The morning times., 1896-09-05

1t was announced at the Southern Rail-
road office yesterday that w. II. Baldwin.
the second vice president and general man
ager OF the road, had resigned TO accept
the presidency or the Long Island Kali
road, which :. as made vacant by the death
OF Austin COrbin.
At the meeting Of tile directors of the
Southern held in New York yesterday w.
w. Finley. who was, up to May 10 last
third vice president OF tile Southern. but
resigned to accept the second vice prest-
dcDcy OF the Great Northern Railway. was
elected to succeed Mr.. Baldwin.
President Baldwin will terminate his con-
Deciion with the Southern on September l6
and takc charge Of the Long Island road
ON October /.
Mr. Baldwin was born in Boston, Mass.
in 1868. After leaving college he spent
six years with the Union Pacific road In
the far West, resigDing as assistant vice
president in 1880 to become general man
ager or the Flint and Pere Marquette Rail-
road OF Michigan. In the spring OF 1894 he
was elected third vice president OF the
Southern Railroad at the time OF its or
gaDization and in the winter of '86 was
made second vice president and placed In
charge OF all the departments.
YOUNGEST RAILROAD PRESIDENT
Mr. Baldwin will be the youngest railroad
reached his thirty-third year.
He Is looked upon as one OF the greatest
managers in the country and as one of
the hardest workers in railroad circles. 1t
is said that in all his life he has never had
q days vacation and that the two weeks
intervening hetween the relinQuishing Of
his duties here and the assumption OF his
new office will be the only period of rest
he has enjoyed since he took up railroadiug.
The rate war will in q short while result
in a decision by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and this decision and the law
points involved will be tested in the Supreme
Court OF the United States. The Seaboard
Air Line claims that the recently filed
schedule OF freight and passenger rates OF
the Southern Railroad violates the long and
short haulclausc of Interstate commerce law,
which prohibits discrimination in rates
between intermediate points.
The Seaboard Air Lines principal cut
is between Washington. .Norfolkand Atlanta.
and comprises both water and land routes.
This territory covered is but a small part
of the field OF the Southern road, and while
the latter is willing to cut rates as low and
often as their rivals in the common term
tory they do not think that they should be
compelled to reduce the rates to all other
points, thus involving q less which would
be as many times as great as the Southern
has connecting points.
The Southern thus justifies its action
in reducing the rates between points not
reached by the Seaboard Air Line to a
much less amount than the rates between
the places where the Seaboard Air Line
is a competitor for business This, it
Is claimed by the Air Line, is a direct
violation of the short and long haul law.
CONTENTION OF THE SOUTHERN.
The Southera Road officials say that the
basis OF rates in the South ON accoun. If
water competition has not always been
made entirely in accordance with the short
and long haul clause and cite Instances
IN which the Commission has held tnat
roads were justified in disregarding this
section OF the law when they We're brought
into water competition.
A similar state OF affairs as in the in
stances where this law has been declared
partially imperative is argaed by the
Southern. The Seaboard Air Line will
bring the matter to the attention OF the
Interstate Commission and their decision
will be tested in the Supreme Court of the
United States.
A high official Of the Southern road In
speaking Of their rate reductions said:
The Seaboard Air Line has made what
we think an uuwarranted cut in rates and
this has been OF necessity met by the South
ern. All transportation companies be-
tween New York and the Mississippi are as a
unit against the acton OF Tile SeaDOarQ-
In fixing the rates to meet the cut OF the
Air Line it was deemed wise measure
by all lines meeting the cut to confine
the decentralization to as few points as pos
sible and to maintain the regular tariff
rates wherever the opportunity offered to
protect business centers.'
NOT AFTER THE N. & W.
1t has been announced by the Southern
Railroad that they do not now or never
have entertained an idea OF purchasing
the Norfolk and Western Railroad. As
pointed out in these columns some days
ago the acquisition of this road would not
add materially to the SouthcrDs 8 interests
and all the territory traversed by the
Norfolk and Western is already covered 10y
the Southern road.
The Seaboard Air Line will place on sale
today 1000 mile transportation books at
$40 each. This is q reduction from 2 1-2
cents n mile to cents, ma king difference
OF $40 on 2,0C0-mile book. Some time
ago this action was determined upon, but
was delayed, owing to the urtinjunction
prohibiting u reduction in rates. A strong
effort has been made for several months by
the organizations OF commercial travellers
to secure such a reduction.
The new passenger rates of the Sea
board Air Line went into effect yester-
day, and the freight schedule will become
operative today. The cut of the Southern
Freight Association will go into effect
today. These reduced rates are put into
effect by the Southern Railway, the