The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-06
CLAIM THEY ARE AFRAID.
Texas Railroads Say Better Laws
Must Be Passed in Texas.

While great deal of railroad extern
sion was effected in Texas last year.
the amount was not nearly so great as
was at one time determined. AS the
year advanced many undertakings were
abandoned for the time being and
there are as yet no indications of their
early resumption. Among the plans
abandoned were the following:
The Rock Island after the acquire
ment of an interest in the Houston &
Texas Central, etc, intended greatly
to improve these roads, and to extend
them to new territory. This plan will
not be carried out until the right Of
the Rock Island to enjoy the fruits OF
its investment is perfectly established
in the courts. Meantime, the people of
that territory viii wait.
The international & Great Northern
planned to build east from Beaumont.
parane1ing the Southern Pacific, and
also to build two spur lines north
These projects are apparently aban-
doned completely Certainly there is
no immediate prospect of their being
built.
The Missouri, Kansas & Texas was
to build to Austin. and so far as is
known still has that intention. A de-
lay of many months has already inter-
vened, however, and there is at present
no sign of start. The report that
the Trinity line would shortly have a
connection with the rest of the system
has died natural death, as has also
the =FuInor OF long spur northwest
from the main line.
The Texas Pacific bought the Mineral
Wells & Rutherford and intended to
extend the same, but appears to have
changed its mind
The Santa Fe talked of local lines
from Brentwood and the Frisco of
reaching south from Brady, but the
signs point to a cessation of such
efforts.
At the moment, however. the Frisco
n 70 - II clio
seem active in Texas. The latter has
bought the Cane Belt, and the former is
credited with an interest in the Rice
Belt, and the new projected Matagorda
enterprise in carrying on their plans in
the face of very discouraging circum-
stances.
The activity centers in South Texas.
The Trinity and Brazos Valley, the
Rice Belt and the st. Louis, Brownsville
& Gulf are doing the work. In all of
these local interests see signs of Frisco
activity. Certainly the new and indie
pendent companies are not building
lines that threaten one another Taken
together, as projected, they form a very
excellent southeastern Texas division
for either the Santa Fe, Rock Island
Frisco or the Gould system. They are
at present quite independent, and are
being treated handsomely by the mu-
inequalities in the matter of money and
land bonuses.
The causes Of the cessation of active
work on so many projects are three, as
follows:
The Wall street market is not ready
for the financing of new lines, the bond
market having already been heavily
called upon by the Rock Island. Santa
Fe, Frisco and the Goulds within the
last two years.
The Texas railroad commission. by a
strict and literal translation of law as
it sees it and by the full use of all its
vested rights and powers, has done
what it could to check the railroad
boom in the railroad commissions state.
Arising out of the action of the COM
mission there has grown up spirit OF
reciprocal concession and of amity be-
tween the railroads which will result in
the permanent abandonment of COM
petitive railroad building such, for in
stance, as the International and Great
Northern's line parallel to the Southern
Pacific.