Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-16

You are well informed in regard TO the
necessity which cOmpels railroads in the
state OF Georgia to meet rates made via
Baltimore to the coast cities. But we
cannot see how the present local rates
help interior mills, as the rates named by
your commission apply as well from coast
as from interior points in Georgia and
the through rates to local stations are
made by adding the local rate estab-
lshed by your commission to the through
rates to competitive points.
we would respectfully ask your careful
consideration Ofthe fact, that because the
ran lines from Cincinnati to the coast are
compelled to accept very small proper
uons per 100 pounds to compete with the
water lines, it should create no cause for
the general reduction between all local
stations. Baltimore is nearer Cincinnati
than Charleston is. and the rates on grain
and Hour from Baltimore TO Charleston
nominal, hence the law does not prohibit
the roads in Georgia from meeting the
competition through Baltimore.
The fact that the rates on grain and
Hour are reduced between all local points
brings no benefit to the local shipper in
the State, but it is enjoyed alike by the
shipper from Cincinnati and other
Western points.
Take, for instance, the rate on grain
from Atlanta to Stone MOuntain-5 cents
per 100 pounds-the shipper from Cincin-
natl gets through rate equivalent to the
rate TO Atlanta, plus the local cents At
lanta to Stone Mountain; likewise the
miller, merchant, or grower at Marietta
gets his through rate by combining the
rate Atlanta to Stone Mountain with the
rate Marietta to Atlanta, hence it brings
him 70 advantage TO have the rate At
lanta to Stone Mountain as low as 3 cents
ltM Mounds What niffnrpnpp docs II
make to him if the rate is 10 cents per 100
pounds, instead of cents, if the shipper
in the West has to pay 10 cents also?
While it makes no d ference to the ship
per, and but little to the consumer, it has
a very damaging effect upon the railroads,
whose tonnage is largely made up by the
articles in question.
We assure you that the rates on the ar
tlcles IN question are of serious consider
alton with the roads, and we earnestly
ask your favorable Endorsement of the in
creased rates asked for.
We beg to remind the board that the
law holds railroads to strict accOunta-
bility for the safe and efficient conduct of
the transportation of both freight and pas
sengers, hence we trust you will no longer
insist upon the present low rates between
local points on the railroads in Georgia,
where the rates can be advanced without
placing local shipRfrs at disadvantage
with those beyond the boundaries of the
State.
We earnestly desire to press this mat
ter upon your attention now, for the rea-
son that during the last two years mate
rial reductions have been made on cot
ton, fertilizers, lumber and other arti-
Giles, which comprise the greater part of
our local tonnage, which, taken in con-
nection with what we believe to be ex-
cessively low rates on classes c, d and
f, have seriously affected our earnings
from local business.
Flour Allowed the Railroads in the
State of Georgia, as Compared with the
Rates Charged by One of the Principal
Roads in Each of Eleven States in the
South and West: