The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-17
BIG RATES FOR SHORT HAULS.
PI.N cola AND ATLANTIC DIS
I-- CITATIONS CARRIED JP-


merce CommIssion-What the Dis
examinations Are The Bureau
Also working for a Reduced Pas
srnger Pare 90 CharIestOn-Thc
Present Rate Of Four Cents Nile
Held TO BE megaI-The Trunk
Line Associations Refusal to Al
low savannah Tourist Rates 10
Go Before the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
/ An important meeting Of the directors Of
/ the Savannah Bureau Of Freight and
7 transportation was held yesterday morn
/ ing at the Office Of the bureau IN the board
( of trade building. There was full at
I Tendance OF all the directors who were On
/ the city and several matters OF Interest
] were discussed.
/ Financially the bureau has made good
/ showing for the year and half OF its eX-
/ isteuce. The subscriptions for that time
! 10 the extent Of about S1l.5l9 have been
/ collected with the exception Of about three
per cent. Two per cent. Of that IS good
and viii De collected. and the loss viii be
/ less than one per cent.
( Commissioner y. 6. Purse brought the
/ matter OF tourist rates before the board.
/ All the passenger associations now. with
the exception Of the trunk line association
Of the north. Of which the Pennsylvania
railroad is a member, have agreed 10
grant tourist rates to Savannah, but that
/ association has fatty refused to do so.
I The matter has been presented to the
state railroad commission with the request
that it Doe transferred TO the interstate
commerce commission. which body viii be
asked to remove the discrimination against
Savannah. and that Savannah be put on
the same footing with Jacksonville Tam
pa and other Florida points Charleston
will join Savannah in this movement, and
/ it is now hoped that tourist rates VIII be
! secured for both cities through the inter
vention Of the interstate commerce COM
mission.
The matter Of the Determinations
against Savannah by the Pensacola and
/ Atlantic division Of the Louisville and
| Nashville railroad, has been put in the
| shape of a brief, and sent to the inter-
| state commerce commission. As an illus
! tration Of how these determinations oper-
I ate, the comparative rates on few sta
/ pie articles may be given. Sneads station
/ is on the Pensacola and Alabama, six
miles from River Junction. where Il con-
meets with the Plant system. The rate on
/ a bale Of cotton from Sneads Station to
| Savannah, is S. 10 of which the Pensacola
and Alabama gets 81 rs for six miles, a
rate equal to 200 mills per ton per mile,
putting a bale OF cotton at 800 pounds.
/ while the Plant system gets only 81 90 for
/ hauling II 259 miles or about l6 mills per
/ ton per mile.
! The rate on bacon, another staple arti-
/ Gle from Savannah TO Chipley on the PEN
/ sacola and Atlantic. Is AZ cents per 100
/ pounds, out of which the Plant System
/ gets y cents for hauling IL 259 miles, ana
! the Pensacola and Atlantic gets % cents
/ for hauling il IS miles. This Is equal to
81 mills per ton per mile for the Pensa-
] cola and Atlantic, and only 1914 mills per
] ton per mile for the Plant system.
! The Plant system brings rosin from
| Dothan, Alabama, a distance of 292 miles
! TO Savannah, for mills per ton per mile,
! but when 1t comes from Cottondale, which
| Is on the Pensacola and Atlantic the lat
| ter road hauls IL about 80 miles to River
! Junction, at rate of 81 mills per ton per
| mile, while the Plant System brings IL the
! balance of the distance, 259 miles for IA
! mills per ton per mile.
| These are only a few Of the discrimna-
| tions which enter into the brief that has
! been prepared by Commissioner Purse,
and which has been sent on to the inter-
state commerce commission.
1t appears that a fight Is going to be
| made on the passenger tariff charges on
the Charleston and Savannah branch of
| the Plant system. Travelling men and
| others who ride on the railroads to any
| extent know that the fare between Savan-
nah and Charleston is $500 for a distance
/ of 115 miles or four cents mile. Several
| travelling men, who are members or whose
| firms are members Of the freight bureau
referred the matter to that institution
| with a request that IL be looked into and
| determined why a charge of cents
| mile should be made.
Commissioner Purse first took the mat
ter up with Col. b. w. Wrenn
| passenger traffic manager of the
Plant system, whose reply was
that the system was not prepared
| at present to change its rates between Sa-
| vannah and Charleston. Information was
then secured of the existence of a law
! in South Carolina promulgated by the
| railroad commission of that state which
cents per mile for hrst-class fare. and as
Is well known, the rate allowed railroads
by the Georgia railroad commission is
! only 3 cents per mile.
Commissioner Purse wrote to the rail
| road commission, putting the facts be-
| fore that body, and received letter
| stating that the complaint seemed to be
well founded The commissioners stated
that they had written to Col. Wrenn. stat
| ing that the charge is excessive and un-
/ reasonable, and that they would feel call
commerce commission unless 1t is cor
! reCted.
In the matter of fertilizer rates Com
| missioner Purse reported to the directors
| that he had had some very satisfactory
/ interviews with officials of the Plant sys-
tenn which would result In benefit to the
/ fertilizer dealers al this point
Commissioner Purse reported that the
railroads show most earnest desire to
confer with the bureau in regard to the
complaint OF the merchants, and TO do
whatever is in their power and in reason
TO accommodate the merchants of Sayan-
nah The railroads have manifested a dis
position TO remedy any unreasonable or
unnecessary charges where il can he
shown that they are such. and no doubt
the remedies sought VIII be secured
wherever they are needed
Business in the hands of the bureau
has accumulated to such an extent that
/ the board has been compelled 10 grant
the commissioner temporary clerical as
siStance. This is made necessary on ac-
count of the fact that the freight tariffs
for the next season Will soon be published
and the idea Is to secure every advantages
possible Tor Savannah. and where there
are determinations to secure immediate
1 relief.
Valuable Franchise Secured.
~ ..,fs