The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-31
A RAP AT THE RAILROADS
Mr.. WHITAKER PROPOSES VERY
STRICT REGULATION.

A Proposal to Empower the State
Railroad Commission to Fix Rates
on the Basis That Would xist II
There Was OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of
the Geological Bureau.
ATLANTA, GA, Aug. SO.-Several i'm
portant bills were introd &c d in the House
to-day. Mr.. Whitaker of Troup presented
one Co require the railroad com iSsion Of
this state to regulate e rates on freight,
and the passenger tariff roads that have
been consolidated by lease, pu' chase or
otherwise, in violation of article A, section
9. paragraph of constitution of the
state. upon such a basis as will protect the
public in the promises, to prescribe said
basis and for other purposes It provides
that the commission is to i stitute an in
quiry as to what railroads in this
state have become us Jlidated or
allied with other railroads by purchase
or otherwise, in violation Of article 4, sec
tion 2, paragraph of the constitution. For
the purpose of the investigation the COM
mission may summon as witnesses any
officer or employees of any railroad COM
PAW doing business IN his state, and re-
QulTe NuH DTOQHCLlOu u a y IDOhSs PAPERS,
etc, OF any such railroad company. The
commission shall make inquiry as TO what
effect upon the rate Of freight and passenger
tariff the removal or destruction of
connection has had, or will have, upon
such natural competition, and shall proceed
to make sucn reduction in the
standard tariff rates as will sec ire
TO all places affected all the benefits that
they would enjoy by reason of the compe-
tition W ich may have beer removed or
destroyed.
A GEOLOGICAL BUREAU.
Mr.. johnson If Campbell introduced bill
to revive the S ate geological bureau and
provide for geological, neurological and
physical survey of the state. This bill is
the product of the joint committee ap-
pointed TO investigate the amount of work
done by the old bureau created under tue
act of 1874 Their report, hich came in
this morning through Mr. johnson, states
that there are no records of the survey IN
the executive department, although the act
provided that such records should BE- KEEP
Some Instruments, geological specimens,
county maps, ETC., were found in the agri-
cultural department. Thew are said to be
very valuable. The original field not
made by DR.. Little, then chief of { geoloG-
ical department, and copied by the assist
ants of that department. are in posse siol
Of DR.. Little, who refused to give them up
to the S ate. Two pairs Of mule or horses,
two carriages, some tents, etc, used in the
survey, have not been returned or &C
counted for. The committee report that
several valuable deposits of minerals were
discovered by the survey, and that large in
vestmelts have been made by reason of
their advertisement.
WOMEN's RIGHTS TOWN.
Mr. West of Habersham introduced bill
to charter Demorest, a little mining town
in Habershaln county, and the women folks
induced him to insert clause giving them
suffrage in local elections. The bill gives
females the right to vote and hold Office
The House viii have considerable fun our Of
this bill.
The House killed the McCarty school bill
by heavy majority.
Mr.. Gordon introduced a bill to i corpo-
rate the Georgia Fidelity Insurance Com.
pany.