The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-03
THE FREIGHT BUREAUS WORK.
COMMISSIONER PURSE sTIRs UP
NEW ORLEANS.

the Plant ystem-The Latter Says
the Freight Bureaus Keep Him Be-
tween the Devil and the Deep Sea.
Capt. Purse Files Complaint
with the Interstate Commerce
Commission Against the Plant Sys-
tenn ON Account of It's Fertilizer
Rates Discriminating Against Saw
vannnh In Favor of Charleston.
In these days Of freight bureaus the
life Of a general freight agent of a rail-
road in this section is not zone grand
sweet song" as Mr.. Cleveland once de-
scribed his happy condition.
General Freight Agent F. B. Papy of the
Plant system has just written Commits.
sioner Purse of the Savannah Freight
Bureau a letter, in which he declares
that between the freight bureaus Of Sa-
vannah, Charleston and New Orleans he
feels as If he were between the devi and
the deep sea-" Mr.. Papys letter was in
reply to one from Capt. Purse complains
Ing of determinations by the Plant sys-
tenn against Savannah and in favor of
Charleston, which he received about the
same time with one from Commissioner
Masters of the New Orleans Freight Blu
read, in which the latter ndt only charges
him with discriminating against New Or
leans in favor of Savannah, but also
attacks him on the grounds
that he has furnished information to
Capt. Purse to enable the latter to attack
the Louisville and Nashville railroad and
thus injure New Orleans trade. The
business men of Savannah, who know
Capt. Purse and Mr.. Papy, will smile at
such a charge.
1t seems that the news that Capt Purse
has presented a complaint to the inter
state commerce commission against the
unjust and indefensibIe discrimination
against Savannah on the Pensacola and
Atlantic branch OF the Louisville and
Nashville railroad, has, at last. reached
New Orleans, and that it has STIRRED
the animals up" Probably no one knows
better than the commissioner of the New
Orleans freight bureau how well founded
the charge is, and that, doubtless. is the
explanation Of his spleen.
Commissioner Masters first refers to an
other matter. in which the demands were
evidently not conceded by the Plant sys-
tenn and the Central of Georgia railway,
and asserts that this action on your part
is nothing more nor less than an attempt
to debar our merchants from your terri
tory In order that same may be reserved
for competing cities on your roads"
Mr. Masters then takes up the Pensacola
and Atlantic matters, and says:
I'VE have been informed that Commits
sioner Purse of the Savannah Freight Blu
reau, has instituted proceedings before
the interstate commerce commission
against the Louisville and Nashville rail-
lot I,.A4 IA
mates against Savannah in favor of New
Orleans and Mobile on business for their
local stations; and further understands
that, either your company or the Central
railroad, or both, are more or less respon-
sible for the action of Mr.. Purse, having
furnished him with the bulk of the data
upon which IL is based" He, therefore,
takes this opportunity of giving notice
that they have taken the matter under
consideration, with a view of presenting a
counter-claim against the respective COM
panies for discrimination against New Or
leans, and suggests similar action by Mo-
bile. He further remarks that ut is un-
doubtedly remarkable that railroads that
erect Stone-walls around their local
points, with gates locked against New
Orleans merchants for fear the latter
might successfully compete with their ia
vorite cities, should be parties to an at
tempt to invade sections local to the lines
leading out of this city" He also states
that I'VE do not wish to be understood as
upholdlng the Louisville and Nashville
railroad in discriminating against mar
kets not located on their own rails in IA
Vor of those which are, but when the lat
ter are Disseminated against by lines lead
ing from the former, they are justified in
adopting retaliatory measures. If, as is
claimed. the Louisville and Nashville
railroad local rates are unjust to Savan-
orr We IA
IFS In effect from this city to points on
your line furnish sufficient reason
for their doing so. We are almost daily
in receipt of complaints from our Ship
pers regarding the figures applying from
here to local territory throughout the
southeast, the roads in that part of the
country being apparently more engaged
in advancing the interests of eastern cit
les, regardless of any claims we may have
for a fair adjustment" He concludes
by saying: I'VE have hitherto refrained
from laying our grievances before the in
terstate commerce commission, having
found 1t a successful policy to preserve
amicable relations with the different rail-
roads by relying upon their sense of equity
to correct prevailing errors, but when per-
suasion and argument fail, without any
attempt being made to convince us of the
injustice of our demands, we think the
eXigencies of the occasion point TO more
vigorous and positive action"
Mr., Papy replied TO Mr. Masters that
his rates from New Orleans were properly
constructed and he did not propose to
| modify them.
Coming right on top of this letter, it
was a little unkind. Mr.. Papy thinks, of
| Capt. Purse to enter a complaint with
| the Interstate commerce commission
! agaist the Plant system, charging dis
! elimination against Savannah in favor of
! Charleston in the matter of fertilizer
| rates, but this is what he has done, and
! that too. with the unanimous consent
! of the board of directors of the bureau.
| The Plant systems fertilizer rates have
been complained of by the fertilizer men
| here for a long time, but without any dis
! position to alter them being shown.
Capt. Purse has made up a table show
| ing these Determinations. The table
shows that out of thirty-eight carefully
| selected points in the territory Of Sa-
vannah, Charleston enters twenty-seven
on equal terms, the fact that Savannah
\ Is lis miles nearer to these points being
| utterly ignored. OF the remaining eleven
! points Charleston enters one at IA cents
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