The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-23

4 few wears ago u mctchant would put
in his time vita the customer wnn ~
have TO trade or get out 81 MS store. A
snort while ago the reads we're lined with
ppopic seeking employ msnt; now you can
,,rr vent Increase from the operation %
Railways and compare Il with the net per
cent increase Of ether ilnss 81 business mess IA
have not kept pace with the others. How
ever the railways arc not behind In trying
TO make improvements. They are doing
Texas are doing that Is, Improving their
property. They are cutting Down grades,
nniias,lnE their roaah hsrs LIVING N.Y., sneei
ana other rolling stock ana constructing
and contemplating the construction OF eN.
tensions and additional mileage hy aii
these methods they are furnishing bettcs
facilities for the handling OF the business
OF the people OF Texas These things can
only. be provided by paying for them on
Of Texas are entitled TO az good railroad
facilities as any other people They have
not had them In the past, because the
is coming II existing conditions are not de.
pressed when the railways OF Texas VIII
he placed in as good condition as they IRE
in amy other portion OF the United states
Will This commission assume the respun.
sibility of stopping these improvements
Blu, you say that rates should be 50 re.
thrrefrom. We answer that this has hc,n
done and Is being done continuously. One
OF the hest statistieinus in texas in ~
article published In November, 1900 stated
that for the year ending June ~, lsln, tue
railroads OF Texas moved S,l51 .26Oo 33
tons Of freight one mile. and that lt they
pcnsation which they had received In lSll
! Tor like service, that their earnings
would have been ln4la92s',o great,
/ that this reduction in the rate was at
/ trLbu,nble. hrst. 10 the general reduction
| through the United states second, to the
| lowering Of rates by the lallioad commits
| sion OF Texas, and. third, to an increase
In low grade haul lie showed that freight
! throughout the United states an average Of
/ ~ per cent while in Texas they had lie.
| creased over % per cent and attributed
the greater decrease In Texas 70 the action
| of the r0ilroad commission. These figures
show that in 1929 Texas was ahead ot the
| balance of the United States In Q decrease
of rates by over per cent. Other reauc'
are peculiar TO Texas, which VIII offset the
difference In Its favor so that as cont
pared with the rest vi the country TeNas
had no great complaint.
Bcsdes, would 4 reduction In the cot
ton rnto benefit the people Of Texas |
understandings say that It would not. There
the subject of economies who ever SAL!
anything except that the consumer pqid
consumed, Including the cost OF production,
transportation, taxation and prohtS 10
those who handle IT, Every one VIII admit
the correctness Of this proposition.
Cotton produced in Texas is consumed In
other parts Of the world and the conSum
crs pay the transportation charges. Bu'
You say, the consumer could pay more
FOR the cotton If the transportation charges
Mere less. Possibly he could do so, hu,
would he do soy II Is true that the con
sumner buys his cotton for the lowest pttc,
/ AZ which he can get II, If the supply i
/ greater or equal to the dcmnnd, the con
sumcT fixes the price for series ut years
Z Nlaa ,t.t,fN ooh. hos
than the demand, and the consequence mas
hcen that as the cost Of the production
Of cotton and the cost Of its transports
tion has decreased, It's price has not only
decreased to the consumer but has n"
tually decreased In the hands Of the pro
ducers, This Is always the case; TN
cotton buyers of Texas make mn effort Il
sell cotton TO the mills Of the East or Il
Europe The mill men reply stating VIVA
they will give. Each party knows thu
cost of transportation. and II the cost o
transportation is at any time reduced. IN
staple goes down IN the markets Of th'
world. This usually has the effect nt dc
pressing the home market. so that lednc
lion in the rate has usually been followed
by not only reducing the price 80 the con
SINNER. hut has actually cntailcd an add
tlonal loss upon the producer. This c6"r
We have proved over aud over. AZ
former hearing we proved by actual cx
porIence that the same thing hqd occurrm
IN the corn market Of the Northwest. w
have also proved that the same thing m
occurred by reduction OF the whent rnt
in Texas. that is that the price of whea
and -four would be reduced In Toxas. hl
the price Of wheat in the wheat field
of the Northwest woplll not he increased.
We have shown that tlr same Is iTu
70 as 10 manufactured articles. that Is thu
A . reduction Of the rate from the factor
4 Ito Texas would benefit tho Texas consuT
I er. but not Increase the price az TN
d factory.
: We have shown that in packing hous
i products reduction In the rates woul
: inurc TO the benefit Of the consumer /
@ Texas. hut would not increase the pric
IL to the packer. We have proved by II
G have watched the cotton market for
Il series Of wears that they did not hciiev
=, that reduction In the rate OF cotton hen'
J. In oar opinion reduction Of the pres
I ent cotton rate by this commission afr.r
u ing ns il will. at least onp-fhird of tn
d crop Of The United States. win reduce III
d price Of cotton proportionatcly. This woul
n cause loss 10 the railways Of the stat
;. benefit Of the mill owners in the Fast m
, in Europe aud finally Tor rhc benefit of N
il consumers Of cotton in the world al larg
n BY This process Texas would lose larr
@ amount Of money and contribute the SAN
for the benefit Of other peoples. Beside
Z Il wnnld hive tendentT to depreciat
: the price OF The production nj home
4 check the prosperity of the country.
g stop railroad improvements and constru
s tions, and thereby U injure all the bus
;: ness interests Of the STATE.
q WHY should any one at this time do 4
- =, act that would check the growing pro
~ peritN of the Stalef " no Wants IN nSHun
= the responsibility of SAYING stop. o'
~ wealth Is increasing too rapidly" I ful
s. understand that this commission does n
u desire to do this ana vet the cstah'ish'
g principle Of trade. The well known prime
u pies that govern commerce all deca
rs that its proposed action would have ia
?. effect.
~ Recess IN ? p. NJ.
ie Al the afternoon session Mr. NeviIfp
~ Houston explained bow cotton Is handle
= between Houston and Galveston by n
W Direct Navigation company. About on
I'd sixth nj the crop n Texas goes over Il
~ barge line. ne said. lie believed that 81
an weston would have to 81 out NJ buslne
ld II the existing dhcreniial were aboisn'
~ and mileage tar!f hased on Galvest'
~ submitted His experience was that cote
o. moving down the bayou goes through mu
n more expeditiously by that route rhan
ne the railroads ia the busy season.
ll Mr. Moller closed the discussion ny q
er pealing feelinGly for Justice for Galyt
'ir ton. Did not care anything about "A redu
he tlon In the cotton rate. All h~-wanted "
de an adiustment that would overcome 4
re commercial disadvantage under which O.