The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-08
THEY MAKE A TEST CASE,
TIL E DRUMMERS' COMPLAINT
AGAINST THE PULLMANS.

The Company Charged With Violating
the Railroad Commissioners Rates
for Sleeping Berths-The Evidence
Forwarded to the commissioners
Secretary-A Lively Fight in Pros
pect.
The Railroad Committee of Post d, of the
Travellers Protective Association has for
warded to Secretary Briscoe, of the Georgia
Railroad Commission, a complaint against
the Pullman Palace Car Company for
violation of the commissions established
rates.
The MORNING News some days ago stated
the grounds for the complaint. The rule
which the Commission has made is that for
distances of less than 100 miles, a sleeping
car company may charge not more than
81; from 100 to $50 miles lc per mile extra
for more than $50 miles the charge may be
be s.. The Pullman Company, however,
charges 81 a berth no matter whether the
distance IS less or more than 100 miles, and
the Railroad Committee of Post d has
resolved to break up that charge, which it
considers arbitrary and unlawful, and will
compel the company, if possible to comply
with the rules laid down by the Commits
sion.
CASE CITED.
The committee in its complaint, tells how
one Of its members got on Pullman car at
Waycross on the night Of Oct. %, and in
order to make test case, he rendered 81 in
payment. The porter refused to receive it.
The committeeman urged that he was enti-
tied to the berth for 81, as the distance from
Waycross to Savannah was only ninety-six
miles. The porter, however, positively de-
cined to let him have the berth for less
than the regular charge, and the 81 was
paid under protest, and receipt taken.
The matter was reported to the Railroad
Committee of Post D. which addressed
letter to the local manager of the
Pullman Company, calling his attention to
the facts and requesting that the overcharge
be refunded.
About the same time the post received a
letter from Mr.. Briscoe in reply to one that
had previously been addressed to him on the
subject of sleeping-car rates, and it was in
closed to the Pullman manager. The Bris-
coe letter stated that the committee had
interpreted the law correctly, and he also
enclosed a copy of the rules. with the ones
which were applicable i'll the case marked.
NO REPLY FROM THE PULLMANs.
No satisfactory reply was received from
the Pullman's local manager and the com
mittee wrote to the headquarters of the
company, making full statement of the
case and notifying the company that unless
a reply was received by Dec 10 the matter
would be closed and the case would be
taken before the Railroad Commission. No
reply was received to this communication
and the post has now carried the matter
before the commission.
The committee says that it has no idea
that the Pullmans will dispute the facts
which it has given nor that they will deny
charging 81 for sleeping berth regardless
of distance. In event that they do the Post
is prepared to furnish the commission with
the affidavits of fifty people and more, if
required, that its allegations are correct.
THE TRAVELLERS ARGUMENT.
The committees argument is that the
Railroad Commission has the right to
establish Just and reasonable rates and that
the Pullman company has openly and will
fully violated them. 1t submits that the
Pullman cOmpany's claim that it is not a
common carrier, but that its cars are
travelling hotels" should not be recog-
nized. 1t submits that the company is a
common carrier, and as such it is amenable
to the rules and regulations established by
the commission.
The committee states further, as a matter
of information, that the local sleeping
cars owned and operated in the State, CON
form to these rules, and such being the case,
it is an injustice to t. avelers, who desire to
ride on a Pullman car, to be compelled to
pay higher rate than is charged in other
sleeping cars.
The Post urges the commission to deal
with the Pullman Company and to compel
it to conform TO the established rates. The
post is ready to furnish the Commissioners
any information that will secure to the
travelling public its just rights and privi-
Ieges.