The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-18
AN IMPORTANT DOCKET
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION is IN
SESSION AT AUSTIN TODAY.
Proposed Reduction Of Tariff on Grain
and Complaints Of Oil Mon Arc the
Most important Subjects.

General Freight Agent c. K. Dunlap Of
the Houston and Texas Central, General
Freight Agent W. II. Taylor Of the Hous.
ton East and West Texas, Manager f. o.
Becker Of the Houston freight bureau,
Manager Johnston OF the Galveston freight
bureau and several other freight officials
left last night for Austin to attend the
meeting Of the Texas railroad commission.
The official docket. which was published In
full in last Sundays Post. includes a hear
Ing on the complaints Of Beaumont oil men
against the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe
and the Gulf. Beaumont and Kansas City,
alleging that these roads have refused to
provide tank cars when requested upon
statutory requisition for the shipment of
crude oil, the roads making refusal on the
ground that the shipments were destined
to points OF their lines All Of the roads
in South Texas are interested in the ruling
on this matter, but the greatest interest
apparently centers In the outcome Of the
commissions proposed amendments to com
modify tariff No. "a. applying on grain
and grain products. as follows:
Reduce rates on flour. wheat and bran
so that the maximum rates I'm common
point territory shall not exceed the follow
Ing schedule Tin centsl: Single line rates
Flour 10, wheat 1212, bran l019, Joint line
rates--Flour I'M, wheat 10. bran 10.
: To establish rates on said commodities
from TeNarkanA, or other existing Texas
gateways, or those hereafter made, diff.
terent from those to apply from the same
distances between other Texas points; also
10 amend existing milling In transit rules
| by reducing the minimum balance "a
| cents per 100 pounds from milling point.
This evidently means a reduction OF pa
| cents per 100 pounds on flour apd wheat,
and AZ cents on bran. The dlfferential on
| wheat and -four has been = cents. Recent
| ~ at wichita, Kan, the interstate mllers
! made complaint and requested Il reduction
! Of rates They wanted wheat and -four
carried nj the same rate. This complaint
| has been heard several times in the past
| few years and the Interstate commission
| has not vet rendered decision. More re-
| Gently the Interstate rates have beQA low
| cred by means Of a combination through
| Texarkana, making them the same on
| wheat and -four the rate out being only "a
| cents diffcrcntal the Interstate rate being
| reduced 2I9 cents, which now applies in
! stead of the old time 5-cent dlfferential.
| To effect this combination the Interstate
| lines applied the corn rate bran into
| Texarbann instead of the -four rate, The
| Texas commiEion now proposes, apparent
| ly, TO remedy the matter by reducing the
| rate on wheat and -four ~ cents each, aud
by reducing the minimum balance from .
cents to ~ cents,
AS a matter of fact there has always
been combination through TeSarkana
| which beat the through rate, and the var
| tous lines always fonnd II necessary to re-
| uNtt luelI through rates TO meet tldJ con-
ditlon. The ability OF the Texas COM
mission 10 solve the problem remains to
he proven. II is understood that the exec
utye and traffic officials OF the different
lines have been working on the Inter
state matter to get II Strengthened out.
1t now appears that the commission pro-
poses TO reduce the rate 4ls cents ON bran,
which, apparently, puts tho Texas miller
at a disadvantage Of oih cents, as against
u previous disadvantage of 3 cents on
bran. which, It is believed, the commission
can not regulate.
This is doubtless tho most important
matter TO come before the commission,
and the result will be of interest to traf-
nc officials and shippers throughout the
West.
There are other rate mntters which
, manifestly call for adjustment, aud which
may receive attention at this meeting Of
the commission. 1t has doubtless come
10 the attention Of the commission that
Houston is placed ut serious disadvantage,
Notwithstanding Its natural advantages be-
cause of fortunate location, In the matter
, of milling in transit, and the commission
doubtless knows that North Texas mills
can procure the wheat ana mill the flour
for points East md West OF Houston ut
the through rate on -four, whereas Houston
millers, paying the through rate on wheat
and the minimum balance out, have
long been at disadvantage of 2I9 cents
on -four and cents on bran. For eX-
ample, the rate from Mckinney to Bee
] VILE Is 1Tla cents, fiat; the rate on wheat
Into Houston Is 10 cents. with minimum
udiuuCt ~ phN VI - CENTS Wnltu HldkeS u
20-cent through rate on bran. as against Il
through rate from North Texas of 10 cents
on bran.
II is pointed out by Houston CONNER
cla men interested in the prosperity OF
Houston mills--one of which Will begin
operations on large scale the first of the
, year--thnt this is q matter that deserves
, attention and adjustment.
Manager Becker of the Houston freight
bureau refused to discuss these matters
, yesterday.
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