The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-27
OLD RATES PUT BACK.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONS DE-
CISION AGAINST SAVANNAH.

Effect of the Resembling of the Or
der Recently Issued by the Comis-
sion-What the Business Mems Com
mittee ssys
W. g. Cam, j. A g. Carson, II. d.
Stevens and G.. W. TiedemAn returned yes
terday morning from Atlanta, where they
represented the business interests Of Savan-
nah in Yesterdays hearing before the rail-
road commission.
The hearing, as has been stated in the
MORNING NEWS. was to settle a point
raised By the business men OF Brunswick TO
the effect that they were Disseminated
against by the Savannah, Florida and West
ern railway IN favor Of Savannah by the
recent increase in rates to Brunswick from
points along the Savannah, Florida and
Western railway west of Weycross
The commission, as already announced, de-
clded In favor Of Brunswick and ordered
the rates reduced TO the old figures
Mr.. carson, who was one of the gentlemen
| representing Savannah before the commits
sion, gives an interesting history Of the
| dluerence in rates on the Savannah, Florida
end Western railway between Brunswick
and Savannah
FORMERLY A SEPARATE ROAD.
The Brunswick and Western railway
| from Bruuswi~ to Albany was acquired by
the Plant system in 1888. The road was
| operated as separate railroad from the
savannah, Florida and Western and
freight shipped from a point on one
J ROAD TO any point on the other was
| charged the local rate on both roads,
FOR instance, freight shipped from Valdosta
TO brunswick paid the local rate on the Sa-
vannah' Florida and Western to Waycross
and the local rate from Waycross to Bruns-
WICK on the Brunswick and Western. The
Savannah, Florida and Western running
straight through to Savannah, an advan-
| tage was enjoyed by this city in through
rates from all points on this road. In Jan
| uary, 1889, however, the railroad commits
sion decided that the Brunswick and West-
ern and the Savannah, Florida and West
ern railways were one and the same road
1 IN the eyes OF the commission, both being
owned by the same company and that rule
| or the railroad commission,
| requiring railroad to give throug rates
between all points on it's system, or in other
words, preventing the charging of two
local rates on freight shipped entirely over
the same system, was held to apply.
| BRUNSWICK HAD THE ADVANTAGE.
As Brunswick is thirty-six miles nearer
Way cross, the junction Of the Savannah
| Florida and Western and the Brunswick
and Western, than Savannah, this gave her
an advantage In rates to that extent on oil
treights shipped from points along the line
OF the Savannah, Florida and Western west
| OF Waycross. The railway officials commended
| that the brunswick and Western and the
| Savannah, Florida and Western we're oper-
| ated "a two separate railroad having differ
ent sets OF officials and keeping separate &C.
| counts, and that consequently rule ! did
| not apply. The commission, however, held
to its ruling, and Brunswick enioyed the
advantage IN rates for three years
Last November movement was started
| by the board OF trade that resulted In a
| petition to the Savannah, Florida and West
ern railway to request the railroad commits
sion to remove the discrimination against
Savannah in rates from points on the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western west Of Way-
| cross by making the same rates from those
points to both ports.
THE RAILROAD MEMS SIDE OF IT,
MIR. G. d. Owens, traffic monagers, and
Mr.. +. b. Papy, general freight agent, took
the matter in hand and presented the case
to the commission. A day was set for
hearing and the mayors of
Brunswick and all the towns interested
were notified. When the case came up
| brunswick was not represented and the
| commission thinking the petition of the Sa-
Vannah business men reasonable one is-
sued an order authorizing the Savannah,
Florida and Western to make the same
rates from all points on its line west of
Maycross to Savannah and Brunswick.
| The result was that the railroad
| company raised the rates to Brunswick
| TO the same scale as those charged to Savan-
nah. 1t took the Brunswick merchants
| a long time TO wake up to the fact that they
had lost the advantage they formerly en-
! 1oyed, but when they did discover 1t they
| were very much wrought up,
They at once began to take Ekens IN cacura
| the restoration of the old rates. A petition
! was presented to this effect and the case was
set for hearing Tuesday.
| The Savannah, Florida and Western off,
cials had no idea that the commission would
rescind its former order, and they paid little
attention to the matter until ehis week,
when it was discovered that Brunswick was
making strong effort in support OF its Pc
tition. At the last moment notice
was given to the business men
that their assistance would be needed
at the hearing of the case and
as a committee to represent Savanuah's in
terests. The committee had no time to pre-
sent its case until the members met on the
train bound for Atlanta. Col. c. d. Owens
aud Mr.. Papy represented the railroad.
ARGUED WITHOUT LAWYERS.
No lawyers represented either side before
| the commission, and the business men Of
each city argued the question informally
before the commissions The Brunswick
men held that it was an unfair dis
elimination TO charge the same rate to
Brunswick from points which were thirty
six miles nearer than TO Savannah.
Savannah's representatives argued that
1t was the usage of the interstate commerce
commission to allow the same rates to COM
petitive points without regard to small Diff
ferences in mileage. The facts we're also
brought out that the Savannah, Florida
and Western railway was built by Savan-
nah capital and that the city of Savannah
is now paying interest on 81, 500. 900 Of
bonds, Issued TO secure money to invest in
this road Under these circumstances ii
was argued that it would be an injustice to
Savannah that she should not be allowed
equal advantages with her competitor on
road built by means Of her own money and
enterprise.
TIE COMMISSION oBDURATE.
The commission, however, stuck rigidly to
rule and held that through rates must be
given 60 Brunswick over the Brunswick and
Western from all points on the Savannah,
Florida and Western, resembling its former
order.
This of course means a victory for Bruins
wick. As this difference OF rates in favor
OF Brunswick has existed for several years
during Savannah's most prosperous seasons,
/ H. A. L