The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-08
MAY BE A BOOMERANG
COTTON INSPECTION AT HOUSTON
TO BE DISCONTINUED.
Railroads Not Forced TO Haul the Stuff
to Galveston, and May Not Like
the Action Taken.

Galveston, Texas, August T-one OF the
questions booked for discussion at the an
nual meeting OF the general freight agents
of the railroads OF Texas and the compress
men and cotton shippers OF the State,
which will take place at the Menger hotel
at san Antonio August Il, viii be the
matter Of inspecting cotton for export at
houston. As IS well known, cotton for ex'
port must be inspected before being loaded
on board chips for the purpose ot ascertain
ing whether or not It Is compressed to the
required density and otherwise in good con
dit.on for shipment In case there are
broken bands ON the bales or the cotton IS
not properly compressed 1t must be re
pressed
ON account of the fact that there has
Deen great deal of cotton shipped do"h
the bayou from Houston and loaded GA
board the ships from tue barges, branch
lus pection bureau was established at hous-
ton several years ago. rhis has since been
maintained, the expense being borne Jointly
By tne railroads aud the interior compress
association. This mas created some Ousi-
ness tor the congresses OF Houston The
arrangement has also been advantageous
10 the railroads IN many respects 1t
seems that II lIis Inspection Is continued
after August 81, the railroads WAL have
10 bear All the expense thereof unless they
can bring iuhuenCe 10 bear upon the la
tenor compress ASSOCIATION to make them
rvSCinQ the action when they nave taken
rebtLulnL tne matter.
= communication mas been addressed 10
ali Texas railroads aud transportation
companies by the standard Bale compress
ASSOCIATION, winch represents the interior
congresses, notifying tnem tnat the inspec-
tors maintained Al houston wlii be us
continued on August 81, ana that AFTER
mat date tue association VIII decline to
participate IN any portion oI tue cost OF
repairing cotton at houston. Inc notice
states tnHt the action Is taken after care
Iui consideration aud consultation with the
railroad commission upon the ground that
houston Is not recognized as a port either
10y the railway commission OF the calves
ton Maritime association.
The compress association will continue
to inspect cotton at Jaly and repair
bad order cotton coming into this port
from members OF that association, wnen
originally delivered alongside the vessel, as
per Galveston Maritime association contract
rules
]. Il. W. Steele, secretary of the asso-
citation, stated in response TO inquiry this
morning that this notice was an ultimatum
as regards the position Of the association
He said that he did not anticipate oppo-
sit!uh to the move on the part of the rail
roads and that there was nothing that they
could do in the premises He said that
Was no more reason why the cotton should
! be Inspected at Houston than at Dallas,
Austin or any other interior city, as Hous-
| ton was not recognized as a seaport by
/ thu railroad commission or the Galveston
/ Maritime association. He said that the
| matter might be discussed at San Antonio
/ In view OF the communication forwarded
/ to the railroads. but that 1t was already
| settled as far as his association was con
| cerned.
| A prominent member OF the Maritime as
! ISOLATION informed The Post correspondent
| this morning that he feared the action OF
| the association would bring about many
| changes. The railroads can not do any
/ thing directly, as far as known, but they
| can route cotton another way than via Gal
! weston. New Orleans exports cotton anC
the shippers as rule do not care wher,
! il rs exported They do not pay for tn,
| depressing or inspection either and there,
fore the railroads do pay for a portion OF
II and naturally should have some voice II
the matter.
II the railroads do not Ike the idea o
| having the arrangement discontinued they
may not possess the power 10 make TIN
| Interior compress association recall Its ult.
| mutum, but they may be able to make tn
association wish 1t had never issued al
ultlmatum. One man, interested closely II
the subject, remarked this morning thai
ultimntums we're bad anyway.
Just what the result will be may develop
at San Antonio on August u,