The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-01
DKFEsps ms Road.

Vice President 1T. John 20 Charm an
Trnmnell, Says That nsis Company
Was Forced into This War he.
clines to Meet the 50 Per Cent Cut.
ATLANTA Constitution, 28tn).
The correspondence stage Of the rail-
| read war grows more acute and the lr:.
tiers are now coming two q day. Yesier-
day developed another one from Vice
President e. st. John, and one from COM
missioner H. s. Hasnes. Both were nd-
| dressed to Chairman Trammell, Of the
Georgia Railroad Commission.
Colonel Haines wrote defending the ac-
tlon OF the Southern States Freight AS
ISOLATION in reducing the rates from the
East 80 per cent.
Mr. ST. John replied to the last letter Of
Colonel Trammell-thah is, the letter in
which the chairman reiterated his deter
minat.on to- reduce locals IL the through
rates remained reduced Mr.. st. John
says he regrets that the commissioner
did not express some opinion on his
charges In reference to the Southern.
The vice PRESIDENTS letter WAS as fol-
lows:
MIR ST. JOHN TO COL. TRiAMNLELL.
Portsmouth, Va, July 81 1896.
Hon. L. NJ Trammell. Chairman Rail
road Commission of Georgia, Atlanta,
Ca: .. j. ... 1850
Dear Sir-I am In receipt OF your es-
carefully noted dts contents
Permit me to correct your evident
mbsapprehenSion when you infer that
regretted that your l,,tter of the 21st
Instant addressed and mailed to me at
Portsmouth, Va, was, as you say pub
lished In the papers on the same and fol-
lowing days" I did not demrr TO sihi. fact
Of Its publication, but regretted that you
had come to the conclusion stated there
In, and given that conclusion to the pub
VIC before calling upon the Seaboard Air
Line and first Attending 1t an opportunity
to be heard
That system had announced q 33 per
cent. cut in Eastern rates, having been
forctd to do SO by the attempt of the
system in Georgia contracting all other
Eastern routes from Atlanta, our west
ern term.nlps. to crush our eastern con-
nections and through this means ITO crush
us. and with us all composition for east
ern business. our lutter necessarily GREAT
ed the impression that you dLsapproyed
OF our course. We objected to being
judged On advance OF being heard.
You are advised that In order to pro-
tect itself from destruction by the South
ern Railway monopoly, end In order to
preserve Itself for future competitive
service to the peopl7t of this and adjoln-
Ing States, the Seaboard Abr Line has
been forced to go to war, and to put ON
and is not "a reasonable remunerative
rate for the service rendered. The Issue
is, shall the Seaboard AIR Line be permit-
ted to use this means of defense and
fight its adversary? If sustained by
the people and not deprived of its other
resources ct can successfully battle with
this monopoly, and through its pocket
nerve" awaken peu haps the desire to ac-
cord fair dealing and equal facilities,
which cannot be obtained by the usual
avenues of appeal to law and Justice
There Is, and can be, no issue between
the Seaboard Air Line and the Railroad
Commission of Georgia, nor between us
ana the shippers of the State: we pro-
pos' to implicitly obey all lawful orders
whsna the commission shall make-our
contest Is with the monopoly of the
Southern Railway and with 1t alone
My letters to YOU are directed wholly to
making this Issue clear to you and to the
people Of this State.
Wcth This same in view, permit me to
cal your attention TO certain erroneous
conclusions contained in your last let
tSr. In Your letter OF July q you PRO
posed TO reduce the local rates of the
Seaboard Air Line because II cut through
rates nom Eastern points SO per cent
and gave as a reason that this reduces
the uArough rates below the locals 20
points on our line. Let us take your IL
i'7N' ebN'o'i VI iilSt-CIuSS from Ealtl-
more TO Elberton, s1.07 per 100 pounds.
contained in your last letter. This re-
duced 30 per cent. gives a rate of II cents
while tht local rate given by you from
Atlanta is 53 cents--a difference of IS
cents per 100 in favor of the shipper from
Atlanta
Surely this condition, which was the
OASIS OF your letter of the 21st inst. did
not necessi;ate--cv:n upon the theory
you adVance-a notification that you pro-
posed reducing our local rates IN the pro
ponuon that we reduced our rates on in
ferstate rates and advising the common
agent of the - separate CD lines "a ma
)oriiy of which, in any way affected
are dominated by the Southern railway
that such was your purpose.
| Your letter of THE 2lst was written
upon the 33 per cent cut, and not upon the
recent elaborate but unexpected threat
OF our adversary to reduce rates so per
cent.
1T is not relevant to cite the results
Oh 80 per cent reductions, which had
never bsen suggested when your lett er
was written, as a reason for the course
proposed in such prior letter, nor is the
Seaboard Air Line responsible for the
possible results OF this proposed so DIR
cent. cut:
beg leave to reiterate, however. that
II the local reductions made are uniform
upon all of the railroads. the s. aboard
AF LINE shall make no complaint at
any rates which are applied at the same