The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-16
THOSE COMPRESS REGULATIONS.

1t is singular to say the least, that the
railroad commission can not see that tts
compress regulations the purpose Of which
IS mainly 10 prevent the concentration Of
common point cotton at Houston, ars
abrdging its jurisdiction to a greater eX-
tent than anything 1t has yet undertaken.
Under the influence OF these regulations
Texas cotton is. season after season, NOV
Ing more anC more on through bills OF
lading and purely State traffic is decreas
Ing in volume accordingly.
The courts having declared that inter-
state traffic is not to be taken into con-
slderation in fixing a basis for State rates,
or In determining the reasonaheness
thereof It is hard to understand Why
body as Jealous of It's power as Is the com
mission should persist In the enforcement
OF rnles which are gradually taking the
regulation OF the movement OF the states
cotton crop out OF its hands and placing
the railroads in q position to switch n
large percentage OF their business to the
| interstate column and demand that II be
absolutely lost sight OF whenever an at
tempt Is made to adjust tariffs to the vol
ume of freight moved by them and the
earnings therefrom
An inspection OF the annual reports OF
the States trunk lines is all tina, Is need
ed to convince ones self OF this.
| An analysis Of the traffic reported as
Interstate viii carry conviction to any
mind that the commission has made It to
the interest OF the shipper to eschew the
annoyances occasioned by its compress
regulations. and that the railroads are
cheertully taking advantage OF the situa
ton to increase their interstate business,
or course, they prefer to give interstate
bills OF ladlnE. That goes without saying.
but under normal conditions the interests
OF shippers are best subserved by local
bills OF ladIng and local bills OF ladlng
they would insist upon we're Il not that
the commission arbitrarily forces them 10
call for through bills to avoid restrictions
:, with regard to compressage which have the
opposite effect 10 that which their promul-
cation was expected to bring about
The commissions compress regulations
were built to meet conditions which exist
ed ten years ago They we're put in to
prevent the juggling OF rates with the as
slstanee of eompresses in which certain
railroad officials held stock. such com
presses being located In the interior as
well as at Houston. But there is no longer
any reason for such a preventive, no more
than there was a reason In the first place
for the commission TO require the railroads
to pay FOR the compressase out OF the rate
to which there Was maximum Fixed which
precludes competition in compressage in
view Of the requirement that the COM
pressage must be done at The first press in
line OF destination, except where such a
compress happens to he located at Hous-
: ton or Galveston.
What good excuse can the commission
give for interfering with comprasssge
anyhow What reason, except that as the
comprsssaee is part o. the rate |, Is sub.
iect TO commission jurlsdiciicn' But who
msde Il part Of the rste7 The commis-
sion itself Of course, and in doing SO and
10 attempting to regulate e. the commits
sioners hsys done nothing but bring