The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-06
NO COMPROMISE REACHED.
THE STREET RAILWAY CONFER
ENCE FAILS To EFFECT any
THING.

The Answer of the Parsons Lines
and some Interesting Amdavfts
Submitted I'm the United states
COurt-Judge Speer Suggests a Con-
ference ON the Fare Question with
the Hope THAT the Rival COmpa-
mics VIII Agree Upon Easis OF
Rates Outside of the Court-The
Conference without Result and
the Judge VIII Have 10 Take the
Bull BY the Horns-The PROPOSE
tiOns Submitted TO the Conference.
No result was reached yesterday I'm
the suit in the United States court Of the
bondhoIders Of the Electric Railway in
equity against the City and Suburban
railway and the Savannah. Thunderbolt
and Isle OF Hope railway TO compel these
two lines to raise their fares to the same
rate as charged by the Electric railway.
After hearing the answer OF the railways
read by counsel and several amdavits
made by officers of the Electric railway,
Judge Speer announced that he would adj
journ the hearing OF the case until this
morning in order to allow the parties at
issue to confer with each other in the
hope that they would reach some agree
ment as to the rate of fare which would
do away with the necessity for any inter
ventlon by the court.
The proposal for conference was read
lily agreed to by all the parties inter
ested. The conference was held in the
afternoon at the office of Garrard. Mel
drim & Newman. Among those present
were Mr.. George Parsons. President J. H.
Johnston and Director J. y. Hartman Of
the City and Suburban and Savannah.
Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope railways,
and their counsel, Hon. Pope Barrow and
Col William Garrard; President-J j. s. Col
Inns and Director T. W. Wrenne Of the
Electric railway and their counsel, blessrs.
Charlton, Mackall & Anderson; ana Mr..
II. Il w Palmer. attorney for II. A. Pc
wear the bondholder who brings the suit
against all the street railway companies.
The conference was in session for TWO
hours or more, but failed to agree on any
thing, and the case will come up in court
this morning, just where il was left off
yesterday. Judge Speer appeared TO be
DESTROYS that settlement should be
reached outside Of the court. The case.
as he stated, brings up new and knotty
points of law and is practically without
precedent
The amendment to the Pevear bill,
charging conspiracy on the part of the
Electric Railway Companys rivals to in
jure this company and discussing the sub
Ject of ] cent fares, was fled in the court
Friday last and the substance published in
Saturdays Morning News. The first move
in the case yesterday morning was the
filing Of demurrer by Mr.. Barrow. repre-
senting the Parsons lines. The demurrer
claimed that there was no equity In the
bill as amended; that the bill, as It now
stands, is multifarious and contains many
matters in which the defendants are not
in any manner interested and the result
win be to put them to unnecessary ex-
pense in matters which. in no way con-
Germ them; that there is a missioner Of
the parties to the suit, and that there is
no privacy between the defendants and
the plaintiff II. A. Pevear.
The demurrer was overrued and Col
Garrard then read the answer of the Par
cons lines to the amended bill. The an
swer denies the truth Of the statement
made by the receivers of the Electric rail-
way in their report TO the court of their
inability to restore the fares on their lines.
on the contrary the answers AYERS that
in written communication from the
president Of the Parsons lines to the re-
CGANETH II was hlSllltllN stated lndL ne
stood ready to fix such just and reason
able rates of fare by mutual agreement
for both companies as would enable the
properties of both to be run without loss,
if it is possible TO run them without loss.
A copy of the letter is attached to the
answer. No reply whatever was received
from the receivers to this letter The
charge of conspiracy to wreck the prop
erty of the Electric lines is denied. The
answer admits that the defendant lines
were being operated at a 1-cent fare at
the time the order of the court was served
upon them, but states that since that
time the fares have been raised to 3 cents
Any intention or desire on the part of the
defendants TO control or own the rival
line is denied.
In answer to the charge of conspiracy
1t Is pointed out that so soon as the Elec-
trio Railway Company advanced its rates
the rates upon the lines of the defendants
were advanced accordingly, the rates upon
all their lines within the city having been
advanced to 8 cents for each passenger.
This it is averred, is a just and reasonable
rate, all the city lines of the defendants
being short straight lines. The distance
IS shorter, the service rendered is less and
the cost of operating them is less. There
fore, ii is claimed that cents is adequate
compensation for the service rendered,
and that the people ought not to be COM
PEELED to pay a greater charge. The total
city mileage of the defendants is $50
miles, while the total city mileage of their
rivals is 1856. The defendants practically
operate no belt, it is claimed while the
other line operates within the city two
large belts, one of 5.96 miles and the other
of 4.o5 miles, besides three other shorter
lines.
The answer claims that on account of
the superior facilities of the defendants
and better machinery and appliances they
can afford, and do operate their lines at
a less cost than the rival lines A COM
parison of the equipment of the two lines
is given, to the disadvantage of the Elec-
trio railway. The defendants deny that
the rate war was begun by them.
Affidavits were filed from President ]. S.
Collins, Receiver John r. Young. and
Director T. w. Wrenne of the Electric
railway President Collins affidavit gives
a brief history Of the street railway com
petition in Savannah. He says that when
the construction of the Electric railway
was begun the City and Suburban and the
Savannah Street railway had already been
over the ground and perempted the best
streets and the only hope of the new COM
pany was in appealing to the public by
means of better service. 1t found the
Parsons lines, he says, running their cars
as they saw fit, drawn by mule power