Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-03-28


1913. in which the commission ordered
thar al roads publish on NJ before
September H.. 1919, like rates for like
distances Ia Port Arkansas a. contcm-
porancouSly maintained through Gal
WESTON and cease this discrimination.
All the railroads in the State complied
with this order except the II. Louis
Brownsville 4 Mexico. the situation nn
that line | will explain later on.
Only July - an the roads. including
the -. Louis. Brownsville \ Mexico.
asked the commission to reopen the ease.
The commission reviewed the ease in
Washington aud issued their finding on
October I. 1919. declining ~ rrnprn the
ease. maintaining that their decision was
u stop the practice vi discrimination
which must cease. The roads have now
appealed Ia the court asking for a per.
mancnt injunction against the operation
of the commissions order. and il j. this
hearing that comes up "a Corpus Christi
Al the May term of the Federal court.
The Texas commission mileage scale ~
rates A. figured III groups. starting at
: cents for twenty miles or less. advanc
ing = cents each succeeding five miles
until a maximum of H. cents i reached
which i al 100 miles. This applies
from All points in the State with 4 few
special exceptions. When this j. ap
piled IA Houston aud the u cents added
the maximum through ate a. Galveston
j. II cents. whereas they wish Ia apply
from such maximum territory through
Port Arkansas. u rate OF ~ cents 10 Aran-
SaS Pass and q cents out 10 the hlrbor
which makes a through rate ~ - cents.
which difference you can readily zee iS
destined ID Kill any new port i'll the
world.
Now with reference 10 the It. Louis.
Brownsville \ Mexico. | will state that
when this line was first built. il dcvcl
opcd a new section of country aud the
Texas commission was disposed % H.
more liberal with them than other roads
and permitted them ~ apply 4 different
basis 40 that Of the other roads. a. above
explained. They use the commission
scale "a Algoa. adding there either q
cents on continuing the mileage scale
right into Galveston and add = rents
which makes the less rate. and also per
hitting them IT, charge the same rate
into Houston. Then they are further
permitted "a add "a this basis an extra
) cents per hundred commencing at
Bishop and . cents at Riviera and fin
ally II cents from ,ome points on the
llarliHgrn branch. When the Interstate
Commerce commission issued their nr-
Ter. a. above quoted. that roads are Nv
quircd % publish like rates Tor Ike di~
tancp> IL Port Arkansas - obtain a. cal
weston. they did not comply with the or
der tor Port Arkansas j. not a Ike dis
ancc. and therefore the straight Texas
commission mileage scale should apply
a. that port aud these special diffcrcn.
tials should not H. added. TIL Texas
commission has written private indiyid.
ulls that the straight mileage scale
should apply from ~. Louis. Browns.
Vile n Mexico points 20 Port Aran~r>.
that line j. therefore in contempt with
the Interstate Commerce commission.
AMI some shipper ar incorporated town.
NHAf >AbttAN li4t com l!aiAt AilA the com
mission asking for a strict compliance
with their order. and thus give The cot.
ton un tins road H. properly enhanced
value by reason OF the lower rate. We
cite here some comparison in rates that
will better illustrate the situation.
Whereas the distance from san ~.
nito "a Port Aran>a> j. lG6 miles. thr
~. Louis. Brownsville ami Mexico pub
li>h the same rate on cotton ~ Ia Gal
weston. a distance Of 30 miles. more
than twice the distance. This rate 4,
80 Il cnts per 100 pounds. while tha
Texas commission rate 10 Port Aransa-
l. only II II. u difference ~ = rents
or ~ cents per bale.
Exactly the same difference ia rate j.
published from lIarlingcn where the dis
tance j. leo miles 10 Port Arkansas -
against :;Ii 90 Galveston again mon,
than twice the distance.
The same difference IN rate also exist.
un cotton from Brownsville where the
distance j ~ miles "a Port AranSa-
and 361 miles to Galveston. or twice ia,
distance, lacking three miles