Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-04-19

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O. e. G. 2f2. and a proper UNDER
standing al the present situation re-
qulres brief reference 70 the condi-
ti0ns then existing
A. that time the rails OF the San
% Fo and Of the Texas a Pacific In
this part of Texas we're substantially
$50 miles apart between Amarillo
on the Santa 70 and sWeetWater on
the Texas 4 Pacific was vast
stretch OF country without rail.
road and devoted almost exclusively
o. prazing There we're q feU small
settlements but no town Of import
ance on this record 10 is shown
that there we're no wholesale houses
~ sweetwater until after our de-
cisiou 10 that case. and only two
/ johblng houses az Big Springs
There was no town OF commercial
importance on the Texas 4 Pacific.
and the wagon roads. leading from
Amarillo into this country 10 the
south. were substantially better
{ than the country roads extending
norihward from points on the Texas
/ 4 Pacific The result OF these con
/ ditiOns vas that the merchants o.
! Amarillo With their wagons Wero
/ sarly u control OF the iobbing bust.
uess throughout this area IN con
sequence Amarillo's population rap
idiy Increased numerous lobbing
houses we're established there. and
I ln 1906 We we're asked in the case
cited 10 extend the limits OF common
/ poiut territory by including ANA
riilo within it We denied relief.
but because OF its proximity 10 Kan
vas City We held that Amarillo
ought 10 have the so-called burnt
/ district rates
Even while that case was pending
before us the relation OF Amarillo to
/ the general situation had begun 10
ch'nge The pecos A North Texas.
/ nov @ branch OF the Santa Fe. was
building southwark from Amarillo in
/ the direction Of Sweetwater. and
! shortly after our decision was an
lrounced that line Ras operating
trains into PlainvieW. q miles south
of Amarillo & reached Lubbock.
121 miles south of Amarillo, al the
close OF che year 1903 and enter
cd Sweetwater in July 1871 As
construction progressed settlers
came into the country In large num-
bers. ranches were broken up into
farms and agriculture took the
place OF cattle grazing as the prir
cipal occupation LOO the couptry dis.
tricts In the meanwhile Sweetwat-
or has grown from q hamlet OF 1905
persons 10 a thriving town with a
population OF 5000 inhabitants. Job
hing houses have been established
there. and they reach out into the
territory to the north as keen rivals
of the merchants OF Amarillo. At
this time h in fact appears that
SWeetwater rs the most active COM
petitor OF Amarillo In the country
that lies between them SWectwut-
or has an advantage over Abilene
and Big Springs In that " has a
direct route. over one line only. into
this territory 10 the north, while
the route from the other two points
rs Indirect and Involves two-llne
haul. under the state tariffs their
/ distributing rates are therefore high
or The most important factor m
I the general situation. however. is
/ that Sweetwator also has an adyan-
/ tago over Amarillo in that It is
within the common point territory
while Amarillo is In differential ter
ritory Amarillos rates are higher,
although It's haul Is shorter The
/ indication OF record is that large
part OF the merchandise distributed
I In this extensive territory between
/ Amarillo on the north and Sweet
7 water on the south moves over the
Santa Pc rails through Amarillo
| The Amarillo rates being higher
/ than those of Sweetwater are there
fore In conflict with the fourth sec
tion. although protected for the pres
ent by fourth-section applications
These very material changes in
| conditions az Amarillo and IN its
relation to the surrounding territory
prepared the carriers for the de.
mand made upon them by the mer-
| chants OF Amarillo. soon after our
! decision Ia the ease last cited. for
an entire readiustment OF the rate
situation There can be no doubt
at all from the record that the
southwestern lines serving Amarillo
/ felt that there was some justice in
/ It's demands II Is not necessary.
| however. to recount the history OF
I the negotiations that followed They
were somewhat protracted, but fin
ally reached a point where both
sides we're ready 10 make conces-
/ slons. Growing out OF the negotia-
I ton came a suggestion by the car
riers that II the commercial inter-
ests OF Amarillo would select q list
Of the commodities Ia which they
were most Interested the carriers
Z would endeavor 10 establish rates
upon them on a parity with the
common point rates Il should be
borne In mind that the iobbers OF
Amarillo we're not contending that
I their rates were unreasonable. but
/ only that they we're discriminatory
a. compared with the rates enjoyed
/ by Quanah. Sweetwater. and other
points In common. point territory
The merchants therefore presented