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

3 10 raise their rates by rest0rIni
them % differentIal territory 81
heretofore Stated the present com
mon point territory has been - mat
Der Of SLOW development Bar M
changes that have taken plare ln ii
have beensin The direction of en-
/largement there has been no re
siricfi0n or draNlnR 10 OF ~ bound
aries Thtre is Of record sOms
vague Impression that restriction
eas attempted .n 1905. but II Il
eas made effective a. all n was for
period of less than 80 days The
tariffs under suspension here are
fbe first definite undertaking on me
part of fbr carriers 10 narrow tho
arra i H proposed 20 DO this by
establishing fbe western boundary
IIue farther toward The east thus
/ taking certain town out Of the com.
mon point territory and 10 that et-
tent broadening the so.ralled differ
nnf|al territory
% E substantially admitted ~ re.
cord that ihe proposed increase In
the rates of these towns. by taking
them ont of the common point ter
r.ior, and putting them iufo differ
ouiial territory vas nor based on
any rent consideration Of the merits
81 the new rates or upon any sub
Hanfal consideration o. the rates Of
these communities 20 other commu.
Miles ln common point territory
The fact 8 that recent railroad con
sirurtion bias len the respondents
ou The horns of delImma. they
must either raise tho rates Of the
towns In question by putting them
out OF common point territory and
into d'fferentlal territory or they
must lover the rates of Amarillo by
taking % out of difforentlal terri.
tory ana puitiAg % in common point
territory Being compelled by new
conditions 10 accept one OF these
alternatives the respondents frankly
state of record that they took the
course that would hay, the least
effect upon their revenues IN other
words Amarillo has grown 20 such
Importance and has 30 large traf
fic that the loss ~ revenues attend
INK the lowering Of its rates by put.
tlng II IN common poit territory
would be substantially greater than
the gain resulting from raising the
rates OF the points in question hy
putting them back into dlfferential
territory The latter course was
therefore adopted ana Is the purpose
underlying the tariffs under sus.
pension
Should Amarillo be brought into
common point territory the direct
EFFECT on IT, feyeuues. as estimated
hy the Santa BE-. will not exceed
$4,000 year Hut the indirect
effect. Il "a thought viii bc OF great.
er consequence for the reason that
the Amarillo rates Will have 10 be
graded back into Oklahoma and
Kansas The Roswell rates. and
the rates into Roswell territory. will
also be affected 10 some extent. a
relation OF rates between Roswell
and Amarillo having been establish
ed in Roswell Commercial Club v
a T s. + RS Co. ~ G. G.. 33g
II be- clear that the effect on the
revenues of the other southwestern
lines viii not be- so great az upon
the revenues ot the Santa Pc The
estimates offered by the Santa Fe
OF the effect on lbs revenues from
the inclusion of Amarillo IN com.
mon point territory include both
class and commodity traffic II
may be- well to add that the class
rates 10 common point territory are
stlll under the control OF our orders
IN the Southwestern Rate Advance
ease. 90 G. G.. i63. is IL under.
stood hawever that upon the expi.
ration of the order IN May next tho
respondent lines propose 10 take
similar steps 20 narrow the common
point area with respect 10 class traf.
Die also
Practically the only effort made
b. Che respondent carriers to meet
thc burden cast upon them by the
statute, Of iustlfying this proposed
increase Ia rates Of a number OF
more or less substantial communl.
ties. was by showing that unless the
rates are Increased another and a
competing community will be entitled
20 lower rates than IL now enjoys
% was suggested that the logical
western boundary Of the common
point area would be tho linea estab.
llshed by the carriers In 1887. Just
west Of Fort Worth that however
is not the line proposed By the tar
i'fs under suspension II was also
said that the country surrounding
the towns Ia question had been SO
affected by droughts during the pas,
four or five years as TO modify It's
outlook as an agricultural country
and cause the tarmes to some ex-
tent 10 reyery 20 cattle grazing Bu,
an earnest protest was made AT the
hearing agalns this view. and GER
taiuly the enthusiastic descriptions
OF the country by some OF the wit
uesses gave no indication OF any
ia,k Of rope IN its steady and sound
development II was also asserted
thlt the new settlers are no lonEer
coming into the country, and that
there has been an actual decline In
the population OF some OF these
towns II must be remembered.