The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-25
STATES HIS REASONS.
Mr.. ST. JOHN DEFINES THE POSI-
TON OF THE s. A. l..

Rates Go.
Vice President ST. John passed
through here yesterday morning IN
his private car. He had with him sew
eral officials of the road. They were
returning to Portsmouth from ATTAIN
ia, where they had been to the meeting
of the Southern States Freight Asso-
citation.
Mr.. St. John said no understanding
had been reached between the compel
ing lines and that the rate war was on
and on in earnest.
"We do not fear the issue" he SAID,
because we know we are lighting Tor
the right"
He jntimated that the rates might
he made much lower. even than the
present bottom cut rate.
He gave the News and Observer re-
porter a copy of his letter in when
he sets forth the case of the Seaboard.
In this letter to Mr.. j. w. Thomas,
chairman of the committee OF the
Southern States Freight Association,
Mr.. ST. John says:
Il beg to say to the committee that
the conditions surrounding frels 1T ana
passenger rates as they at present eX-
ist. in the South; (however unGeslra-
bic the situation may be 10 those whom
we would desire to be on must
friendly terms WITH are conditions for
which the Seaboard Airline Is IN no
way responsible.
1.-THE Southern Railway, with SEEM
ingly no other object than that OF
destroying an old line upon the Chess
apeake Bay, and incidentally great
system of railroad, which furnishes to
the South about all the competition 1T
has, has entered upon its task, and
the BAY and Seaboard Air-Lines have
concluded. and they could not do other
wise and retain their self-respect, to
defend to the utmost their interests,
the interests of their stock and bond
holders, and that of the people, as well.
The old Lines upon the Bay have
ample facilities to handle all business
that can possibly be offered for years
to come; they have the sympathy and
patronage of a business community
in the East, North and South, with
whom they have had most friendly
relations for fifty years in the one
case, and a less number in the other.
1nBSe IluGS pay IuS LI1ClI SUM anu
bondholders but very moderately, have
offered to transact the business of the
Southern upon precisely the same
terms which they are transacting it
for other lines, and one of these Lines,
the Merchants and Miners, is the
Southern's preferred line on business
from Boston, but the Southern says
no. What does it expect to do? 1t
x.ya1l +e nav iiraa
can but run at loss to itself, and
that by its running it can but cause
loss to the others-and knowing this,
what is its intent? Finding that it
cannot purchase it's stock, in order
that it may control the Bay Line, it
has seemingly proposed to ruin it. but
without, perhaps, counting the cost
which can but run up into the mill
injure others. Experience at points
where the Southern controls natural
connections demonstrates that if it
should gain control of the line to Bal
timore it would deny to its COMPETE
tors the equal facilities which the Bay
Line now offers to the Southern and
all others. Large interests in the East
have pied with the Southern against
put upon the Bay, urging them not to
do it, and can it be that there are
railroads, Independent railroads, out
side of Southern influence, willing I'M
der such conditions to assist a corpora
ton, eager to control the South, by
aiding them in their attack upon the
Seaboard? I tell you the people will
not have it, in the days to come, what
ever you may think to-day. They want
and will insist upon their full rights
to competition, for which they have
given rights of way; their good money.
and to accomplish which they in times
past, have asked their Legislatures to
grant them charters.
shall it be the withdrawal of these
steamers and the making. of satisfac-
tory through out arrangements. east
ly to be accomplished, and the saving
OF revenue thereby to the Southern
and other lines, or shall it be the dis
rupting of all rates through thousands
of miles of territory, and the conse-
quent loss to it of millions of revenue.
with a more speedy necessitv for the
reorganization of its (the Southern's)
system? The problem is theirs to
solves, not ours. We do not fear either
the problem or the Southern. Our
cause is just, and sooner or later the
right viii prevail"
SOUTHERN CUTS RATES.
A dispatch from Atlanta SAYS:
after Mr.. st. Johns reply was read,
the executive board appointed a com
mittee of nine to formulate a policy
and report. The committee was in
session for nearly four hours. Tt re-
commended a sweeping cut of 50 per
cent. on all classes of freight from
eastern point to Atlanta except on
grain, wheat. -four, meat and hay This
will reduce the rate on first class
freight such as boots and shoes. from
La per hundred to IS cents. All lines
are to charge full local rates beyond
Atlanta. intermediate points. such as
Macon, Augusta and Columbia. are to
have a combination rate based on At
lanta. The Seaboard, or the merchants
of such cities, will promptly ask the
courts to interfere and prohibit a
greater charge for a short haul than
for a long haul. All rates throughout
the South are bound to come down very