Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-04

subject. and named about Is per cent. with
some further qualification as to my uncer,
tainty, which the reporter did not use; dld
not say average per cent, as MAJ. allace
quotes. / have since made the calculations,
Of which submit sufficient number 70 give
very accurate idea Of the whole. The re-
suits, think, Justify my quallned statement
They are as fOlloWs:
Reduced 25 per cent. for 80 miles.
Reduced 81 per cent. for 40 miles.
Reduced IS per cent. for so miles.
Reduced % lilo per cent, for % miles.
Reduced Y 40 per cent. for 80 miles.
Reduced Is per cent. for 100 miles.
Reduced 10 per cent. for 10 miles,.
Reduced y $40 per cent. for l20 miles
No reduction for $50 miles.
Reduced BIO per cent. for l6O miles,
No reduction for $50 miles.
Reduced 10 per cent, for 100 miles
Reduced G 4-lO per cent. for 24O miles,
Reduced $40 per cent. for 260 miles.
Reduced $40 per cent. for 800 miles.
Reduced $40 per cent. for 80 miles.
In speaking upon the subject | had in mind
more clearly the possible loss 10 our coinpahy
during the coming season, and upon TINS 1
had estimated with some care, ana reV'e'W ing
| it found no re-SeG 70 Che1se the opinion
Ivi4icn l held at the time OF making the state
ment. / may have been careless IN saying
about IS per cent. Properly should not nave
named the reduction in percentages, because
percentage is no standard by which TO meas
| ure a reduction of a rate that covers various
| points Of VARYING volumes OF business. FOR
| instance: A 80 per cent. reduction might be
| made to a point where the business Is large,
| and 10 per cent. reduction made TO point
! where the business is nothing. and 10 measure
/ this by an average percentage WOulu seem 10
| be a 30 per cent. reduction, When IN polht OF
| fact it would really be so per cent. reduction
! so far as the revenues of the ROAD are con-
cerned. Therefore the average percentage OF
/ reduction of rate is nothing. The amount
| of money it will take from the revenue OF the
| road is the all important point.
Mai. Wallace states that ut has peen the
| custom Of the commission always to give at
! least ten days notice and generally thrty
! days before q rate goes INTO effect, so that II
! any road can show just cause why such re-
! duction should not be made, II has ample OPP
| portunity to rescind the order"
! Except 10 two instances which were sur
| rounded by peculiar circumstances, do not
| remember, nor can find an officer Of this COM
! pany who recall a single instance OF any
notice having been given of the intention OF the
| commission TO reduce our rates, other imam
| the circular notices published as an adver-
! tisement in the newspapers. These adver-
| tisements are made, not as a custom or the
/ commission, but under the absolute require
| ment of the law, which reads 'swhen any
! schedule shall have been made or re-
vlsed as aforesaid, it shall be the duty OF SAID
| Commissioners to cause publication thereon TO
| be made for four successive weeks, cue
Therefore, when the notice reaches us 1t is
under the operation of the law after the rates
have been "made or revised" by the Commls-
sion. 1t is needless to urge that this is not
notice which affords an opportunity Tor afgu-
ment with any promise of success against the
rate going into effect. This, however, is the
law, and it is against this injustice of the law
that 1 now complain. 1t would seem, how
ever, that the roads were entitled to the full
limit of the time given by the law, yet, circu-
lar No. 43, making important changes ana re-
ductiOns of revenue, Is dated December 18TH,
and ordered into effect January lst. Does
this comply with the law?
We have frequently appealed to the COM
mission for relief under these circumstances,
but with poor success. 1t is true they have
always expressed their willingness to cheer
fully consider any argument the railroads had
to urge against their rates, but we have not
usually succeeded in having them favCrably
considered, and naturally enough, because we
are at the disadvantage of asking tribunal
to reverse its own judgment. the doing OF
which, on the first hearing OF the party against
whom 1t was directed would be an acknOwl-
edgment that the judgment had been rem
dered ON eXparte evidence OF without due
consideration.
Major Wallace further states that the rates
under circular No AZ are higher in some cases
than the rates the Central Railroad was
using prior to the existence of the commls,
this as an argument justifying a reduction
made several years later, l deem 1T
but proper that should correct an error
which the acting Chairman has evidently
fallen into. | only regret that his recollection
of the matter cannot be sustained for it would
go to prove to the public, a fact known to the
officers of the road, that the policy OF the Cen
trail management has always been to encour-
age the use of fertilizers by the establishment
of rates as low as it was deemed possible to
work without the risk OF loss, and draw
larger part of their revenues from goods of a
higher class, the freight charges on which
were ultimately distributed among larger
number of people, the goods in themselves
from their nature, better able to bear higher
rate, and possessing not the same economic
value for increasing the agricultural produc-
tiOns of the State.
have before me printed fertilizer rate
sheet of the Central Railroad dated Novem-
Der 10, 1879, which is the one that was in effect
at the time the first Commissioners rates
were promulgated-in March, 1880. From it
l make a sufficient number of comparisons
with the rates of circular No. AZ to convey a
correct idea of the differences.
The company's rates then for stations with
in the first 30 miles were cents per 100
pounds: Commissioners rates now to stations
within that distance are from 4 10 to cents
per 100 pounds. All stations between &c and
so miles, cOmpany's rate, was cents; Com
missiOners' rates now from 6-lO to $40.
Between 60 and 90 miles 10 cents; Commits
sioners' rates from 8 4-l0 to Clio. From 80
to $50 miles II to Is cents; Commissioners
rates 10 2-10 to II cents. Between 200 and 300
miles 20 cents; Commissioners rates IA ITO to
IL 7-l0 The rates to Albany, Eufaula, Co
lumbus, Fort Gaines and Georgetown, In ef-
feet at the date OF the commissioners nrSt CIR
cular, were competitive and fixed by the COM
pany at Is cents per 100 pounds. Under the
! Commissioners circular No. ~. the rate to
Columbus and Albany would be Is and $40
and to the other three places IS and g. 10, but
those rates could not be sustained in the face
of the competition at these points, and we are
now working as formerly. Is cents per 100
pounds. These are the only instances | can
detect of a lower rate on fertilizers being
worked by the road than was established by
the Commission, vet 1t may be possible that Il
few instances could be found II time enough
was devoted to the comparison, The old rates
were published by the names of the stations,
and several stations grouped together under
a given rate while the Commissioners rates
are published by distances, and varies within
very short limits, usually ten miles. This
makes an exact comparison somewhat diff
cult, but near enough for all practical pur-
poses.
The General Manager of the Georgia Rail
road has made a complete answer to the
statement that that road is now asking to use
rates lower than those fixed by the Commits
sion, by showing that the rates asked were in
some cases higher and in two others lower,
but that the effect would have been to in
crease the revenues of the road. Indepen-
dent of this it is no argument to justify a re-
ductiOn on one road to say that another
is using a less rate, for it is a well established
principle that the rates which may pay one
road may be altogether insufficient to yield
profit to another. e.
As to whether / am correct or incorrect in
my judgment as to who will be benefited by
the reduction in rates, Is matter of small
Importance. have investigated the present
methods and principles Of conducting this
business with some care, and still think my
conclusions are correct. However this nay
be, the money that is gained to those who do
pay the freight charges on fertilizers, Is
certainly lost to those whose invested money
is operating the railroads.
1t is far from my pleasure or convenience
to become engaged before the public IN this
way, and in doing so | am controlled, not only
through a sense of duty but by the lmpelllng
force of a keen Il might truthfuly say OPP
pressive) sense Of the responsibility that rests
upon me as the chief representative of the
owners of this large property. Feeling as
do, have made the effort to cOnfne myself to
necessary statements and explanations of
facts, but before closing l cannot refrain from
going step further to discuss what consider
most remarkable feature in Major Wallace's
statements. 1t has filed me with unlimited
surprise, not to say alarm. think
it may well challenge the attention
of every thinking man in the state of
Georgia. refer to the admission that
the reduction in rates on lumber was made in
order to sustain the tagging industries of the
saw mills. Is this the law? Is this the policy
OF the State? Are the reductions that are TO
be forced by the State upon the railroads to
be measured bv the contributions which be-
come necessary to sustain other Industries"
Does the State propose thus to dispose of the
property of that portion Of their citizens who
have their money invested In rallrOadSg
To support this startling position it is no ar
gument to say that some of the leading roads
have voluntarily come to the relief OF the mills
by special rates. This the roads have always
done, and long before the existence of the
commission. may give to my unfortunate
or thriftless neighbOr; can give or lend my
cash or credit to my unfortunate business
friend bv whose successful labors my own
business is advanced, but shall the strong
voice of the State say / must do 1t Are the
people Of Georgia ready for this Are they
ready for the recognition OF tribunal whose
duty and power it shall be to say what indus
tries of the State are tagging and from what
other industries they are to be recuperated
Are they ready to enervate the energies OF
the citizen by making nm dependent upon the
fostering care of the government? Are they
ready to adopt policy, the inevitable Sc
quence of which Is to drive brains, energy