The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-05
WANT AN UNDERSTANDING.
A Conference With the Railroads on
the Trada E-nnrsinns

the Trade Excursions.
The passenger agents representing the
railroad lines centering in Savannah will
hold a conference here on Wednesday to
discuss the cheap excursions Of the Mer-
chants Association, and enter into a def
mite understanding as TO how these excur-
siOns shall be conducted ia the future and
upon what conditions they shall be given.
Mr. w. NJ. Davidson, general passenger
agent Of the Savannah, Florida and West
ern railway, arrived in the city
yesterday morning from Jacksonville,
for the purpose of consulting Traffic
Manager Owens with reference TO the
proposed excursion about the middle of
this mouth, from the western division of
the Savannah, Florida and Western rail
way.
After the conference, Mr.. Davidson in
formed the Merchants Transportation
COMMITTEES that it had been decided to call
a conference of the general passenger
agents Of the lines interested 10 definitely
| agree upon conditions upon which these
excursions shall be conducted to be OBJ
served by the roads. To this end he said
that he had requested General Passenger
Agent Halle, of the Central railroad and
General Passenger Agent MacDonell of
the Florida Central and Peninsular rail-
road, to meet him in Savannah Wednes-
day.
Mr.. Davidson said he did not consider
that the railroads were ayerse to giving
| the excursions, but if the system of cheap
excursions was to be continued the rail-
roads wanted to know how often they
would be called upon to give them and to
make arrangements accordingly.
1t appears that the railroads are not
disposed to continue the excursion bust
ness for any great length of time, as they
claim 1t interferes with the reg
ular passenger travel on their
lines. They do not object to giving
occasional excursions, but do object
to IL as a regular thing. 1t is understood,
+ and Western railway is willing to give
the excursion from the western division
of its system, as already announced by the
committee.
The committee also has assurances
from the Florida Central and Peninsular
officials that they will give an excursion
on that line within the next few weeks
1t IS only necessary to give the exact
ngureS To show that the merchants ex-
cursions have been beneficial to Savannah
The reports received by the transporta-
ton committees from the railroads and
steamboat companies show that the exact
number of excursionists that have been
brought to Savannah under this system is
nearly 5000. The number by each excur-
sion was dS IOllOWS.
No. l. Savannah Florida and Western
EduWaty. st+... .-..-.... BZl
No, 2, Savannah and Western railroad $40
No. 3, Central railroad .................. $40
No. 4, South Bound railroad ........... 522
No. s. Savannah, Americas and Montgom-
cry railroad -. .................s.... $50
No. Q, Steamer Bellevue (Darien) ....... IS
Total. ................ 2,7ss
These are exact figures from official re-
ports, and not the customary exaggerated
statements of such affairs. At low esti-
mate, these visitors spent at least $40
apiece in the city, making S27, $50 in cash
left in the city by them, besides fully
5000 paid to the railroads In addition,
nearly every leading merchant secured
several large customers, whose trade can
be relied uron regularly. Evidently the
excursions accomplished the object for
which they were intended, being to ex-
tend the city's trade into the interior
1t would be very unfortunate for the
series of cheap excursions to cease just
when they have gotten out of the expert
mental stage and were proving a success.