Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-04
RATES ON GRAIN.
The Appeal OF the Savannah. Flori.
da and Western Rai1way.

Mr.. James L. Taylor, General Freight and
Passenger Agent Of the Savannah, Florida
and Western Railway, has been
in Atlanta the past several days
attending upon the meeting OF
the Railroad Commission. On Thursday
he appeared before the Commission In an
appeal from the operations of circular No 20.
The Georgia Railroad and the Macon and
Brunswick Railroad are also contesting the
enforcement Of the rates, and join the ap-
peal from the operations of the circular,
the causes impelling such action being as
follows:
On February 10th, circular No. 20 was
Issued By the Commission reducing the rates
on grain and -four between all points on the
roads IN Georgia, to about one-hslf Of what
they had been before the circular was sent
forth. This action was caused by 8 CON-
plant made by the millers Of Georgia that
-four was being carried from certain western
points-among them Cincinnati-to places
IN Georgia, for considerably less than the
same articles were being hauled for the mills
in Georgia. The immediate cause Of the
issuance of the circular, says the At
lanta Constitution, was a complaint made
by the millers on account of an In
crease in the rate on -four from Atlanta 70
Savannah. The rate had been fifty cents per
barrel between Atlanta and Savannah, and
Brunswick. The Central increased this to
Sky cents. The rate between Cincinnati
and Brunswick and Savannah was only 80
cents. This caused considerable stir among
the mill men, who reasoned that they were
Disseminated against, and showed that Sa-
vanuah or Brunswick dealer could get a
barrel Of -four from Cincinnati or Louisville
ten cents barrel cheaper on freight than
he could get from Savannah. While this
was true It was also true that the rate on
-four from Cincinnati or Louisville to At
lanta was 76 cents, while to Macon and
Augusta it was 78 cents. This was direct
discrimination of from 20 TO % cents in
favor of Savannah. The rate on barrel
from Macon to Savannah was 81 cents
and from Augusta to Savannah 40 cents;
consequently to ship barrel Of -four from
Cincinnati to Augusta and then to Savannah,
would cost dollar and eighteen cents, or to
ship to Macon and then to Savannah dol
lar and twenty-five cents, while, II the bar
rel went direct, 1t only cost fifty cents from
Cincinnati to Savannah. The rates in circu-
lar 20 were made upon an average taken of
the rate from Cincinnati on -four and grain
to Macon, Augusta, Atlanta and Albany,
aud the amount received by the railroad for
the number OF miles hauled in Georgia,
WIN e"ObeJ AfO pei SOHS' oNuOu All GA
penses.
The Georgia Railroad claimed that It
charges to all It's local stations between Au-
gusta and Atlanta the same or -four that the
Commissioners rates allow, whether from
the West or the mills here, but that they
give reduced rates to Augusta mills for
points on the Macon and Augusta Railroad,
charging, however, Augusta mills on the
main line the Commissioners rates, and that
any interference with their established rates
would be a serious reduction to their
revenue. Their expenses are now higher
than they were last year, and the road being
run on the lease system renders it of the
utmost importance that they have all the
claims charter exemption and may resist
In the courts in the enforcement of the new
rates.
The Macon and Brunswick based its
claims for a reinstatement OF the rates on
the ground that the road runs through a
poor country, with no local patronage of
any account aside from the hauling Of lum-
Der and turpentine, and that this decrease
Of grain rates would lose them $25, 600 per
annum, which they can Ill afford. II the
rates are enforced It will drive freight
around bv water, where It can be hauled
much cheaper, and thus force the road
away from fits natural allies-the railroads.
Mr.. Taylor claimed that the Savannah,
Florida and Western stands on different
basis from any other road in the State, and
in HIS argument asserted that no complaints
had been made by the patrons Of the line he
represented, and that the enforcement of
the rates would be an unnecessary burthen
upon the Savannah, Florida and Western
Railway. The decision Of the Commission
will be rendered shortly.