San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-08
FINISH FIGHT
On RAIL SALE:
DECIDED HERE
Business Men Will Present
Solid Front Against
Consolidation.
AFFECT CITY'S FUTURE
Committee Announces 1t
will Fight Places and
Persons Favoring Merger.

VI tiNN
tons of San Antonio and the Great
err SAN Antonio Committe of the Cham
Der of Commerce went on record Sat
urday morning as endorsing fight
to the finish on the proposed merger
Of the lnternational-Great Northern
Lines with the Gulf Coast Railway,
after the question of this city's final
attitude in RECORD to the sale had been
discussed for several meetings, and
after compromises and further inves-
legations had been suggested.
The motion to fight the merger
was made by William Ochsc. president
of the San Antonio Drug Company,
and John III. Cunningham amended the
resolution to read that the business
men of San Antonio included in the
council would fight not only the prin-
cipals involved in the sale, but also
those places or people supporting the
proposed merger.
Called meetings have taken place
during the last week. in an effort TO
unite the council in its. final attitude
regarding the sale. following the ex-
precision of the Gulf Coast railways
attitude toward this city through its
president, j. S. Pyeatt. who stated
that his company would frankly So
licit the long haul and that it would
oppose the construction of another
railroad from San Antonio TO the Rio
Grande Valley.
The Houston Attitude.
q 80, 4
morning, its viewpoint was divided,
and arguments for and against the
merger occupied several hours. The
first speech urging fight was made
by l.. j. Hart. who stated that trade
supremacy is an old fight of San An
tOnio's, and that the building of this
city's future fabric depends on her
trade territory and her transportation
facilities into that territory. Mr..
Hart said that Houston's attitude
toward this city has been one of strong
competition bordering on bclligerencc,
and stated that trade deliberately
thrown to Houston by San Antonio
would ruin this city's future as al
commercial center.
Another strong argument in favor
of the fight was made by William
Ochse, who stated that the merger
would be another obstacle to develop
ing this city's trade interests.
If you don't fight the merger of
the I.-G. n. with the Gulf Coast
Railway. you are simply handing on a
silver platter the monopoly Of our
trade to the Gulf Coast Lines" Mr..
Ochse stated.
What Happened in 1918.
John Il. Darlington, former general
manager of the San Antonio Cham
Der of Commerce, surveyed the rail-
road situation of this city in regard
to valley trade since 1913. and gave
instances showing the Gulf Coast
railways attitude toward restricting
the short haul from the valley towns
to San Antonio.
He stated that the truck produce
of the Rio Grande section had netted
in the fields because of delays inl
that were alleged by the
shippers to be avoidable. Mr.. Car
rington stated that when the matter
was taken up by the San Antonio
chamber at the suggestion of Rio
Grande Valley shippers. the general
freight agent of the Gulf Coast rail. !
way in Kingsville frankly admittted |
TO him that the Gulf CoaIt was doing |,
everything in its power TO secure the
long haul through Houston.
After filing complaints, service i'm
proved temporarily for seven consecu-
tive times, Mr.. Darlington stated.
which he declared proved that thei
previous and subsequent delays were
lvoidable and intentional.
Crops Rot Awaiting Cars.
according to newspaper files for
April and May. 1920. 314J cars that
we're needed in the valley were not1
Mr.. Darlington said. BE
.ause of the poor service that the
julf Coast railway was giving ship
,ers in the valley, an ordinance was
passed in 1920 by the sections grow-
ng cabbage. preventing those shippers
who could not ship their freight from
Jumping vegetables by the wayside.
Mr.. Darlington stated that the pur-
.hasing power of the Rio Grande Val
CIV for 1920 was S30.000.0O0. and
aid that 75 per cent of this trade
.oes to Houston and 10 per cent TO
,an Antonio because Of alleged poor
abroad service from the valley TO
San Antonio.
L. s. Pawkett, secretary of the San
antonio Freight bureau, took the at
itude that the merger would not be
harmful to this city. but stated that
le would oppose it for purely sentl,
mental reasons. and because he wanted
o divorce the I.-G. y. Lines from Mis-
iouri Pacific domination.
II. L. Anderson. for many years
prominent railroad official in San An