The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-10
WORKING FOR A LOWER FARE.
CAPT. PURSE SAYS 1T Is Oh CENTS
TOO MUCH TO CHARLESTON.

The Georgia Railroad Commission
Says IL Has no Jurisdicfion in the
Matter, as IL Is Interstate Dust
ness-SOuth Carolina Allows
Rate OF 81 and Georgia B Cents
Per Mile, But When the Line Is
Crossed the Rate Is Cents-COm-
missioner Purse Thinks Ii n De-
cided Discrimination Against sa-
vannah, as the Lower Rate In
Carolina IL Liable to Attract Gus
toners to Charleston.
Commissioner D. G. Purse Is making a
determined fight to secure a lower passen-
ger rate between Savannah and Charles
ton. and one that will be in accordance
with the rates allowed by the railroad
commissions in the two states in which
the Charleston and Savannah railroad
runs.
The fare, as Is well known to travelling
men. is s-6O, or cents per mile for the
lis miles There are nineteen miles of
the road in Georgia and ninety-six in
South Carolina. The rate allowed for
first-class fares in Georgia is cents per
mile, and that allowed in South Caro-
lima, under a recent statute, is "a cents
per mile, which would make total OF $500
regular one way fare, or 81 cents less than
is now charged.
Commissioner Purse has had considera-
BILE correspondence about the matter both
with the Georgia and the South Carolina
railroad commissions. There was
South Carolina statute which allowed the
Charleston and Savannah for some years
TO charge cents mile. In recent
letter to Hon. l.. n. Trammell, chairman
of the Georgia railroad commission, Com
missioner Purse enclosed a copy of cir
cular No. AZ, issued by the South Caro-
lima commission, showing that the new
statute, which went into effect in that
state May ], 1896, repealed the former law
and made the uniform rate for this and
other roads mentioned 5A cents per mile.
he enclosed also the letter from Secre-
tary d. p. Duncan Of the South Carolina
commission, in which he says that the
rates for nrst-class passengers over the
Charleston and Savannah and Florida
Central and Peninsular railroads are ia
cents per mile, and "a cents per mile
for second-clasS passeng ers, and that this
has been the law since May and is the
law to-day.
Commissioner Purse claims, therefore
that there is a loss of 81 cents to the trav-
cling public on each through ticket. which
Is clearly an overcharge. As the Geor-
gia commission cannot bring the matter
merce commission under the rules, Capt.
Purse suggested that the Georgia COM
mission enter into correspondence with
the South Carolina commission on the SUD-
Ject. 1t Is only in the interstate busi-
ness, he says, that the patrons of the line
suffer as intra state business in South
Carolina is made to conform to the stat
ute of that state and only Y cents is
charged, but 1t becomes 4 cents a mile
when passengers cross the Georgia line
1t appears, however, that the Georgia
railroad commission has no jurisdiction
or authority in the matter. In reply to his
letter on the subject Commissioner Purse
has just received the following commun~
ication from the Georgia railroad COM
mission:
Office Of the Railroad Commission Of
Georgia, State Capitol, Atlanta, Aug Z,
1Ss6-Capt. d. G. Purse, Commissioners,
Savannah, Ga: Dear Sir-Referring to
your letter In regard to passenger rates
on the Charleston and Savannah rail-
road, between Charleston and Savannah,
/ beg to say that we have no jurisdiction
or authority in the matter of Interstate
passenger rates. The act of the legisla-
ture which authorizes us to bring COM
plant before the interstate commerce
commission, as l previously wrote you,
applies only to freight and there are no
means to supply an attorney to look after
a case made upon passenger rates before
the interstate commerce commission by
this board l suggest, therefore, that
you make application to the Hon. ]. c.
Clements of the interstate commerce
commission, who can take the matter up
The reduction of 10 cents upon the rate
between Charles ton and Savannah was
based upon the idea that there are only
ten miles Of the Charleston and Savannah
railroad in Georgia. / presume that Mr.
Wrenn referred to the mileage over which
his system sells tickets within this state
We could not have compelled this re-
ducuOn, it being an interstate rate, but
is was suggested to Mr.. Wrenn, and he
conceded 1t.
We do not see what the South Carolina
railroad commission can do in the matter
unless there is some law in force in that
state that provides for counsel to repre-
sent that commission in cases made be-
fore the interstate commerce commission.
Yours very respectfully,
l.. n. Trammell, Chairman.
1t will be seen from the foregoing letter
that the Georgia commission did bring the
matter to the attention of Col. B. w
Wrenn, passenger traffic manager of the
Plant system, and at their request he
agreed to reduce the rate on the Georgia
portion of the line for that distance over
which the system sells tickets, namely
ten miles. This reduces the rate
between Savannah and Charleston to $3.50.
Commissioner Purse has not finished with
the matter yet, and says he will keep at
the matter until he finds a way to have
charge enforced. He says the present rates
are a decided discrimination against Sa-
Vannah in that ii permits passengers liv-
ing midway on the line or even nearer to
Savannah to go to Charleston cheaper
than they can come to Savannah, and IN
that way he says Savannah loses consid-
cradle business.