The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-16
PLACING RESPONSIBILITY.
Steamship Lines EsOaerated Of CHARGE
Of DemOraIiliag Rates.
ALL'pAlL LINES ARE OFFENDERS
Con'nlssioner Parker Of tn. colo,.ao
Traffic Association Has Write,
letter to Set Opinion Right

Although there has been disnos,,ior
TO place upon the Morgan and Nance
steamship lines the entire rcsponsihnI,,. e.,
the freight rate war now rap,n, IN ~
colorado Utah territory on traIlc or,ri
ua'lns IN Atlantic scaboard territory. and
Nurn threatens to become worse instead NJ
petter 1t is now claimed that official ,r
'rSugaton has fully eXoncrated them from
an blame for beginning tho trouble
SQch Is the statement Of Commissioner
fHrker OF the Colorado Traffic associotio,,
ana is an expression Of his opinion On,
VeEed ia formal letter 10 Interested ~
metals after he had made the e1aninsti,n
IN addition thereto he also saws tbnt tbo
"Il-rail lines are the offenders ana ami
made the Initial cut 10 published tariffs
heretofore when the steamship lines men.
Toned nave been compelled to face charges
tney nave not been SO readily relieved Of
the odium
Inc representatives OF these compsnies
however, In New York, are unwilling To- dis
c ,,fs me merits or dement's Of tie dinl.
EuiiS and the causes leading To II brvnnd
the statement made by one of them ,ybrn
u was remarked that these lines were ac
cused OF having been the first TO rut tho
rates; nc replied: We cannot help what
- '''.u uoA StOp people making these ne
cnsatons We are content with the fart
inat We were not the first to make ths
break and that this has been Demonstrated
TO tue entire satisfaction of those who are
charged with authority to make an in
biity"
The fight has been getting more aud
more aggravated for mouth, until II has
Tedchcd u stage where every line west of
the Mississippi river is involved. aud both
east and wcstbound business has become
affected. Among the last TO enter the con.
1ict were the Union Pacific and the oregon
short Line, and the fact that they are a
part OF the Hartman system is regarded
as explaining why they waited until the
ssa1s t,gs4 - --S4tE~ SgS-- - ~ "a. al
the cutting on chicago Missouri river husl
ness. II Is alleged, and probably without
error, that regular tariff rates have SO
far been shaded 80 per cent from the sea
board, and from 30 to 50 per cent from
Chicago
That the investigation referred to showed
that the allrail lincS began the cutting IS
not surprising, as 1T iS well known that
the we$thound rate situation has been
practically rotten for some time. II has
never Appeared, however that the trunk
lines were parties TO the rregnlnMtlrs Of
Western roads in Eastern territory
The other gulf port lines are very In
dignant over the lcttcr Of Commissioner
Parker and do not regard IL as a fair and
unbiased statement They entered into an
agreement last August to absolutely main
tain tariA ratios and claim that thoy have
never deviatcd from this understanding "a,
a result OF which they have 50 lar RICHLY
refrained from meeting the cut rate com
petition. although it has cost them the loss
of n large amount Of business. Al meet
ing they held a strong protest was mace
for themselves and for the al-ral liucs
against the report Of Commissioner Parker.
Emphatic objection was made 10 his letter
being made q part Of thc proceedings, and
& formal motion to exclude it from iar
records was carried.