The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-19

OF the Galveston wharves 10.Oso .ooo ION,
annually, or at the size Of 1000 tons no,
vessel, 1t would mean that $500 vessel,
could be loaded and discharged ,sirhir
twelve months on said channel frontage
me galveston Wharf company own.
ertng an era OF somewhat more thar
100000 square feet, capable OF accomuo.
dating 100000 bales OF cotton on end am
II piled seven tiers high on edge (which
la entirely practicable) would accomn,o-
date 100000 bales at one period. These
sheds were not built for storage purposes
but, as q matter of fact, thny are being
used py tne railroads terminating at CAL
weston practically for such purposes mas.
much as all the railroads terminating here
have not sufficient warehouse or shed
room to accommodate 10000 bales OF CO
ton at one period protected frnm the ole.
ments, and hence said railroads In orier
10 save expense to themselves OF erecting
such protection on their own terminal
grounds. are using the Wharf company's
plant Tor this purpose without paying any-
thing for this service, and thus blocking
the accommodations OF the said Wharf
company, which were not intended TO In
thus used This In great measure ac
counts for the blockndes which at various
times have existed here.
II the railroads terminating at Galveston
would, like those terminating In New Or.
leans and other ports, erect their own
warehouses at their terminal yards in Gal
weston, and there discharge the cotton on
arrival, assorted according to marks and
bills OF lading lots, and then deliver on
the wharves to the respective ships in
such lots, very little blockade. IL any.
would occur, and as this system prevails
in New Orleans and elsewhere, there is No
reason why 1t should not also prevail here.
and which will doubtless come about in a
very short period, as the necessities of
trade demand, and In such case very lit
tie complaint. II any, will be made In tn 8
respect That 1900 cars have been wait
ing here to be discharged may create an
impression that the whole traffic of the
port was blocked, which is erroneous, con-
sidering that we handled here in one
month 100000 bales OF cotton, carried In
10000 cars. In other words, there were
discharged from the railway cars to the
ships OH daily average during that
period over 60n cars, and hence the 1900
cars would only represent three days bus
mess. Add to this that the railroad COM
mission OF the State of Texas has es-
tablished rules by which the railroad com
panies terminating here are not Obliged to
wait more than fve days for the discharge
of their cars, after which period said
railroads can either charge demurrage
on said cars for discharge of the cotton
into warehouses at the expense of the
owners of the cotton or of the ships. and
thus relieve themselves entirely from
any blockade, and had the railroads suf-
Hcient shed facilities ut their own ter
minals at this port, they would doubtless
have done so, but lacking such facilities
entirely the blockade so much referred to
is easily explained.
AS regards the unimproved property
above referred to being subject to over
flow, it is here sufficient 10 state that the
entire unmproved channel frontage on
Galveston island end that occupied by the
Galveston Wharf company is OF the same
nature, and when filled is no more subject
to overflow than the property OF said COM
pany is now.
o. 3. In case of extension OF the present
wharves would the enlarged available
space belong to the Galveston Wharf COM
pany, or would an independent company
or individuals utilize it?
A. 3. The answer to this question has
already been set forth above, namely, that
the unimproved channel front does not be-
long to the Galveston Wharf company
O. 4. We are told that the Galveston
Wharf company in fixing charges is entire
ly independent Of the present constitution
and laws OF Texas, and that the rates to De
charged by it can not be lowered or reSu-
lated by the state railroad commission OF
other official authority. Is this correct!
A 4. As far as we are aware no COM
plants have been made to the legislature
of Texas about the charges OF the Calves
ton Wharf company being TOO high. ana IL
is n mooted question whether the iegis-
lature or other official body OF Texas mas
any control of the Galveston wharfage
charges OF the Galveston Wharf company.
But the company has on various occasions
reduced It's charges as It's business IN
and met conditions as they arose,
and 1t is only reasonable to assume that
they will continue to do so, particularly as
the competition of other ports ana the con
templated additional wharf facilities mere
will C. mpel them to do so. The caves,
ton Wharf company also owns railroad
on their property which is under the con-
troll Of the railroad commission OF Texas
o. ) and 6. Our information is that the
difference in cost of loading cotton on
board ships at Houston and Galveston Dy
reason Of freight differentials and wharf
age charges would not be less than 40 cents
a bale. and that 100000 bales per anhum
go through Houston to Galveston, when In
case there were ship channel 20 Houston
would be shipped from there. Is not this
correct?
A. and G. 1t is a fact that the freight
rate from Houston to Galveston Is 10 cents
per bale, of which 32ih cents are for rail-
road freight and the balance, IA cents,
fCr wharfage, ana keUCe IL Is 4ulhtltch !.
the ships could lead at Houston the 321a
cents would be saved. but not the wharf
age charge, inasmuch as wharves would
sost money to erect and maintain at Hous-
ION Just the same as at Galveston.
The railroad freight from Texas com
mon points TO Galveston. as established
by the Texas railroad commission, Is 30
cents per bale higher than to Houston,
the length of the haul may b.
shortest to Galveston. To illustrate; TIE
distance from Corsicana to Galveston u
PSI miles, and from Sherman to Houston
800 miles, and yet the railroad frelgnl
from either place 10 Galveston costs 81
cents more per bale than TO Houston
whereas, all Interstate shipments coming
from Kansas aud other points outside OF
Texas, except cotton from the Indian Ter
ritory. are charged the identical freight
rate. whether the railroads de-tver the
goods In Galveston or in Houston, thus
that the difference against Calves
ton or Texas shipments is maintained ohiy
by arbitrary rules Of the Texas raiiroa ~
This Is also matter tnat
line will doubtless cure, considering there
ire no cotton mills in Houston ana ohiy
,ne in Galveston Tin which only rev
bales Of cotton are used, anu
further, that the major portion OF the
so called Houston cotton receipts con-
;Ists OF cotton which simply passes
through that town without stopping thefe