The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-03
NO CARS FOR THE STEAMBOAT.
THE PLANT SYSTEM REFUSED TO
TRANSFER CARS FOR THE
CITY OF HAWKINsVILLE.

General Freight Agent Papy Says
the Steamboat is Running in Com
petition with the Plant system,
and He Has Therefore Refused 10
Transfer Any More Cars TO the
Gordon Wharf for the Steamboat.
Capt. Purse Quotes Him Having
Declared That He VIII Have the
Track Torn Up Before lie VIII Al
low such TransfeFs-Capt. Purse
Presents the Complaint TO the
Railroad Commission.
Commissioner D. C. Purse Of the freight
bureau has presented complaint to the
railroad commission in behalf Of the Haw-
kinsville and Deepwater Steamboat Com
pany, which is Of interest to Savannah.
The complaint is against the Savannah,
Florida and Western railway for refusal
to transfer freight TO the Gordon wharf
for the steamer City OF Hawkinsville. The
complaint states that on March Is a car
load Of flour was transferred from the
depot Of the Savannah. Florida and West
ern railway to the Gordon wharf for the
steamer, for which a charge of s. was
made. March II a car of bran was trans
ferred in a similar manner, for which a
similar charge Of 50 was made March 3,
the steamboat company ordered a car or
corn, which was at the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western depot, trans
ferred to the Gordon wharf. This transfer
was absolutely refused on the ground
that the car was intended for the steam
boat City Of Hawkinsville, which was
running in competition with the railroad
company. Capt. Henley Of the City OF
Hawkinsville makes affidavit to this re-
fusal on the part of General Freight Agent
Papy Of the Plant system and further
states that Mr.. Papy asserted that be
would tear up the track leading to the
Gordon wharf before he would permit
such a transfer. The corn was drayed
TO the steamboat at an expense of S7.9S.
Capt. Purse, in his statement of the case
to the commission, says that the usual
charge made by the railway company for
such transfers is 81 per car, and that the
greatest charge which it can make under
the rules of the commission for this SER
vice, the distance being less than two
miles, is s. per car, and that consequently
the charge made for the transfer of the
two cars mentioned was excessive. He
goes on to show that the refusal of the
railway company to transfer cars for the
City of Hawkinsville is unreasonable and
unsupportable by any authority of law or
rule Of the commission, even if is should
be the case that the steamboat company
was in competition with the railway He
undertakes to show that instead Of being
in competition with the Plant system, the
Hawkinsvtlle and Deepwater Steamboat
Company is patron of that line, and
could not possibly compete with il unless
the Plant system has some traffic ar
rangement with steamboats, plying on the
AlIamana river, which is not known to
be the case. The three cars of freight over
which the complaint originated We're ship
ped from Nashville to Hawkinsville, via
the Louisville and Nashville railroad, the
Plant system and the steamer City of
Hawkinsville, and the Plant system OBJ
tanned haul OF 4l2 miles on the consign-
ment
Capt.Purse makes the further point that
the cars being routed as stated the Plant
system was rec Jired to place them at the
Gordon wharf without any transfer charge
whatever its wharVes being its terminals
under the rulings of the railroad COM
mission, and the line to the Gordon wharf
being a part OF It's terminals.
The railroad commission has recognized
the Importance of the case by setting an
early date for the hearing, the date named
being May 10. The people of HawkinsVille
are very much interested in the case. They
nave recently built the steamboat City of
Hawkinsvtlle and placed her on the route
between their city and Savannah in order
to obtain water rates and to open up bet
ter trade relations with Savannah As
the only rail connection to the Gordon
operations of the company would be
greatly crippled If it should be deprived of
rail transfers to the wharf. 1t was re-
Gently announced in the Morning News
that on account of the large business done
by the City of HawkinSville, in naval
stores especially, the company would soon
build another steamer to be placed on the