Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-17

months ago the majority of the capital
stock of the controlling company of the
Seaboard Air Line was offered to me and
was not accepted
Mr.. St. John says: 1.-THE Seaboard's
fixed charges are much less per mile than
those of the Southern railway, while Its
dead roads include an infinitesimal mile
age. Much of the Southern's mileage will
not much more than pay for its operating
expenses on a low basis.'
statement of fixed charges per mile
means very little unless coupled with
that of earnings per mile.
The earnings per mile of road of the
Seaboard Air Line for the year ending
company has reported, were: Gross,
$685. net, after adding miscellaneous in
come, $607 fixed charges and other de-
ductlons from income, $40; net deficit
per mile of road, $163
Those of the Southern for the same
year were Gross, $4131; net, including
miscellaneous income, $1242; fixed charges
and other deductions from income, $1025;
net surplus over all charges, $217.
Mr.. st. John states that ''the Seaboard
Air Line has had persistently to fight
efforts to create physical pools of traffic,
and to resist boycotts made against it"
He neglects to state that the Sea-
boards objections to physical pools OF
traffic are of quite recent date So re-
Gently as the beginning of the movement
VI Tic last COltOIi CIOP lie was d pdi ~
by agreement to the physical apportion-
ment of that traffic. He withdrew the
Seaboard Air Line from the Southern
States Freight association, and, conse-
quently, from the agreement for such ap
portionment, for the sole alleged reason
that the associa ton had not elected
permanent board of arbitration, and this
occurred at the same time as and in
direct connection with, the Sea boards
appeal to arbitration upon the percent
age of such apportionment, and when the
Seaboard Air Line had no other case
awaiting arbitrators' decision.
He neglects to state to you that the
chief and governing cause of the boycott,
so-called, was the persistent secret, and,
therefore, unlawful manipulation by his
line of through rates from the west by
means of billing to fictitious destinations,
and the change of destinations en- route,
under which his company secretly dis
eliminated in favor of one set of shippers
against al others and fraudu-
lently deprived it's most friendly and i'm
portant connections of their just proper
ton of the revenues accruing upon such
traffic.
These frauds were proven and the Sea-
board Air Line made restitution in mon
ey to it's defrauded connections.
Mr.. st. Johns statement as to the
threatened danger to the states proper
ty, the Western and Atlantic railroad, is
scarcely worthy of denial.
I beg to assure your honorable COM
mission that the Southern Railway COM
pany is not, and does not intend to be,
violator of the laws Of Georgia. Any
statement to that effect is entirely gratu-
itous and untrue. 1t has acquired no rail-
roads in the state of Georgia which it
has not perfect right to control and
operate under the laws of your state.
1t holds itself amenabe to those laws,
and is ready and willing at all times to
have it's acts submitted to and passed
upon by the courts or other tribunals of
competent jurisdiction, and it asks your
honorable commission and the people of
Georgia not to accept the sensational and
untrustworthy statements of its ira
ducers on the grave question of whether
the laws of the state have or have not
been violated.
1t has no desire to monopolize the bus
mess of Georgia, or, as Mr.. st. John
would have you believe. to Cypress or In.
Jure its competitors or any other vested
interest within OF without the state.
Quite the contrary, it recognizes to the
fullest degree that its own success is de-
pendent upon the prosperity of all these
interests and of the communities which
it serves.
He further says that il the Southern
had desire. as Mr.. st. John desires to
make the commission believe, to crush
out or injure the Seaboard, it would not
have voluntarily surrendered, as it did,
the lease of the Northeastern Railroad of
Georgia, which tapped most effectively
the next to the largest business center
in the state of Georgia reached by the
Seaboard. =.
The Southern. Mr.. Spencer says, has
made no objection to competition when
conducted fairly and openly. The effort
of the Southern has been not to control
rates, but to keep them uniform and rea-
sonable and public.
The many friends Of Mr. Sam c. Ray,
formerly travelling passenger agent of
the Queen and Crescent and who is one
of the most popular railroad men in the
south, has been rendered and accepted a
similar position with the Mexican Ma
tional Railroad company, which runs
from Laredo, Tex, to the City of Next
co. Mr.. Ray is in line for promotion and
his many friends here hope to see him
climb up higher.
More OF the Norfolk and Western Sold.
Roanoke, Va, Sept. 16-The Shenan-
doah valley branch of the Norfolk and
Western railroad was sold this morning
at the passenger station in this city. The
only bid was by Mr.. Coppell, for the re-
organization committee, and was 1,500,-
0oo the minimum allowed by the decree
OF the court. The party left for Lynch
burg, where the sale of the Lynchburg
and Durham division will take place.
Georgia Southern and Florida Earnings.
New York, Sept 1.-THE Georgia
Southern and Florida road earned gross
for July $50, 563, an increase of $5044, and