The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-03
TRAVELS RATES FIXED.
a SHARP FIGHT OVER MAKING
SAVANNAH A TOURIST POINT.

Lays the Matter over Until the ell
Meeting-Why Florida Gets Tourist
Rates and Savannah Does Not-Sav-
annah's Claims to Be Urged at the
Next Meeting-The Merchants Week
Rate One Cent Mile-The Summer
Excursion Rate Question.
The most important meeting, probably of
the Southern Passenger Association this
year has just closed in Jacksonville. 1t was
the meeting at which all summer business
was arranged, excursion rates and schedules
being the most important subjects to be
acted upon. The meeting was largely
attended, nearly all the roads in the state
being represented, and was held at the st.
James hotel.
The following general passenger agents
were present: J. L. Taylor, Rich
mond and Danville railroad; E. T.
Charlton, Central railroad; B. w.
Wren, East Tennessee, Virginia and Geor-
gia railroad; William Davidson, Savannah,
Florida and Western railway; o. H. Royal,
Shenandoah Valley; g. d. Ackerly,
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West railroad;
j. /. Hoge, Georgia Southern and Florida
railroad; T. NJ. Emerson, Atlantic Coast
Line; s. II. Hardwick, Georgia Pacific
railroad; III. Slaughter represented the
Western and Atlantic railroad, Atlanta
and West Point railroad, the Rome rail-
road, and the Port Royal and Augusta
railroad. Commissioner Slaughter pre-
sided.
SAVANNAH LEFT OUT.
The meeting opened with a discussion
upon a motion to make Savannah a tourist
has h.,
tourists, and since it has prepared for them
they are coming in large numbers. 1t has
given them accommodations, but the pres
emit arrangement by which tickets
are purchasable at the north and
west for resorts in the south
is very unfavorable to Savannah. Jackson
vile, st. Augustine and other points south
have very inviting rates; for instance, a
ticket Is on sale III New York to tourists
en- route to jacksonville, allowing them
fifteen days stop of and considerable
reduction in fare. No tickets are
on sale to Savannah, and if a tour
ist wishes to come here he Is forced to
buy straight ticket, paying full fare, with
no privileges except those given any pas
senger buying ticket at full fare. Tourists
will not buy the Savannah ticket when, for
few dollars more, they can buy ticket
down to the lower edge of Florida. If they
are DESTROYS of spending their time here
they will take advantage of the immense re-
ductions and go to Florida with proba-
bility of stopping of here a few hours on
their return.
DISCRIMINATION IN FLORIDA'S FAVOR.
Tourists who have been accustomed to
spending the wilter in Florida cannot
know what accommodations and attractions
Savannah affords unless they have al extra
inducsment to come here. They are not
to 10 Nr,x nsn6k
accustomed for new ones, unless they are
| attracted by the privileges and eccommo-
dations guaranteed in q special tourist
ticket. Those tourists who have visited
Savannah this season have done so at a sac
ritice of their tickets which they pur-
chased for Florida points. Besides, when the
tourist tickets are put on sale, it is an
evidence that the attractions and the ac-
commodatlons guarantee doing SO, and it is
an ackno wledgement that the point is a
resort. 1t was argued That no person will
buy ticket to a point Of which he knows
little or with which he is slightly &C
qualnted, If there is no inducement, let the
attractions be ever 50 great. The railroad
is the carrier, and it is left with it to say
whether or not Savannah shall be ac-
knowledged as tourist resort and tickets
put on sale as they are to other southern
points
THE OPPOSITION TO SAVANNAH.
Some opposition to the motion to make
Savannah resort station developed. 1t
was held by the opposition to the motion
that to put on tourist tickets to Savan-
nah will cripple the commercial business
1t was held that Savannah does not depend
upon tourist travel for a livelihood. Her COM
mercial traffic is much larger than that of
any other coast city, and if it were
made tourist point. what reason would
the association nave for refusing to grant
Charleston or Macon or Atlanta the same
rates? 1t would soon, the opp sition con
tended, put all passenger traffic upon a
tourist basis, and the railroads could not
adopt such a system.
That feature Of the opposition was met
this way: Unless point has sufficient at
fractions and accommodations for tourists
it will not be considered as such; the South
ern Passenger Association is to determine
that. 1t was held that no tourist would
go to Atlanta to spend the winter any
more than he would go to Chattanooga or
Memphis or Fort Scott, and the same is
true Of the other points. No city, it was
claimed, will endeavor to get tourist rates
when it cannot have any claim to affording
tourist accommodations. Savannah has
always been regarded as resort, but not
until recently has it afforded the accomo-
dations for tourists that points in Florida
have. Now, it has hotel equal to
any In the south. Anderson, S. c., on
the Port Royal and Augusta railroad, has
already been made tourist point.
MAY GET IT NEXT SEASON.
The question was discussed at length, and
the opposition toward the close of the de-
bate was not SO decided, but the final settle
ment of the question was deferred until next
season. 1t is believed that Savannah would
have been made a tourist point but for the
fact that the season is nearly over, and
before the western lines could get their
tickets out on sale tourists would be return
ing.
To a MORNING NEWS reporter Commits
sioner Slaughter expressed the opinion that
Savannah may be made q tourist point at
the next meeting of the association, which
is held just before the tourist season opens
next winter.
The association greduced the fare to Sa-
vannah from all parts of Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and
Texas to 1 cent per mile, with weeks limit.
for the Merchants week celebration.
THE SUMMER RATES CHANGED.
Aside from the questions directly pertain
ing TO Savannah, the question of summer
rates next concerns her. The association
settled very unsatisfactory rule which was
in operation last year. Summer excursion
kas,lrA al