The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-02

The following is the reply received from
the railroad commission with regard TO the
bill:
Governor j. d. Savers, Executive Office.
Austin. Texas, April Ex-Governor, We
are in receipt OF your note of this date re-
ferring to US senate bill No 22S and re-
questing us to give 1t careful consideration
and advise you fully as to our views re-
speeding it.
We have read this hill carefully and
find no unconstitutional objection to It aud
as the railroad commission has control
OF the freight rates on shipments wholly
within the State, under the law as 1t row
stands up to the time 1t reachcs the wharf
provided for, and as this commission Ia
by this bill given control OF the wharf
charges, II such shall be made, we see
no objection TO the approval of the bill.
As to interstate foreign shipments
neither this commission nor the legis.a-
ture can control the freight rates on them.
and while we feel the necessity OF the
State guarding against too great accumula-
! tion of corporate power in the same hands,
we think the enterprise contemplated by
this bill. IL II should be carried out sue
cessfully. will prove to be of great advan-
tage to our State and people by aiding to
build UP a great commercial city on our
! gulf coast
Commissioner Mayfeld does not agree
I
commission. Very respectfully.
John H. Reagan,
l.. j. Storey
Commissioners.
Hon Joseph u. ssyers, Governor, Austin.
| Texas.
Austin. Texas, April 25.-Dear Sir: Re-
! fsrring to your verbal request that 7 advise
| you as 10 the points Of disagreement be-
| tween myself and Commissioners Reagan
! and Storey as suggested In the communal
cation to you. dated April 20. respecting
senate bill No DDS. beg 10 advise
/ Not having the bill before me, | can not
undertake to be precise in referring to the
! language employed IL the bill which APP
! pesred to me to be Objectionable. As
/ remember now. the bill contemplates the
1 construction Of a wharf of an extensive
character and authority to build railroad
| tracks connecting 1t with all rail lines en-
/ tcring Galveston: but no one will be psr-
! united TO make use OF these tracks or
/ Ntarves without the consent OF the gran
/ ice, Coils r. Huntington, or his assigns,
1 Evidently. to some extent a monopoly -
! thereby established, Attention is directed
| to sections and 5. article ~. OF the con-
! si.tuticn, which Indicate to my mind, that
/ the 'tpubllc use as therein expressed con-
templates that the public generally are en-
/ titled to the use Of the proposed wharf and
railroad facilities upon equal terms upon
I the payment of reasonable charges. The
| bin provides that the charges 10 be made
! for the use OF these wharyes shall be sub
4 jcct to control by the railroad con mission
1 except when such charges are embraced In
the freight charges
| believe cssape from STATE regulate
can he effected whenever desired by adopt
/ ing the method OF embracing the charges
IN the freight rate. While II is true the
( State can not and docs not exercise jurls-
diction in direct manner over nierststs
or foreign Shipments. yet an impcrtsnt
power in the making Of rates upon such
shipments Is exercised Indirectly II Is