The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-20
ANSWER OF COMMISSION.
Shaw's Statements Have Not Been at
All Accurate.
FIGURES FURNISHED THE LEGISLATURE
chairman Reagan Gives Out State
! nent Prepared by Commissioner
!, MsHied to Show True Facts.

l.
~ ISL
Austin, Texas, February Io.--Jne fol
lowing communication from the railroad
confiissIc,,J aneot Mr.. Shaw's maximum
rate bill appeared in the house journal 20
day:
3Ion. Lee Satterwhlte. House of Reprssen
: tndves, Austin, Texas.
) Dear SIr.-In pursuance Of orr promise
10 you that we would furnish brief state
nent relative to the rate situation In Texas.
We submit the following:
. First calling attention to- IN interview of
Mr. shaw In connection with the nlaxllnnn
rate bill and published In the Austin
statesman Of Inc iith instant, In II y
stated that the commission always com
pnres its rates with railroad rates IN OK
jsiencc In 1891, when the commission wcslt
Into business" We must say that surh
hrc the only fair aud Just comparisons
which unn be made. Were we TO usc the
temporary class or merchandise rntes to
which Mr. Shaw refers MS In force In 1883.
we would nllsrepresent the true conditions
/. We have before MS copy. of tarln Issued
By tho lntcfnational and Greai Northern
Railroad company which took effect Octo
Der 10. 1883. and which WAS Cancelled san
nary 20, 1880; hence, was only In force
three months. These temporary low rates
Ms stated were cancelled Jannnry 20. 1889,
even prior 10 the submission to the people
OF the constitutional amendment providing
Tor commission The resolution authuriz
lug sEch submission was adopted by tho
Twenty first legislature. and approved Aprii
T. 1889, aud said amendment not having
5ecn voted on untll November. 1870. Urn,r,
thc inaccurhcy OF the statement that tn
rates IN force IN 1888 were advanced IN
anticipation Of the crention OF q commits
kion. These rates of 1883, to which MI.
Shaw letters, were adopted by the precip
itatlon eft rate war. and were Cancelled
within the brief time Of about ;hrc
months In pursuance of a general ANA sat
isfactory REIMBURSEMENT being made 10y the
carriers OF the state
AS to the comparison Of the cotton rates:
We know that the public has been advised
of the errors In the 1888 rates used and
we here call attention to letter written
by Commissioner Mayheld on September ;,
lSeS hereto attached and made par,
hereof, which explains this error fully rhe
mites on cotton which were actually In
force In 1888 were from common points ~
Houston $40 and to Galveston $3.50 per
bale of 500 pounds.
AS to the comparisons used 10y Mr. Shaw
pI rates on commodities from Galveston to
~, Louis, Kansas City, Omaha and other
mississippi and Missouri river points: We
must say That the intention 10 show by
these rates that rates between points In
the state are too high, is, we think. I'M
worthy of serious consideration, as no one
should Trims. Of using such a basis for
State or local rates. Water transportation
Is cheap, ana railroads endcavor to NEE,
IL when IL * possible. For the rail lines
leading from Calves In connection with
those reaching the river points named 10
apply Tue low rates IN an effort to build up
IL
commendnble. Neither should the grain |
rates from the great West to Atlantic ana |
gulf ports be used as II basis for local |
State rates. However, the figures used ON
MT. shaw In this connection are not cor. |
rect. Wheat weighs sixty pounds per I
hhushel shcIled corn dity six pounds. Nv. |
slaw says The average rate per bushol |
from Kansas City aud Nebraska To Calves. |
ION is ! TO So cents. We have examined |
our tariff files, but lind no such rates We |
nave before us current tarifr OF tne |
Iat..ta
grain producing territory of Kansas and /
Nhlch fgrin names rates on wheat and /
corn carloads from Kansas points to Gal. |
weston Tor export These rates range ON |
wheat from 24la 10 ~ cents per 100 ponnds
ana on corn 22la TO - cents. Under nonr !
81 lnese ilgures can n RITE of or Si5 cents /
NJ producing sections OF rcxas H. Calves
Ton range from IL to III cents per lOD |
pounds IN wheat aud l2is to Is cents ON
corn and oats, the lucent corn rnte only
applying on shipments moving over tnrne
or more lines Of railroad. '"'es
r ror more recent comparisons of rates I'm
1851 we call attention to commutiro.
you furnished by us upon the reuuest ~
',ie eo3nhiltteemen of the present logisil.
ho, anu Whlch communication we attnch
ana make part of this statement no
oectfuly submitted,
;, John II Reagan, Chairman.
II. =. Davis, Wills Point 'reXns
/ Aailrond Commission of Texas Aus,ip
Ns&as, September s. 1898. Dear Sir; / hes
20 prknowledgc the receipt OF Your lefteT
" itne iuth ulumn. | have Il rttnr 4, |
similar sh import from Hon. John NJ Dean
OF your county, dated August IL
- ndne Deen unable To answer In detail
your letter ut nm earlier date ON nrcn'nt
o. very pressing official duties
bnehy stated, you advise that oar.at |
popnHst speakers upon recent nuhIIc 80 |
stance, that: ~ 81"
FIRST, The rates fixed by the comm,ss,o,
On every class of freight, except one hs.
yeSn' raised above the rates existing In
looc, heIofe there was amy cOmmlssio, -
second. 'That the cotton ratc ast,n
hsned by the roads In 1855 from rnSns
common points To Galveston was IN 800 |
per 100 pounds, while the commission er rnts
IL w cents, aud '"'e
Second That the cotton rate estoh
70 Judge Mccormick that the commission
r ,,a.., were 70" low, or Mccormick womb
hypa.eI nave granted the Injunction . '
These assertions, | understand fro,, ,.o,,,.
ifttr, are reproductions from tba nnn,,,I III.
r'HtpaiRn book for 1888, n dociiuent 80
pFLhg 70 be prepared by j. n Rr,dinv
SIReM' Cureton. q. T., Pyle, q n Dnrn
nlnzer ana one Joe Farley (who. nv WV -,
R'ttfnih esis, ] may say is manager of the
DRlias freight hureaul " Tue
~ reply you are respectfully ndvIsa, nm.
eath OF these assertions IL mntrne u,"t
oplpion they are made with n delihernt |
purpose TO deceive. The frat deeIar"t ~
! Suppose. might by this time he considf
trtu, stereotyped. II has been mndr T.,
ny lehrlLg So often thar Determined to
EisS IL as thorough an investigation as INV
Mthiii my power ] have lahored Indus
trlYisly 70 ascertain the truth nnh rsn,,,
an actunl Inspection OF some az thp ,a,ima
IN force during the period OF time men
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