The morning news., 1894-11-01

ports Mr.. Stahlman, the commissioner of
the Southern Railway and Steamship AS
sociation, makes the following statement
THE decision was rendered on Sept. %
| and fixes a differential of cents as be-
tween the South Atlantic and Virginia
ports with the provision that the commits
sioner may increase or decrease this differ
entail in case it shall appear to him nee
essary. The movement of the business
through the various ports does not seem
to the commissioner to warrant a change
in the differenual at this time; certainly
not an Increase"
Commenting on the foregoing the
Charleston News and Courier says:
1T will be observed that the authority
delegated to Mr.. Stahlman is absolute He
can sit in his Office in Atlanta and exer-
else complete control over the cotton busi-
ness of the South Atlantic ports. BY shift
ing the differential he can manipulate the
movement Of the staple product of a whole
section. He can virtually say that Charles
ton has gotten more than her share of
cotton and that henceforth she must be
frozen out of the market Natural ad-
vantages, individual enterprise, geograph-
ical conditions and the laws of commerce
count for nothing any longer. With one
scratch of his pen Commissioner Stahlman
can overturn them all. 1t would be use
less to comment on such a condition of
affairs, it would be worse than folly to
claim that it has any foundation in law or
equity.
Commissioner Stahlman says that the
movement of cotton does not seem to war
rant any change in the differential at this
| time, and then. doubtless remembering
some of his own recent acts, he adds Ger
tainly not an increase" 1t is a notorious
| fact that changes have been made in the
! dlfferential recently, but certainly none of
I them has looked to an increase. At more
than one point Commissioner Stahlman
has authorized Virginia going members of
the association to wipe out the differential
altogether. Take Columbia. for instance
cotton has been and probably is being
/ shipped from there to Norfolk for the
| same, or practically the same, rate that is
| charged to Charleston"
There is justice in what the News and
| Courier says, so far as it relates to the
condition of affairs which permits cotton
| to be taken to the far off Virginia ports
from the territory of the South Atlantic
ports. If the Southern Railway and
! Steamship association undertakes to fix
rates that are fair for all the ports, what
justice is there in rates that permits cot
ton to be drawn out of its natural chan
nels. The News and Courier asserts that
| the rates are such that cotton can be
transported from Columbia, S. c., to the
Virginia ports at about the same rate
that it can be carried from Columbia to
Charleston. 1t is a fact that cotton is be-
ing carried all the time from Augusta, Ga,
to Norfolk. Va, and yet Augusta is long
distance from Norfolk and is close to Sa-
vannah. The rates that the Southern
Railway and Steamship association makes
are apparently wholly for the benefit of
the Virginia ports. The cotton they get
comes from the legitimate territory of the
South Atlantic ports. What compensat-
ing advantage the South Atlantic ports
get for this loss the railroads of the as
sociation alone can explain, and they Of
fer no explanation.
But we do not see what Commissioner
Stahlman has to do with the matter He
is simply the agent of the association. The
association, of which the railroads of the
South Atlantic ports are an important
part, fixes the differential. and authorizes
him to change it upon certain conditions
He does what the association wants done.
If we understand the matter the railroads
parcel out the cotton among themselves,
and it is the commissioner duty to see
that their agreement is carried out. The
News and Courier may be right in holding
the commissioner responsible for the loss
Of cotton which the South Atlantic ports
suffer. but We do not see on what grounds.
IT seems to us that our own railroads are
responsible. and the only way to reach
them is through state railroad commits
sions ana the interstate commerce COM
mission. Further legislation may be nee
essary. We expect that our freight bu-
rcau that viii soon be organized, will find
a way to stop determinations against this
port.