The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-31
RAILROADS LOSE ONE ROUND.
CUT RATE TO BE ON UP TO JAN. 6
AS A STARTER.

The Hearing Adjourned Until That
Date Owing to the Illness of Chair
man TrammeII's SOn-in Law-Thc
Commissioners order That Their
Cut BE in Force Until They Recon-
vene-The Roads May Apply to the
Courts For an Injunction.
Atlanta, Ga. Dec. 3O.-The hearing of
the fertilizer rate cases by the state rail-
road commission was adjourned to-day
until Jan. 6, without having been conclud-
ed on account of the serious illness of the
son-in-law of Chairman Trammell, who
was called away to Birmingham by tele-
gram. The order making the cut of 20 per
cent. in rates on fertilizers, was booked to
so into effect Jan. ]. Before adjourning
to-day the commission ordered that the
cut would go into effect as set forth under
this order. and would continue at least
until the hearing is resumed on Jan. 6.
The effect of this will be to turn thous-
ands of tons of fertilizers upon the rail-
roads between next Friday and Jan. 6. All
the factories nave been at work filling
their warehouses upon orders. waiting for
shipment until the first of the year, when
the 20 per cent. cut would become effec-
tive. They will therefore begin delivering
the goods to the railroads as fast as they
can haul them TO the cars on Jan. /, and
until the 9th anyhow, the roads will prob
ably be swamDed with these shipments.
In view of the determined fight which
the roads have been making against the
cut, which they claim will cost them
quarter of a million dollars in revenue
within couple of months. the fertilizer
men. who are here interested in the case,
expect that an application win be made
by the roads to the courts to prevent the
cut from being forced into operation. 1t
is expected that the roads will make APP
plication for an injunction tomorrow, al
though the lawyers say they know nothing
of such an intention. If the opposition
of the roads does not take shape in in
junction proceedings. some of the fertil-
izer men say they expect the roads to
serve notice upon them that they will
not receive shipments under the cut. If
they do this the shippers will then have
to apply to the courts to compel them
to obey the tariff of the commission.
Commissioner Purse of the Savannah
freight bureau. who has been engineer
ing the fight for the fertilizer men, takes
an ominous view of the situation. He
thinks that the railroads have determined
to make this fight TO a finish with the
railroad commission. In other words, he
takes the view that the roads have reached
that stage of confidence in themselves
that they will defy the commission TO
enforce it's rulings and will carry the mat
ter into the courts for a great legal bat
tie. The railroad men do not talk for
publication in this spirit, however, but
contend only that they are doing nothing
except to protect themselves from what
they term an unjust slashing of their
rates.
The hearing before the commission to-
day was devoted to the examination of
witnesses. Commissioner Purse was put
on the stand by the railroads and sub
jectsd to a searching examination for the
purpose of showing that as an expert in
transportation matters he could not con-
tend that the cut ordered by the commits
sion was a just one. Capt. Purse and
Gen. Henderson, counsel for the South
ern, who conducted the examination, had
several lively little word sparrings. the
Savannah man not being easily ratified.
During the session Capt. Purse presented
to the commission a stack of kilograms
and letters from dealers all over the state
urging the maintenance of the cut which,
judging by the trend of matters to-day,
will be done.