The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-21
FREIGHT RATES.
An Able Address by Hon. Charles
PrOutN of Washington.

Hon. Charles A. Prouty Of the inter-
state commerce commission. spoke last
night about Freight Rates" He said in
part:
The attention of this Nation Is today
mainly fixed upon its foreign ahairs Tne
serious and delicate questions for its So
luton relate, however, TO internal mat
ters Whoever will contemplate the vast
territorial extent of the United States ana
the result OF its internal development Tor
the last half century must stand convinced
that so long as we continue souni and
healthy within no mistake in foreign poll
Icy can seriously or permanently inJlre US
The overshadowng problem for the United
States, presented in various phases anu
under various names, is the adjustment
so to speak, of the relations between
wealth and commonwealth; how 10 pat
upon the one hand, some limit to the gieea
of riches and to protect, upol the otner
hand the due rights of property
I'm the solution OF this p OBJ EN- no ques-
ton is more important than that OF rail-
way transportation. for this question I'M
derl!es all others. Few people understand
the enormous consequence in every point
of view, OF the freight rate. since January
/ the cost OF transporting corn from the
vast territory directly west OF the Missis-
sippi river hassauctuated about cents
per bushsl. Three cents a bushel on the
/ price Of corn means in this territory from
| 60 to 90 cents per acre. and this upon a
/ 6 per cent basis amounts TO difference
in value OF from $40 to SIS an acre what
| is true OF corn is true OF every other
agricultural product In the Unitad States,
and even more true of many other pro-
ducts.
"Of even greater consequence is the
freight rate to the individual business
man. Take the milling industry. Tastl-
mony before the commission shows that
from to cents a barrel is regarded al
a fair profit and that much -four IS ground
at an even less profit. Here are two mills
where the cost OF producing Hour Is ex-
actly the same, but the freight rae III
one case for some reason is msde to .
cents per 100 pounds lower than IN the
other One mill runs at a profit' the
other makes nothing The same is true
to a greater or less extent IN every de-
partment of business.
''The most prominent political and So
cial question OF today is the trust. Prob
ably no one factor is so potential in the
upbuilding aud the perpetuat!ng OF these
great combinations of capital which sue
coed in defying law and public opinion as
discrimination in freight rates. In1eei u
NAV be doubted II any trust In the ne,es-
stiles OF l.fe need be greatly feared II 40.
solute equality in the freight rate could
be assured.
THE freight rate ordains where eluss
shall be built and communities maintained
This NAV be illustrated by the case OF the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company winch
came before the commission some year,
ago. That company was located IN
Pueblo. Colo, and possessed ye'y eSten-
,sive facilities for the manufacture OIL
iron. II aimed to sell its product mani.
upon the Pacific coast. and It's competitor
in that market was Pittsburg and corr
sponding territory The rate from fllts'
burg 70 San Francisco was fIihe nor
than &e-third the rate from Prep'o .
San Francisco. although the distan wa
, more thin twice as great from the lo'He
/, as from the latter place, ana ahhou u N
Sreiqbt nassed or might pass, thrcuef
] the city OF Pueblo itself A keg o. hi,ll
) was worth 50 at the mill II cost tn'
, pittsburg manufacturer 65 cents 70 trans
+, mort that keg of rails to the Pacihc coast
while II cost the fuel company - Oh :.
TRANSPORT 1t TO the same point, altnoust
e the distance from Pittsburg was more tH"'
soo0 miles while that from Pueblo wa
less than 1900 miles, and the freight ron
Pittsburc actually passed by the uoor
OF the fuel company ManitestH unue
these conditions there could De no I'm
. petition, and unless that company, h A,in'
r yainly implored the railways for reliei
e could obtain it from some o,her source
: Il would be forced to draw its iurna zee,
: and discharge its men constituting a psl
!, roll Of $4,000 day. That IS rJn'
\ case. but II differs In no respect IN pm
! clple from cases in all parts OF me UNIV
a States. -, ,,Nar 7
!, .The freight rate goes still further,
A determines not only who shall 40 pu
n and where business shall be done. uns 80, ~,
Il lines upon which our social ueFe'op'A''-
a shall proceed .,,,u,at