The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-01

70 heyord this for the present year, as
the company has increased the freight,
rate since the commission Injunction. 40.
cording TO Mr.. Teagin's theory. should
the company By its acts OF negligence be
forced during this year 10 pay airy amount
In damages, 1t will simply add little In
the freight rate next year 10 cover II. On
the other hand, take an Individual He
loans $4,000 during the year, upon which
the law says he can get but $1,000 in inter-
est. BY the careiessness of some agent in
making the loan he loses $4,000, which
wipes out his interest and $1,000 OF the
principal. According to Mr.. Feagin's theory
he should rot be required to stand the
loss cat of the principal. but should next
year be permitted to charge 20 per cent
interest and make the people pay for his
negligence. But tho law says he can't get
II, that he can't put or an additional per
cent 10 cover this, that ii Is not right for
the people 20 pay this and that he must
let the principal stand it. This is the
great question that must be solved in the
State regulation of railroads. The roads
claim that ii from misfortune bad crops,
loss from negligence, they can not pay in
tercst, theT ought to be allowed 10 tax
the people for higher rate TO cover II
and not b. forced TO appropriate the corpus
OF the property to pay this deficit
The people and the State contend that
n corporation should be put on no better
footing than an individual. Ii tie indlvid-
ual is prohibited from taSing the people
with higher rate OF interest to paw un-
expected losses and Is forced 10 20 down
IN his pocket to meet the deficit. why not
corporations ALSO The road which MIR
Feagin represents covers 900 miles in Texas
and passes through eight counties | have
heen in a position for the last ten years
10 have very good idea of the Utilization
on this road. will venture The assertion
that this road has not in the past ten
years in the personal injury cases which
they have litigated 10 final Judgment maid
$1,000. II this is correct statement why
does he complain of irregular expenses
and invoke from tie legislature relief from
SINISTER lawyers? And I might ask vhv
the necessity Of visiting on our people
the last advance in freight rates? "l'hr
peonle who invest money in factories and
railroads saws Mr.. Feagn. have moth
ing 10 COMPLAIN OF in the laws of TEXAS
regulating ,heI' dealings with the psople. !,
should say not, and Mr.. Feagin might
have we'll added the courts. For If ever
any class OF people have been fayored
more by the legislatures and the courts
have not discovered them. Take Feagin's
road as an example: The most OF lis bust
ness Is from saw mills situated at switches
along It's line. Nearly all these mills are
~ the complete alercy OF this road. The
legislature thought 1t was passing n law
that would force railroads to furnish shin.
pers with cars. but when they bsean h
crowd this road for cars, II proceeded ~
take case to the supreme court and that
court nroceeded TO holi that the law only
applied where the company had an agent
And as Mr.. F,agin's road from eeonor,y
has as few AGENTS as possible ana uevsr
has one At a saw mill the result Is Inc
saw mill gets. cars when the road seeS
~ n r'va them. 80
Mr.. FeHpln when complaining Of lha
humber az cases In our ropoIts loses sirh,
of two facts, first. the few cases his road
has, second tho great number OF cnses
appealed by the railroads that are reversed
venture the assertion that Mr.. Fearin
can not find In the reports more than fwen'
ty-'iyc cases for his road in the vast tan
years; and do not now recall more tbsn
two cases that this road has ever amended
that have not been reversed ANY iawvar
who Keeps posted will bear me out IN fyo
assertions ti) That greater humber ~
railroad cases are reversed than any othar
class Of cases; tsl that the courts are more
technical With railroad cases than anv
Others and often reverse them on vary
Ieenricai and unreasonable causes. Why 1.
tnls Just such Interviews as this Of NJ
resins u what causes It know Nj.