The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-07
STRUGGLE OF THE SEABOARD.
THE SOUTHERN BEFORE THE IN
TERsTATE COMMISSION.

Selling Tickets Through ScaIpers.
Representatives of the SeabOard
Tell of the Refusal of the Penn
syIvnnia TO Handle Its Tickets.
Washington, April commissioners
Morrison, Knapp, Veasley and Clements.
of the Interstate commerce commission.
gave a hearing this morning to the appli-
cation of the Southern Railway Company
to charge less for longer than for shorter
distances for the transportation Of passen-
gers in order to meet the cut rate estab-
lished in passenger traffic by the seaboard
Air Line. Leslie Ryan appeared for the
Southern Company and Leigh r. Watts
for the Air Line. z. S. Goodman repre-
scented the Richmond Chamber Of Com
merce and a number Of officials Of both
railways were in attendance.
Col. Haas, assistant to the president
Of the Southern Railway Company. was
the first witness examined by Mr. RYAN.
He explained how the Seaboard Air Line
had cut It's rates, giving by way of il
lustration the following examples: The
rate under the old tariff between Rich
unond and Atlanta, via Weldon was
Sl5.D, while under the new tariff it is
$3.50. Under the new tariff the rates be-
tween Richmond and Charlotte, Southern
Pines, Sanford, Raleigh, Henderson Dur
ham, Warren Plains and Littleton, all
in North Carolina, being less under the
old tariff than $3.50, are allowed to remain
unchanged, while rates to and from Ashe-
Vile, Greenwood and Clinton, all in South
Carolina, under the old tariff, being more
than $3.50, are reduced to exactly that
sum.
Examined by Mr.. Watts, Mr. Haas said
he was positive that the Southern COM
pany had not asked the PENNSYLVANIA
road not to join the Air Line in disposine
OF It's tickets. 1t was common report that
the Air Line tickets were sold through
scalpers in New York and elsewhere. bur
he had no personal knowledge of the mat
Ter. Mr.. Haas said he could not
say that the cause of the South
ems petition was that the Air Line
had taken from it the bulk OF the traffic.
between competitive points. He told AI1-
Watts that he had understood that tbe
Air Line people had stated that they could
aIord TO carry passengers from New York
70 Portsmouth, Va, for so cents if it would
make the Southern lose a dollar. A num-
Der Of posters of the Air Line, one heavily
labelled "BOycett," was shown nv Mir
Watts and Mr. Haas said the Southern Com
pany never resorted to such Improper
methods of advertising. He denied en-
phaucally that any Southern tickets had
oeen Sold with its knowledge, through
scalpers.
W. A. Turk. general passenger agent of
li3e southern also denied that his road
nad ever asked the Pennsylvania not to
take charge of Air Line tickets
When he concluded Mr. Ryan announced
that the Southern submitted its case. be-
Aeyng 1t had proved its allegations.
y j. Anderson, general passenger agent
OF the Seaboard, testified that the Penn
sylvania road had withdrawn Seaboard
tlcketS from sale in self denfense the
seaboard was obliged to purchase tickets
from the Pennsylvania in New York from
Ihau point to Weldon and then reduce rates
from Weldon to Atlanta, using the Penn
sylVania ticket and its own ticket as one
through ticket. The tickets were purcnas-
ca regularly and openly and not through
scalpers. The Southern tickets, he said.
We're for sale in Atlanta by a scalper
1hese tickets were sold originally in Mem
PMS for through trip to Washington from
mat point and We're disposed of in Atlanta
py the holders. The purchaser of a scalp
ed ticket had his purchase honored by the
southern road from Atlanta to Washing
ton.
Mr. Ryan, for the Southern, denied that
ehls statement was fair The Memphis
uckets We're sold in Atlanta by a scaIper
ana not by the Southern road. The wit
ness said that General Passenger. Agent
WOOD or the Pennsylvania railroad refus-
ca to allow tickets over the Seaboard
from Washington, south, to be sold in New
Aork In connection with Pennsylvania
railroad tickets, but such an arrangement
was IN effect with reference to Southern
railway tickets from Washington 1t was
NIlS discrimination that partly brought
aoout the cut rates esta blished by the
seaboard Air Line and Mr.. Watts inter
1ected that it was the gist of the whole
COZ, co9,htroVersy The Louisville and Nash
EIHe road, said Mr.. Anderson, had also
declined to enter into such an arrange
HIeht with the Seaboard on the ground
UHaL III would injure its friendly relations
win the Southern. A recess was taken.
"hen the commission reconvened Mr..
[haerson was cross-examined by Mr.
Ryan. Mr.. Anderson produced a ticket
from New York to New Orleans via
tne Pennsylvania railroad, Southern and
osHef roads and claimed that as a piece
u evidence it showed that Southern rail-
way tickets were manipulated through
scalpers and that the sale of the South
erh railway tickets really constituted a
cul rate from New York to New Orleans
through the advantage given the pur-
Tndser, although the rate was not reduced
ms ticket, said Mr.. Anderson, had been
Purcaased by him yesterday from scalp
81 N New York, who had purchased it
rom the Southern railway office there
" Anderson said he did not know why
Seapoard tickets had been Withdrawn
ION sale in the Pennsylvania railroad
oIlces, but from a long correspondence
WIN General Passenger Agent Wood of
Sie I pennsylvania, the only reason he could
NlScern was that he (the witness) had
Iot answered Mr.. Woods telegram
promptly. He denied that he had recently
.aAeh trip to place Seaboard tickets
I4'h scalpers in Memphis, Montgomery,
birmingham New Orleans and Chatta-
Hoosa, but Mr.. Newman of his road had
p4aeed orders for tickets with scalpers.
0UIhnlssions were paid these scalpers
r. II. Goodman, secretary of the Rich
-lohd chamber Of commerce, presented tho
Iesoiuuons Of the chamber, requesting that
sle application of the Southern Railway
oompany be refused and that the com
mission issue an order to the Seaboard Air
LAAe to adjust all it's passenger rates on a
ttasonable basis. lie explained that the
oeapoard had reduced the rate from At
lal4,a TO Portsmouth, Va, from 25 cents
1lsner than to Richmond TO S1S0 lower
plan to Richmond
Aif. Haas was called and questioned by
oalmissioner Morrison as to what good
II would do the Southern road II Al was al
..,"ed 10 cut its rates. He would not put
himself n on record as TO what rate the