Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-10


which l think every right-minded
that the act of 1879 gave ali
the authority to the Railroad Commits
sion which it has from any source what
ever, and that what the General Assem-
bly gave to them 1t can take back from
them, what it gave to them it can modify
or repeal, and the same power that this
| General Assembly gave in 1879 to these
| three gentlemen who are now the Rail-
road Commissioners OF the State, can, In
the wisdom Of this Assembly, be taken
from them and given to anyone else.
EVEN TO A CONSTABLE.
at can be given to the officers of the
roads or to the juries OF the counties Of
| the state, or to the constabes of the
different counties. 1t can be gwen to
anybody that the wisdom of the General
Assembly may select. These points have
been so thoroughly discussed by legal
minds on this floor, and the principles
have been given with SO much
distinctness, that l will pass on to other
propositions, Under the act of 1879 the
Railroad commissioners are required to
make freight and passenger tariffs for the
railroads. They were required to do that
as soon as practicable after their appoint
ment, and to change them from time as
occasion might require. This is the gist
CUTTING THE RATES.
SIT was supposed by the people of Geor-
gia at that time that great deal of work
was necessary and it was desired to have
a very active commission. This commits
sion went INTO Office with the idea that it
must 90 to work while competition was
running down the rates all over the
United States. This commission began
It's la6ors, the rates were being gradually
forced down by competition in a way that
was bad for tb4 railroads, but with one
fell sWoop the CON mission cut off half,
and at another time third of the income
was cut off. and more and more has been
cut until now, l don't hesitate to tell you
that the average decrease is more than
one-third upon every rate the roads are
getting.
NO MARGIN LEFT FOR PROFIT.
81 want to call your attention to the fact
that out OF all the profits that come to the
railroads--and l don't mean net, l mean
the entire gross earnings of a railroad
that is well mauaged--that 65 per cent. of
these earnings just pay the operating eX-
penses; and when you have cut of one
third Of the earnings, you have cut
away all the net profits, you have
left nothing there but bare
solid work which is necessary to be done
in running trains and keeping up repairs.
If you go any further in this direction,
pou are going to do one of two things
you will reduce the efficiency of the SER
vice, or the roads will stop putting that
attention upon road beds and bridges that
is necessary for the protection of life and
property.
CLASSES SPECIFIED.
t'Upon classes O, d, and + the commits
si0ners rates are at present as follows:
/ { r. /
all the Southern States together, includ-
ing Ohio, the average is as follows:
10 Hoo, d II 210c., F 66 BLOC. These
are the differences that exist at the pres
ent time. The Railroad Commission Of
Georgia allows the railroads of this State
less than One-third the rates charged by
the roads of the South outside Of Georgia.
is the General Assembly to keep these
commissioners in condition Of activity
in the future!
THE ONLY CHANGE PROPOSED.
''The only proposed change from the
present law is to require the railroads to
make just and reasonable rates, and that
the Commissioners are not compelled
every week ard every day TO make
changes. The bill provides that the Com
missioners must wait until complaints
are made, but that if complaints are made
then the commission shall have the same
p6fempJOfy anu afDIIIdfy powers 10
protect the people that they now
have. 1t is only question Of letting the
commissioners exercise their impartial
judgment without requiring them to hunt
opportunities TO cut down rates. think
it IS a matter of justice to the railroads,
who tell you that further reductions are
going to bankrupt them.
PLEA FOR JUSTICE.
s'In Justice to the railroads, in Justice to
the Commissioners themselves, / ask you
gentlemen 10 make this change so that in
the future the Commissioners will not
teel that it is necessary for them every
day and every hour TO give new rates, and
in order to be popular TO give lower rates,
but TO let them be as impartial judges
sitting on the seat Of justice ready to
hear any complaint, great or small, ready
to consider every complaint, and when
they have considered n complaint, If any
wrong has been done 10 use the strong
arm of the law and put that wrong down."
TAKING THE VOTE.
When Mr.. Gordon closed there was
nothing else to be done but 10 take the
vote. The house was almost evenly di-
Yided and the interest was intense. The
call Of the roll was begun and the vote was
as follows: