The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-20
HAULS AND RATE SHEETS.
THE LETTER OF THE LAW NOT
WELL LIVED UP TO.

Railroad Officials Claim, However, to
Endeavor to Comply with It's Spirit
Cost of Water transportation Outs
Figure-Opposition to the Clause
Requiring the Posting OF Rates.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The interstate
commerce commission resumed this morn
ing its inquiry into the rates and classfica-
tlons of the Southern Railway and Steam
ship Association. A. Pope, general freight
agent of the Norfolk and Western railroad,
was called, and explained what is being
done by the railroads in the direction of Sc
curing uniformity in classification
throughout the country. He spoke of
the coming Februsfy meeting of freight
managers in Chicas and expressed the
opinion that much would be done in the
direction indicated within the next six
months. Southern railroads, he said, are
in line in this matter and their managers
are at pre- ent engaged in the work of uni
forming rates in the south.
VIOLATED BY ELLEN N"
NJ. II. Smith, vice president of the Louis
vile and Nashville, explained in general
way the methods in use by his comp ny in
making its through, joint and competing
rates and claSsfcations He said that bis road
does accept less rate for longer than for
a shorter distance, and thereby violates the
letter of the act to regulate commerce, but
be urged in justification the competition
of water lines While his road had thus
violated the letter of the law, he regarded
it "a purely technical violation, and in no
sense a violation of its spirit. His road, of
necessity, used several classfications, but it
had dole much and was now doing much,
he said, to secure uniformity in the matte.
of classiic1 tiOns.
RATES NOT POSTED.
In answer TO question by the chairman,
Mr.. Smith said that his road had not strictly
complied with the law requiring tre post
ing of r tes in its several Offices, because it
was well nigh impossible to do so. That
feature of the law he regarded as a dead
letter, for the rea son thai it required some
thing utterly impossible of performance.
Their ates, he said, changed almost daily.
These changes we're made necessary by the
changes in water rates, which his company
were obliged to meet. He had, however,
certain rate tables posted but they were
not always, or even of en- correct They
sometimes showed a rate higher than the
actual ra Q, and then he thought it not only
impracticable, but evel undesirable to
keep rate tables posted. Shippers did not
need them and they were rarely consulted,
except for criticism.
s. r. Knott, traffic manager of thessame
road, explai led that while his company in
some cases charges / higher rate t. an inter
med ate point than to competing terminal
point, that the rate is no greater than the
rate to the competing point added to the
local rate back. These rates were, of course
made under authority Of the commission.
George c. Gault of Cincinnati, general
manager of the Queen and Crescent route.
explai led what has been done by his system
to bring the rates into conformity wi h the
requirements Of the interstate commerce
law. He said that the roads of his system
comply strict with the law, except as to
points where there is water compe i
tion. These exceptions are author
lied by the co nmission. He said
that country merchants everywhere were
he thought, generally we'll satisfied with
the operation of the intersta Law, and are
prOst erous under it. Strict compliance
with the law had not, he thought, impaired
in any degree the revenues OF MS system.
l. has but one regular classification, the
Southern Railway and Steamship Ass )cia
tion'S, and more than nine-tenths of all the
busi ess of the system is done under that
classification.
SPECIAL CLASSIFICATIoNs.
1t has, however, special commodity rates.
Mr. Gaut was of % opinioa that there
was no apparent pecessi y for large num-
Der of special cassifcations. Ali tue rail-
roads of the U tied States, he sasd, could
well afford to use uniform classification as
to mercaandise but there m Ist be numer-
GUS commodity rates TO meet special cases
and necessities of certain localities.
A. X. Ryan, general freight agent Of the
same system, explained its method Of ar
irving at any rated required.
RATE CLERK HALsEY HEARD.
W. H. Halsey. chief rate clerk of the
Southern Railway and Steamship Associa-
tion, also swered questions by the COM
missioners as to rate constructions.
j. w. Thomas, president and general
manager of the Nashvill,, Chatta looga and
st. Louis railroad, said that on local state
traffic the rates in force on his road co /
formed to the law, but on through traffic
between co npeting points they do not
'The rate, ss Jed by the Southern Railway
and Steamship Association" he said, "are
accepted by u.s."