The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-29
THE CENTRAL'S OWNERSHIP.
PRESIDENT CONFER BEFORE THE
COMMISSION TO-DAY.

lie Went IN 20 Atlanta Last Night in
Answer 10 summons to Appear
and state whether or Not the
CentraTs stock Is Owned ny the
Southern RafIrOad-The Commits
sion Trying to Determine
Whether or Not to Enforce Rule 1.
what the Enforcement of That
Rule Means.
President H. N. Conner Of the Central
railroad left the city last night for At
lanta In response 10 the summons from
the state railroad commission. 20 appear
before that body to-day and answer GER
tain questions with regard TO the owner
ship Of the stock and bonds OF the Central
Of Georgia Railway Company.
The principal question undoubtedly is
the ownership and control of the stock
as that carries with 1t to a certain extent
the control and management Of the prop
erty. The railroad commission, as is well
known, issued this summons on the idea
that the Southern Railway Company is
the owner Of the CentraIs stock, and
therefore controls or is in a position to
control its management.
The idea Of the commission In getting
at the facts in the matter is to determine
whether rule /, governing freight rates,
should be applied to the Central and the
Southern, or In other words. whether they
should be considered as one line or sys-
TEN. In case the commission should de-
termine this rule is applicable it would
put into effect a reduced schedule Of rates
as between points on the Central and
points on the Southern within the state.
and vice versa between points on the
Southern and points on the Central
President Conner carried with him GER
tain papers and documents, including
minutes Of certain meetings Of the direc-
tors. which have been asked for by the
commission, and the matter will no doubt
be gone into very thoroughly. President
Conner Will no doubt be put on the WitnC SIS
stand and questioned as to the ownership
of the stoca and securities of the Central,
this being the Information which the COM
mission is seeking.
The application of rule l would make
rates for the same distance on the South
ern and Central combined, the same as
on the Central alone, or as on the South
ern alone. For instance, the present rate
from local point on the Central, say
Griffin or GAINESVILLE to Savannah, is less
tnan II would be from one OF those point -
10 Brunswick, or any other point of prac-
tically the same distance, where the ma
terial shipped would have to go over the
Central and then over the southerh. II
rule were applied, however the rate
would be the same for both Of these
shipments
The local traffic Of the Southern Il
small, in comparison with that of the
Central, which has more local business
perhaps than any system of its size south
OF the Ohio. 1t is distinctiVely a local
road, and would. Of course, suffer more
by the application of such a rule than
would the Southern. This would per-
haps rean the detection of a considera-
bic business from Savannah, especially
where any advantage in rates might be
secured.
The commission has taken the matter
up with other roads besides the Central
and Southern, the Georgia Southern and
Florida having also been included iu the
Investigations. The question IS one Of
deep interest to the railroads. and the re-
suit Of the commissions Investigation
and the conclusions to be arrived al will
be anXiously awaited,