The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-22
The Trnnsfer Question.

Editor Morning News: On the third page
of your issue of the 2lst inst, at head
of column, under caption I'm the Rail-
road World" you purport to give, and
presume with authority, synopsis of let
ter from Mr.. F. b. Papy, general freight
agent Of the Plant system, filed with the
railroad commission of Georgia as a re-
ply to the complaint before them for over
charge on two cars of ebert, transferred
from the depot of the Central OF Georgia
Railway Company to a point near the
crossing of the White Bluff shell road
and the Savannah, Florida and Western
railway.
For the transfer of these cars a COM
bined charge of $500 each was made, of
which the Central of Georgia Railway
Company received SLIGO and the Plant sys-
under rates fixed by these railroad com
panies, and by them considered reason
able; and, under the rules of the railroad
commission of Georgia, could only be
changed under ten days notice, after
due publication.
Mr.. Lester was entitled to the full bene-
fit Of these rates, no publication Of their
change having been made, and, as far
as the public knows, these rates prevail
to-day, so that the percentages of 1,lW
and 800 INDUCED IN by by Mr. ,t Pagy may may
plant is without foundation but 1t de-
ceives nobody else, and, least of all, will
It deceive the railroad commission of Geor-
gia when all the facts of this case come
to the public, unabridged in their naked
truth.
Mr. Papy complains that Mr.. Lester
was slow in discovering the over-charge.
The bills for established and customary
transfer charges for two cars was rem
dered June %, 1895. and bills for excessive
charges complained of, later. Both sets
of bills were paid on or about July l, 1895,
and on the 18th of same month were in
the hands of the bureau to prosecute.
How much faster would Mr.. Papy nave
MIR Papy has accomplished one thing
by his percentages, in saying that under
any authority he might have charged $24
per car for a service that his company
has Recognized as properly paid for al Sl.60
per car for the last twenty years, in that
he has directed the public attention, with
more force than ever, to the imperious ne
cessity of the city of Savannah, in the
protection Of its commercial interests,
compelling the completion of the track on
River street for the transfer of cars be-
tween the Central of Georgia, the Florida
Central and Peninsular and the Georgia
and Alabama railways with the Plant sys-
tenn and vice versa.
The Central of Georgia Railway Com
pany claimed the right to advance their
established rates from 81 to $13.25; Mr..
Papy now makes the claim of a right to
advance from $3.50 to $24 per car, which
he has not exercised in a spirit of ex-
IRENE self-sacrifice to the business inter-
ests of this community. The bare inti-
nation that this power exists, in the opin-
ion of Mr.. Papy, is a hundred times more
startling than any assumption of the
Central of Georgia Railway Company in
this matter.
Mr. Papy, in his conclusion, seems very
contrite that his company committed the
grievous sin. in this particular case, of
moving overloaded cars. If he proposes
to offer himself as vicarious sacrifice
for all the sins of his company, those of
omission as well as commission, over
loaded cars will form the lightest part
of the sin for which atonement will be
necessary,
1 beg, therefore, Mr. Editor, that you
grant this communication the same
courtesy of prominence that you have &C
corded to Mr.. Papys declarations.
Yours very truly,
-.-. d. G. Purse, commissioner,