San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-21
Will Ask Straight Mileage
From St. Louis to
Texas Points.
MAY RAISE RATES HERE
Hearing Closes and Arkan-
sas and Louisiana
Hearing Next.

line IeNaS nearing OF the OkAd uolh,ls
freight rate case was concluded We'd
nesday at noon with the final testi-
mOny of L. NJ. Hogsett of the Hous-
ton Chamber of Commerce. Texas in
terests took eight days to present
their defense of the Texas common
point adjustment and the blanket
rates within the state, and it is felt
by the representatives of Texas ship
pers and carriers that, in so far as
the Oklahoma complaint is concerned,
the point has been carried and the
present rate adjustment will be main
tanned. Louisiana and Arkansas in
terests will testify in defense Of the
rates in their respective states at the
next hearing. which is to begin in
Galveston. February &c. What action
will be taken on the case by the In
terstate Commerce Commission can
not be said until the last testimony is
in and Examiner W. A. Disquc. who
is hearing the case. has made his re-
port and recommendation TO the COM
mission.
While shippers and business men
Of San Antonio and other points in
the interior of the southern part Of
the state are confident that for the
present no changes will be made that
will effect them. situation has grown
out Of the hearing that. according 20
experienced traffic men. may ultimate
~ lead TO the diSintegration of COM
monpoint territory and an entire re-
vamping of the rate scale both on in
ter and intraStatC traffic.
Reed Gives Notice.
4. L. Reed Of the Dallas Chamber
of Commerce. in his testimony be-
fore the examiner. gave advance no.
tice of complaint to be filed by the
interests of North Texas on the ureS-
emit rate adjustment between Texas
commonpoints and st. Louis and de-
fined territories. He advocated the ap-
plication of straight mileage rate
which would make the rates TO San
Antonio and surrounding points much
higher than they are TO Dallas and the
cities of the northern part of the
state.
The result Of such a change. if the
| North Texas interests carry their
point before the /. G c.. brings
into prominence the deep water port
at Corpus Christi and its effect upon
San Antonio business houses. The
application of a straight mileage rate
/ from the markets of the North Gem
trail states would give North Texas
| merchants decided advantage over
the merchants in the southern part
of the state in the competition for
trade in Central Texas.
New Rate Structure.
Traffic men and merchants Of the
| city look to the Corpus Christi port
md tho raSult;pr Low, ,.o+o. fr,,, 81,
| Atlantic ports TO counterfeit this dis
advantage. The element of this com
bination water and rail rate injected
into the situation, s. b. Yandell of
the San Antonio Chamber of Com.
merce said Wednesday, will be the
only salvation of the business inter
ests of this part of the state. Local
traffic experts have for some time pre-
dicted that the institution of deep
water at Corpus Christi will bring
about the necessity of a change in
freight rates in the state, and now,
with the statement made by Mr.. Reed.
they feel that it will be but matter
of a short time before the entire
blanket territory Of the state is broken
up and new rate structure built
The Rivers and Harbor Till. appgo-
priating S52 100000 for the develop
ment of water transportation, was
passed last week by tn Senate. remov-
ing the last obstacle in the way OF
opening the port at Corpus Christi.
The necessary bonds for the erection
of wharyes and other facilities have
been passed by Nueces and the five
surrounding counties, Mr.. Yandell.
said, and dredging will begin within
it will take the government between
fourteen and eighteen months to com
plCte its work and the work to be
done by the state and city of Corpus
Christi will take approximately %
months. 50 that it is predicted that
by 1928 the deep water port will be a
| renhtv.