The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1912-05-03

that they are qualified to discuss the
broad question of railroad rates into
and out of the town of Lafayette?
If they are, will they be sincere in
the statement they have made to the
taxpayers of Lafayette in the article
appearing in your paper Of Friday,
April -? Will they join in a meet
ing at Lafayette and prove their
statement to the taxpayers of Lafa-
yette that a cheaper freight rate will
prevail after the new road is built
by showing in any manner or means
that such a condition has come to
any of our sister towns who lave
been fortunate enough to secure the
second or third railroad?
All taxpayers should understand
that in the matter of railroad rates
the Interstate Commerce Commission
at Washington controls and approves
all of the rates and that they cannot
be varied from by the railroads with
out the consent and approval of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
and the question of one road or five
does not enter into the matter, ex-
cept, to the extent that all of the
roads, no matter how many they are,
must conform to the published rates,
the same identical thing applied re-
garding rates within the State which
are controlled and approved by the
State Railroad Commission. There
fore, unless the promoters of the new
railroad can actually show that the
present freight rates into and out
of Lafayette are out Of proportion
to other points or are a discrimina-
ton against Lafayette as compared
with other points, then it is not cor
rect that an additional railroad will
produce cheaper rates. Any taxpay-
er a satisfy himself on this point,
because the published rates are a
public document furnished by the
agent of any railroad station as per
orders Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the State Railroad
Commission.
The second item states that the
new railroad will mean prompt SER
vice because of competition and bet
ter shipping facilities. l admire very
much the sanguine self recommends
ton that this statement carries, and
wonder if it NEAR that with the
building of new railroads beginning
at New iberia and ending at Eunice
will make the present large system
Of the Southern Pacific hurry and
run faster trains and more of them
We admit that it will mean better
service to the extent of additional
railroad service throughout the terri
tory which the new road may ira
verse, but that is all.
In the third item of the statement
it is stated it will add considerably
to the territory from which the mer-
chants Of this city will draw trade.
We challenge this statement and
point for proof in the matter. The
conditions that have come to the
town of Opelousas, also the town of
Rayne since additional roads were
built into these towns. Take Ope-
lousas for instance back in the days
when only the s. p. ran through Ope-
lousas; that town used to enjoy
trade in TERRITORY embracing a ra-
dius of 10 to Is miles extending into
the Vile Platte country. but since
the two new roads have entered
new towns have been 20
Gated on each side of the town at a
distance Of about eight or ten miles
in each direction, having their own
postofice. general merchandise
stores where cotton buyers have
gone to buy cotton and shipped it di,
rect and people in the country con.
thereto have their merchan
disc shipped direct from New Or
leans to their own stores, and where
one used to see many wagons upon
the streets Of Opelousas and enter
1~<n ga <oamw nsst ~ TEN 18th