The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-01
DIRECT TRADE SUGGESTIONS.
A Crave Railroad Freight Problem
That Must be Immediately TACKLED.


A Crave Railroad Freight Problem
That Must be Immediately TACKLED.
From. the Constitution.
The news that the direct trade agitation
had resulted in something practical has de-
lighted the country and surprised hosts of
people who, in the light of the many and
unbroAen failures, have despaired of success.
And that gameful little Brunswick should
clutch the coveted prize was auosher sur
prise. And all congratulate her on her
boldness and good fortune, and win help
her to hold it.
There is sound philosophy in her vic
tory. Under the sleepless teaching and
mastery lead of her GoodYears and Lambs,
and other suoh spirits, the indomitable
burgh has never lost sight of or failed TO
seek the boon, the dearest dream Of the
whole south for b llf a century
But the time is too practical for more
thought to exultation. We must not only
hold the ground, but extend and multiply
the rich agency OF southern benefit.
Brunswick must be sustained and new lines
started. We have the means and material
for more lines, and we must have them
| The East Tennessee and Plant systems
splendid and powerful organizations, can
back and make live this Brunswick deal.
| Savannah must come in with her great
|
massive connections aud give birth to
another great so athern direct trade octopus.
| There is ample business to sustain both
New trials must be made and new trium phs
| won.
Col. Stoval and have never doubted
| the certainty OF success for this movement
and results have indicated and will con-
tinue to vitalize our faith. The railroads,
| that have the matter easily in their hands
| cannot and will not let the sure benefaction
| escape.
New imports and exports reveal them
! selves to US that win support the lines.
! Dobbs, Wey & Co. told me to-day of their
large imports Of crookery, which they will
| enlarge with direct trade. The Conkliug
Tin Company I have never mentioned,
| which am told imports nearly as much as
| all the other Atlanta importers. Marcellus
Markham told me few days ago that he
had exported his Florida oranges sue
cessfully to Brussels, and with direct trade
he would send 100000 oranges
in the winter to Europe, and that
| other large orange raisers in Florida would
do the same. And so the thing would grow.
The stuff is in the south and west and the
railroads have simply to use their forces to
gather the freights to uphold the lines
In my Investigations l have hit upon
some facts that touch this subject very
closely, and are very vital Talking with
4 buc kcutloLuou VI Luo hlIk IldiuHST6 CDul
pany, they told me some things that amazed
me, that show an astounding state of facts
in connection with railroad freights that
| ought to be brought to the attention
Of our able and progressive rail-
road managers and that certainly need COR
rection for the good of our southern interests
aud that affect this direct trade project,
| They get their blind hinges, for example,
from Buffalo, N. Y, and pay So cents
freight on every 100 pounds, a distance OF
S93 miles. Louisville, KY, pays 1716 cents
freight fer each 100 pounds, a distance
of $50 miles For more than half the dis
tance, Atlanta pays five times as much
| freight. This kills wholesale competition
In this staple hardware and is a discrlmi-
nation In railroad frelghts against Atlanta
that does not seem fair aud that should be
| corrected.
| Birthstone fixtures, ninety-two POUNDS
weight, costing 50 IS, pay 90 cents freight
from Cincinnati TO Atlanta. 466 miles, and
only SO cents from New York to Atlanta,
| 900 miles.
| Hardware between Atlanta and Fauns-
dale, Ala. $50 miles, pays the same freight,
80 to 95 cents, as it does between Louisville,
| KY, and Faunsdale, between 600 aud 700
miles, a discrimination against Atlanta as
| a wholesale market by southern railroads
that should be changed. 81
Cedar woodenware from Gurley, Ala,
where it is made, to Atlahts, 2I5 miles, pays
| 30 cents freight on 100 pounds In carloads
while from durley TO Louisville, KY, about
| 400 miles, the freight is only 80 cents on the
| 100 pounds. Nearly half the distance At
lanta pays almost double freight on these
articles OF daily home Use. This difference
works unjustly on.Atlanta's wholesale trade.
| From Nashville to Savannah, 5S4 miles, the
freight on certain goods is about the same
as from Nashville to Atlanta, 2l5 miles
| Bolts nav Is cents frei0ht 100 nounds from
Wheeling, w. Va, to Louisville, and 45
cents TO Atlanta, not quite twice the dis
| lance.
These are but samples of what seem to be
arbitrary and unjust discrimi1ations in
| freight rates that are full Of injury.
could give striking instances in crockery
and other freights, but these exemplify the
trouble and must affect direct trade
The railroads, of course, wish to increase
their traffic, and lower freights, that In
crease instead of crippling business. will do
this. The heavier trade our Atlanta whole
| sale men can do the more freight the rail-
roads will get, and the more people can be
employed to buy homes, trade with the
merchants and travel on the railroads.
VIII our railroads and the Southern Rail
way and Steamship Association not look
| into these grave freight inequalities and
give some fair uniformity to freight charges
and leave the prizes Of trade to enterprise
and not to'discriminat!on?
Brunswick has achieved another signal
victory In the Presidents approval of her
measure TO let her bar be deepeued Col.
Goodyear Will do the work, and we may
look Immediately for Brunswick to have
the finest harbor on the South Atlantic
coast. a triumph for Georgia and the south,
ana also the whole country in which all
Will rejoice. And this insures the complete
success of her direct trade line.