The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-16
OF GENERAL IMPORTANCE.
Railroad Commission viii Take In
Milling-ln.TranSit Question.
WILL PROBABLY SETTLE THE MATTER
Existing Privileges Appear to Have Been
Abused and Amendments Are
Now Desired.

Austin, Texas, September 15.-This will
\ he week Of hearings before the railroad
| commission and Of the half dozen Subjects
ON the docket probably the most lmpor
tant Is that which looks To a final settle.
ment or the milling problem
| This question has been Of a great deal OF
annoyance to the railroads, the miller
shipper and the railroad commission. and
Will come up finally this week on its merits
some say that It Is Il contention between
the millers of North Texas and those
who operate mills in the southern portion.
as this locality can boast of only two. one
at New Braunfels and the other at san
Antonio, and the fellows from North Texas
are unkind enough to advance the opinion
that the South Texas mills are out of the
grain producing territory and therefore are
not entitled to any of the privileges On.
Joyed by the millmen Of the north. snn
ingn-transit was hrst inaugurated In Kan.
sas and other wheat producing States. when
mills were few and far between
Some plan had TO be devised which would
give the producer, located at a small local
station, approximately the same price for
his wheat those located at an important
/ town supphel with milling facilities.
~ Ahis lNspctl tHt pAlfltBe vas u good
one, ana since, as the name implies, it
| toAtt mplaied onls mll4ins at poln,s directly
! Intermediate botN point oil origlN and
hna destination no extra labor on the part
OF the carrier was Involved except the
placing oi the car at, aud again hauling
IT from, the mill spur
There was another argument in favor of
TINS privilege winch commented II to the
| carrler--that Is, the relief which IL af-
torded in the prompt discharge OF grain
IRON cars to the fun capacity Of the mill,
Inn nut "a. If., mn
slderably more service than Ii each in
dividual load had to be forwarded long
distances to final destination in the first
Instance
After the privilege had become pretty
we'll established in Kansas some mills ia
! Texas requested the same privilege. a
hearing was had on the subject, and as
result difference OF cents per 40
4 pounds was made between the through rate
ON wheat and the through rate on Hour
! from interstate to Texas points. This
needed for the time being, but they after
wards appealed to the railroads for the
same privilege as their Kansas brethren
secured, although 1t Is evident that they
had not the same argument so far as the
relief of equipment was concerned.
The various lines, led by the Santa. Re-
finally accorded the Texas mills precisely
the same privileges on interstate grain as
was given the mills where the grain orig
mated. This was the first important step
IN the building up OF great milling in
Later on when Texas began to produce
milling wheat in large quantities the va
| rlous lines accorded the mills the transit
privilege on that grain also. Under all Of
| these arrangements, however, there were
special conditions and requirements under
which the railroads granting privilege ne
ceived some consideration or advantage In
return. That Is TO say, the product Of
the grain was always shipped out TO mar
kets which from revenue standpoint we're
most desirable to curriers'. 1t is true that
sometimes an Indirect haul was allowed
for a nominal sum and sometimes entirely
free, but always with the understanding
that same would be limited in extent and
that IL would be more than made up to
the carriers in other directions.
I When.the4 question finally came up -ter
! consideration before the railroad commits
sion the most liberal rules allowed by any
line were taken as criterion upon which
TO base general rules for All and as nat
| ural result the mllers being relieved of
any obligation to the carriers, ceased TO
market their product, so as to conhne the
/ through haul 10 a few roads or to work to
the advantage of the carriers in any Other
The millers can hardly be blamed for
this, seeing that they We're not responsible
We're relieved entirely from the necessity
| of considering where they should market
their product, The result was soon ap-
parent in the movement of grain products
over routes which would never have been
| thought of under old conditions, anu 10
markets within few miles of the point
at which the grain was produced after
having been hauled back ana forth half
way across the State Under such condl.
tions the railroads protested and some OF
the mlllers at once saw the Justice OF the
protest and stopped this indirect and, 10
the railroads, unremunerauve routing.
Others were not SO consderate, but all OF
them have now finally agreed 10 summit
the matter to the railroad commission for
further consideration.
The milling n.transt rules adopted by
the railroad commission We're in the man
caused by the use Of indirect on crcuitous
routes aud unnecessary back haul service.
1t has been proposed by the railroads and
agreed to By a majority of the millers
to substitute the following rules Is and q
tor those now applying within the State OF
Rule Colonization of mlllingln-transit
+ a) If mllod on the line on which grain
originates the product may be. shipped to
ans point within the State If milled On
any other than originating line the destina-
tion must be ON the line hauling the grain
into milling point, except as provided In
paragraphs h and G, rule Z.
(b) Grain may be stopped once In transit
for any of the purposes specified IN rule !
of circular No. 1908 before being for
warded to the point where II Is milledi
but the time limit must be reckoned from
the date of the arrival Of the shipment at
the first stopping point until the date OF
final reshipment. ~
grain product must be delivered to tbs line
bringing the grain 10 the milling point.
Rule 7.--Milling-in- transit rates:
W) When entire haul from point OF origin
of grain to dna destination Of product is
lin a direct and natural route and movement
into milling point is over a single line, thu
through rate protected shall be that IN
effect on the commodity or commodities re
shipped from point OF origin OF grain e
final destination OF product, subject q
minimum balance from milling point Of
cents per 100 pounds, with dlnereDtial add
ed IL destined TO d fierential territory.
% When entire haul from point Of orlgir
OF grain 10 final destination of product Il
In a direct and natural route and move
ment into milling point Is over two or more
lines the through rnte protected, II dest
nation is on the line bringing grain into
milling point shall be the same as provided
in paragraph a but If destination Is beyond
the line bringing grain into milling point
there shall be added to the through rate
othdrWlse applicable 2& cents per iOV
pounds for edGh additional road over which
the product shall move.
Gc) When indirect or back maui service
Is involved whether on the line originating
4 and hauling grain into milling point or on
4 any other line or lines in the route 70 ma
destination. the through rate protected
shall he that In effect on the COMMODITY
or commodities reshippeh from point 81
origin of grain to final destination OF pred
net plus j, cent per ton per mile FOR az
extra or additional haul performed, subject