The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-03-20


9th ...... l4l4 cts. " E........ 20 cts.
9TH " Sh cts. " H.... 25H cts.
........ 22% cts.
ana this in the increased cost of of trans
portatlon resulting chiefly from want of
competition.
ne stated that he is entirely in accord
win the proposition. that it might be bene-
1clal TO the people of this section tos allow
she construction of great through lines to
me northwest, but to derive the full benefit
from them 1T is necessary to preserve COM
petltlon between them and not allow them
20 form single trust.
An Illustration may be found in Georgia
winch pointedly showed the effect of com
petltlon IN reducing freight rates Ameri-
Gus until last summer did not appear upon
the list of those places to
which the Southern Railway and Steamship
Association fixed a through rate The Cen
trail railroad alone reached that city. That
policy universally pursued, of charging
just as much as the traffic will bear. was
pursued by the Central. The charges were
more than fair compensation justified. for
as soon as competition reached Americas,
the Southern Steamship Association put
down rates, the idea being that
nov ing UCtu 100 nigh
and two independent lines entering the
city, there would be a great inducement
on the part of each to secure bus
mess, and more reasonable rate
was required to prevent general cut The
following table gives schedule of prices
per 100 pounds for different classes offreight
from Americas to Cincinnati before and
after competition existed:
Class. As 5ABC DEFH
petitn. 100 40 90 50 CT IS 40 40 81 80 Sc 65 81
competn157 1888 100 1o4 SO CT 40 SO 421 So IT TT 81
WHAT VIZ MIGHT EXPECT.
Competitor reduced freight rates at Amer
icus % per cent. The condition of
Americus before competitor would be
the condition of all of Georgia if
single trust was allowed to monop-
olize all the railroads and we would
feel the reverse of what Americas expert
enced She obtained reduction of
twenty-five per cent. when competition be-
came effective, and we, all over Georgia,
would experience an increase of freight
rates at least as much if competition were
destroyed.
A few years ago the freight on cotton was
increased $1.25 per bale. Some of the
roads objected, and then the fact that com
petition existed saved the farmers of the
state about ST 100000 year.
During tho last few months, as the power
OF the single trust has gathered around
many of the railroads of Georgia, an in
crease of rates has been experienced.
Last fall though competition a reduction
was made in eastern freight rates, but about
the time that the antitrust legislation was
Killed the prices were restored. On the
10th OF last January an increased freight
charge was made of five cents hundred
pounds on special iron articles, increasing
nearly fifty per cent. the cost of transporta-
ton. Was this advance made because the
railroads were not already receiving fair
compensation for transportation? Ger
talnly not 1t was due to the fact that the
iron business was improving and the rail-
roads felt that it could stand heavier rate
A dispute between two freight agents of
competing roads has almost caused sus-
pension of this increased freight
rate. But for the competition you
would to-day be paying an increased
charge for your nails, pillow points and
many other articles used in farming.
GOOD EFFECT OF COMPETITION.
ton between railroads is needed than de-
tailed comparison of the freight rates over
the Western and Atlantic to-day with what
they were before the East Tennessee, Viz
ginia and Georgia was built. They show
an average reduction of thirty per cent
The total charges for freight brought to
Georgia yearly by the w. & A. and the e. T.,
V. and G. amount to nearly $1,000, 600, and
the average reduction of freight charges on
these two lines from the competition
must be over 100000 a year. But
the competition reaches ON to the west and
affects other lines, thereby making the
amount even greater
Recently an effort was made to raise the
rate on pig iron from 1878 to $3.50 1t was
raised to $500. The opposition of one of
the smaller independent lines connected
with the Southern Steamship association
alone prevented it from being raised to
$3.50.
Competition between the w. and A. and
the E. T., v and G. caused the cheap pas
senger rate of2h cents per mile, and that
same competition caused the w. and A. to
give local rates to points along its line
which have encouraged manufactures to
spring up at nearly every station
Another illustration of the benefits OBJ
tanned for the people of this state by active
competition between our through lines is
well given in the watermelon trade which
has recently developed in southern Geor-
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