that the
rates from New York to Kansas City
are now the same as the rates from Chi
cago to Kansas City will bring howl
from the Chicago people, as we'll as
those of St. Louis. A weakening on
the part of the gulf lines is not much |
looked for, ana unless there is such |
weakening. with the number of impor- |
tant trade centers now involved, live
ly time is expected. In the mean
while, Kansas City Is enjoying good /
thing. The young city on the Kaw has |
in effect been situated on both the Kaw |
and Mississippi rivers. On goods re-
ceived from the eastern manufacture
ing centers Kansas City now gets the /
benefit of about the same rates as ST. /
Louis, but when 1t comes to distrib but
ing them to the trade in Kansas, Ne
braska, Oklahoma. ETC.. the rates are
lower than those from St. Louis. It Is
easy to see what the result of this will |
be If Kansas City permanently lands
upon rate basis anywhere near that
at present in force. And to the Gal
weston route Kansas City owes this
piece of fortune.-St. Louis Republic.