The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-12
The BIG GUNS IN SESSION.
They Discuss The Outlook for Florida
Traffic for The Coming Year.

1AlAAAA III AAA NNAAAAlN HUI
Entrance OF New Lines Between Florida
and New York Have Considerably
Complicated the Situation and It is
Desirable Among All That Rate War
be Averted-A Committee Appointed
TO Report at an Early Meeting Of the
Same Lines, at Which an Agreement
With Regard to This Traffic Will
Probably be Reached.
A meeting Of prominent railroad Off
cials was held yesterday morning at the
Office Of the Central Railroad and Bank
ing Company for the purpose Of discus
sing the situation in regard to the Flor
ida traffic.
There were present at the meeting
President Samuel Spencer. Vice President
NJ. a. Baldwin and Traffic Manager Sol
Haas Of the Southern Railway Company;
President H B. Plant Vice President H.
S. Haines and Vice President r. q. En-
win Of the Plant lines; Receiver II. NJ.
Conner and Gen. G. NJ. SorreI of the Ocean
Steamship Company; President II. Wal
tiers Of the Atlantic Coast Line; President
William p. Clyde and Traffic Manager T.
G. Eyer of the Clyde Steamship Line;
President H. r. Duval, Traffic Manager
y. S Pennington and General Manager
Maxwell of the Florida Central and Pc
ninsular railroad: Vice President NJ. Jen-
kins and Traffic Manager J. C. Whitney
Of the Merchants and Miners Transpor-
1ation Company and of the Philadelphia
Steamship Company.
As will be seen these gentlemen
are the representatives of the lines do
ing business between Florida and the
eastern markets. The fact that they are
the most prominent representatives of
those lines gave color to the opinion
that the meeting was a most important
one. Col. II. S. Haines, vice president of
the Plant system, was chairman of the
meeting, and a discussion of the Flor
ida traffic was at once entered into.
The arrange crop being the principal
traffic from that state at this time of the
year was discussed at length. 1t seems
that the entrance of two or three new
transportation lines has very much COM
plicated the situation, and the report was
that the representatives of the various
lines are trying TO reach an agreement
whereby this traffic can be handled with
out a rate war, which would be disastrous
TO all concerned. The new lines which
have become prominent factors in the sit
uation are the Florida Central and PENN
sular railroad, the clyde Steamship Line
from Jacksonville 10 the north, and the
Philadelphia Steamship Company, which
has put on a line OF steamers from Jack
sonville to Philadelphia.
The Savannah, Florida and Western and
the Florida, Central and Peninsular come
into direct competition with each other
on this business, and Mr.. Clydes lines
cut a very large figure, so that 1t seems
that without some such agreement was
reached between all the lines there was
liable TO be trouble on the question Of
rates, which could best be settled by an
agreement between all concerned.
Col. Haines, chairman OF the meeting,
informed a representative of the Morn
ing News that in view of the complca-
lions which had arisen in the situation, the
meeting was called to determine what
should be done with regard to the Florida
traffic. After a fun discussion of the mat
ter, he said, II was found that there was
not sufficient information before those
present, on which TO base an agreement,
and a committee consisting of the traffic
officials of several of the lines was APP
pointed to get up that information and re-
port back to an early meeting of the
same lines that were represented at the
meeting.
The committee is composed of Traffic
Managers T. G. Eyer of the Clyde lines,
N S. Pennington of the Florida Central
and Peninsular, and c. d. owens of the
Savannah, Florida and Western. This
committee will report back to an early
meeting of the same officials to be held
probably in New York.
Most of the officials will leave to-day for
New York or northern points President
Duval Of the Florida Central and PENN
sular will return to Florida. Col. Haines
has just returned with Mr.. Plant from a
trip over the lines of the plant system. He
says the property was found in an excel
lent condition, in fact considerably bet
ter than il was the year before and that
the business of all the lines is fairly good.
The movement of produce from Florida
has been slow so far, he says, but the out
look is for heavy movement of oranges
about Christmas time
MOTORMAN MsMILLAN FINED