The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-04-20
PROPOSE TO FIGHT
TEXAS PACIFIC ON
TRAIN ANNULMENT
System Making Strenuous
Efforts to Establish
Mixed Service
WOULD BE HARDSHIP
ON SEVERAL TOWNS
Service Decrease as Rates
Are Hiked, Road
Proposes

Attention has already been called
several times to the application Of
the Texas & Pacific railway to annul
the two passenger trains operating
over the Opelousas division and the
inaugurating of mixed train service
between the terminals, Crowley and
Melville, on this the most Important
branch line of the system in Louisi-
ana. The application to the railroad
commission will come up before that
body on April % and arguments made
by the company's representatives
showing the reason for such change.
It is up to the patrons of the branch
line to get busy with the selecting OF
delegates to represent them before
the commission and present reasons
why the change should not be author
lied by that body. 1t is understood
that both Crowley and Church Point
have already gotten busy with the
matter and will be duly represented
at the hearing on the 2Sth instant.
Opelousas, Port Barre, Rayne and
Branch should follow suit at once.
The two points vitality affected are
Church Point and Branch for those
two places are served by no other
railroad line and If the passenger
service is discontinued they will be
at the mercy of rotten schedule of a
mixed train service. The branch
line service, as it is, is rotten enough
without making it worse. The pas
senger train that crawls its weary
way over the fifty-seven miles of rust
atween Crowley and Neville is a
miserable excuse, after all is said,
for it consists of combination mall
baggage and negro coach and one
coach of ancient vintage for the exclu'
sive use of white patrons. The en-
tire equipment was used on the main
line of the T. and P. perhaps a quar-
ter century ago. The track is laid
with light steel that was ripped of
the main line fifteen years ago. The
roadbed, practically from end to end
is a mudbank, pure and simple and
If the company has shown any dispo
sition to make "a real first-class rail
road out of it that fact has never
been apparent to the people who are
forced to use it. There is really
nothing remarkable or unusual about
this for the Texas and Pacific has al
ways been noted for its poor passen
ger service, both on main line anl
branches, and the bad track ie c''aT
acterfstic of the system IN Louisiana
Over in Texas there is a wonderful
change, for in the Lone Star state the
commission would not stand for sucl
poor facilities on the part of the T
and P. and it has to come across witt
better services to the country i
serves.
The new rates for passenger ant
freight services are in effect and j
was the first road to greedill
grab at more money from
the treveling and shipping pub
lie. 1t charges 3.6 cents pc
mile for the privilege of travelling il
one of it's 'palatiaT' trains and tn
same high rate is in effect ON tn
; ''Bobtailed Limited" that ramble
along over the Opelousas branch
Considering the service, the compan
ought to pay it's patrons S.6 cents pc
mile for being victims when trayelin
on this limited"
If the company is benefiting +
nancially by the higher rates,
should not be allowed to further viz
timize the patrons by reduction i
service. If it is doing any busines
at all at the existing rates it mus
be waxing fat, and if 50 it should b
compelled to disgorge some OF It
gains in giving an improved serVic
o ON this division instead Of curtai
: ing it. as it now proposes. Opelousa
2 and other points vitality intereste
: should lose no time in making pr
: parations to fight the company to
e standstill on this proposition.