The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-09
THE COTTON MEN PROTEST.
They Talk Of Appealing to the Courts
Against the Railroads.

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With the Ports of the North Atlantic.
Reduction of the Differential Has
Sent Cotton to Norfolk-The Rail
road Men Give Their Side of the
oase-charlesron and Savannah will
Cooperate to Secure the Desired
End-Capt. Purses Resolution.
The conference held yesterday morning
between committee representing the
business interests of Charleston and the
committees appointed to represent the
/ Savannah Cotton Exchange and Board of
Trade, was one, which, if its objects are
! accomplished, will do much for the inter
ests of the South Atlantic ports.
! The committee from Charleston. con-
slsting of L. r. McGahan, president of
the chamber of commerce; J. Adger
Smyth, president of the cotton exchange:
j. p. O'Nein, president of the produce
exchange; J. G. Hemphill, editor of the
News and Courier; Fl. C. Mallory, c. w.
Tow sley, manager of the East Shore
Terminal Railroad; William Bird and j.
M. Seignous, came over yesterday on the
morning train and stopped at the De Soto.
The meeting was held at 10 o'clock-stan-
dardtime-shortly after their arrival, in
the directors room of the cotton exchange.
sAvANNAH's COMMITTEES.
There were present representing the
Savannah Board of Trade Capt. d. g.
! Purse, president, and Messrs j. p. Viii
liams, G. W. 1iedeman, A. b. Moore and
! George p. Walker, and from the Sayan-
nah Cotton Exchange Messrs. w. C.
Cam president, and w, W. Williamson,
Edward Karow, John Nisbet and w. W.
| Gordon. Besides these there were pres
ent also Mr.. j. J. Carolan, of the Mer-
chants and Miners Transportation Com
pany; MIR. j. M. Carolan, of the Savan-
nah, Americas and Montgomery road
Maj. w. F. Shellman, traffic manager of
the Central, and Col. c. d. Owens, traf-
fic manager of the Savannah, Florida aud
! Western railroad.
President Cam of the cotton exchange.
was made chairman of the meeting, on
motion of Capt. d. G. Purse, and MIR. E.
A. Cults, secretary.
OBJECT OF THE VISIT.
President Smyth, of the Charleston
Cotton Exchange, stated the object of the
visit of their committee, it being, he said.
TO secure the establishment of perma-
nent dlherential of IL cents a bale on cot
ton rates to the South Atlantic ports as
against the rates to the Virginia ports.
Cotton was the principal product men
toned, but other products were, of course,
included, and a proper diAerential on
| them also desired. The Charleston bust
ness men, he said, had been appealing and
importuning for months, endeavoring to
! get the Southern Railway and Steamship
Association to raise the diferential to III
cents, from which amount it was reduced
to cents last December. If
the association refused to do it, he
lntimated that the proper course would
| be an appeal to the state powers from
which the railroads derive their charters
The advantage that Norfolk has in the
| sea rate from that point makes it neccs-
sary that such a differential be estab-
lished, he held, in order that the south
Atlantic ports may successfully compete
with the Virginia ports, and if the asso-
! citation would not make the rate needed.
| he lntlmated that the proper course would
| be an appeal to the courts, calling atten-
tiOn to the bill now before congress, the
intention of which is TO prevent pools
| being formed by railroad companies.
Mr.. Smyth presented a large array of
facts and statistics in support of his posi-
tion.
HOW THE RAILROADS VIEW IT.
Mai. Shellman and Col Owens dis
cussed the matter from the standpoint of
the railroads. They stated that it would
be necessary before a freight could be
gone into to ascertain how much cotton
Norfolk and other Virginia ports have
taken from the territory tributary to
Charleston and the other South Atlantic
ports. The Virginia ports they said.
draw much OF their cotton from
Mississippi and other territory tribu-
tary 10 that section. Mai. Shellman
made the statement that the distance
had little bearing on the freight rates.
J The roads endeavor to secure an eouita-
bic division of the product between them
! so that each road can get its share of the
| cotton or other produce to be removed
The object of the differential, he said
was to put all interior points on parity
In the matter OF rates on cotton through
any of the ports to Liverpool Before
change could be made the South Atlantic
! ports, he said, would have to show that
/ Norfolk enjoyed greater advantage in
the ocean rate than 6 cents on the bale.
President Smyth held that the roads
We're violating the interstate commerce
law, when, as Maj. Shellman stated, they
held that distance made no difference
with rates, He referred to the decision
| of the United States court of appeals in
the Social Circle case, while Mai. Shell
man and Col. Owens both held that an
| affirmation of that decision would prove
dangerous to commercial centers, as well
as to the railroads interested.
THE RESOLUTIONS
After some other discussion on this line
the following resolution was introduced
by President d. G. Purse, of the board of
trade, and was unanimously adopted
Resolved That the committee of the Ga
Yannah Cotton Exchange and tho Snvannnh
board OF Trade, IN joint m citing assembled
pledge their hearty 90 opertion TO the com
mercial bodies OF Charleston through their
representatives sltt, ng with us to dav In their
contention for drawing to tho south Atiantir
ports all the trafic that legitimatelv eiongS
TO SAID ports, and further thai the said cotn.
mittees Will recommend TO their Respective
representative bodies the indorsement Of
their ledge even to Joining the commerciai
bodies OF Charleston in appealing the ,,,attn,
In question TO the highest tribunal
Resolved further That we thank the mil
way and steamship companies for their rem
resentation at our meeting. and earnestly ash
their cooperation in the work to the fnllest
extent it is possible without jeopardfzing
their own interests.
President Cam, of the northumberland
Mr. l.. I. Turner, Capt. Purse, and MIR
j. G. Hemphill, OF the News ana Courier
made remarks on the line suggested hy,
the resolution, and all were willing to 60.
operate with Charleston in any way pos-
sible TO secure the desired end. The mat
ter will no doubt be taken up at the
earliest moment by the board of trade
and the cotton .avchapoo n.