Henry Garrison Askew [Cover]
Name/Title
Henry Garrison Askew [Cover]Description
1899 cover from Egypt addressed to “Monsieur H. G. Askew, Care of Railroad Commissioner, Austin, Texas, Estats Unis”.Context
Although it is only a state agency, the Texas Railroad Commission has been historically one of the most important regulatory bodies in the nation. This is because for much of the twentieth century it has strongly influenced the supply and price of oil and natural gas throughout the United States. As its name implies, the commission was originally established to oversee railroads. Riding a wave of Populist-style resentment of the railroads, James S. Hogg won the governorship in 1890 largely on his promise to have them regulated. The state constitution had been simultaneously amended to allow such a body, and in 1891 the legislature established the commission, giving it jurisdiction over rates and operations of railroads, terminals, wharves, and express companies. Governor Hogg's first appointments were John H. Reagan (chairman), Judge William Pinckney McLean, and Lafayette L. Foster. At the time of this cover, Henry Garrison Askew served as the first auditor of the Texas Railroad Commission.Category
Railroads
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