The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-29
RAILROAD RATES.
An Argument Showing They Are Too
Low

Low.
Townsville, Ga, Oct. 26.-In my last
communication l stated that the com
plants which gave rise to the establish
ment of railroad commission in Georgia
were complaints against so-called unjust
Determinations. and not against the gener-
schedule of rates then in force. 1t will be
remembered that in 1880 Mr. George H.
Tilley fled bill enioining the commits
sioners and the Savannah, Florida and
Western railway from putting into effect
on the Savannah Florida and Western
railway the rates prescribed by the COM
mission. While this bill was pending the
Atlanta Constitution made furious and
daily attacks upon the Savannah, Florida
and Western, and upon Mr.. Tilley, for re-
sorting to the courts for an Interpretation
of the law and the protection of the con-
tract rights of the complainant as an
owner of the bonds of the Savannah, Flor
ida and Western Railway Company.
While these furious assaults were being
made, Col. H. S. Haines, who was then,
and who had for IA years, been general
superintendent of the Savannah, Florida
and Western, made tour over his road,
after, by handbills and other public no
tice, having invited the patrons of the
road and the general public to meet him
at the usual places of public assemblage
in the various towns along his
line. Col Haines invited the
people to meet him in order that they
might discuss face to face the relations
that should exist between carrier and
shipper. He met the people of Jesup,
Blackshear, Waycross, Valdosta, Quit
man, Townsville and Bainbridge and at
each of these places there was large
gathering of merchants, farmers, labor
ers and professional men. Col. Haines,
IN his clear and unanswerable way, dis
cussed honestly and candidly with the
people the transportation problem, eX
planning the rights of the shipper and the
rights and duties of the carrier In this
trip. consuming, as il did, nearly or quite
a whole week, there were but two men
out of the thousands who had any com
plants to make about rates. One of
these complained that he had shipped
barrel of syrup from Quitman to a friend
in Rome, Ga, and that the freight
amounted to more than the value of the
syrup. The fact was, he had shipped
not under through bill of lading, and
when the syrup arrived at Rome each
road over which it had passed had
its local rate. Exactly the same
thing would happen to-day under like cir
cumstances. The other complaint l do
not now recall. When Col. Haines spoke
in Townsville not one word of complaint
was ilduc. L ne Idl6 On CObtOu dJ ludb
time from Townsville to Savannah, the
rate made by the road and not by the
commission, was 80 cents per hundred
pounds. After Col. Haines' speech, to
which there was, and to which
there could be no reply, Col. a. p.
Wright, then and until his death
Thomasvilles best friend and fore
most citizen, remarked to Col Haines
that if the road would give rate of 80
hnpIppA Mounds COTTON
Savannah he would be satisfied. The
rate to-day, 1 think, is 80 cents
per hundred pounds, or a reduction of 81
cents per hundred weight. If
the rates charged were consid-
cred unreasonable and unjust, is 1t not
very remarkable that Col. Haines should
meet the people along 236 miles of road,
and should only find two men who had
grievances The truth is, as | have as
serted the people were not complaining
of rates, but of what they then called I'M
Just discrimination. Ia the Thomasvllle
Times of May Z, 1881, Editor Triplett said
this;
AS we have before shown, under the
old regime the A. q G.. Il. Il. was fire.
ouently compelled. in order to get fair
share of the business at cambridge
during the cotton season, to cut her rates
down to 81 90 per bale. At the same time
they charged brownsville IN round hg-
ures "a. 90 per bale. The recurrence OF
this state of things, not only in this sec
ton. but at Americus and other points
similarly situated, induced the people to
ask for a lava commissioners
should in future prevent such discrimina-
TONS
In the same editorial Editor Triplett
said, I'VE know that, with perhaps an
exception here and there, the people OF
Thomasville and Thomas county only
want a commission for the purpose OF pro
tecting themselves against unjust as
Inflammation - IN these two extracts we
scc what the brownsville Times said the
people wanted namely, the prevention OF
uninst discrimination, and then a state
mont of exactly the kind OF unjust ais
elimination which the commission was 20
prsyent. The same thing couia DC
shown by "a number of quotations rom
newspapers Of that day. 1 have already