The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-29
To be Fought to a Finish
The Seaboard-Soothern war
Now on in Earnest.

and the Seaboard Air Line begins to-
day in dead earnest The first cut of
the Seaboard has been in force for
some time, but the order Of the COM
missioner of the Southern States
Passenger Association authorizing
similar cuts by Association lines
goes into effect to-day, and this is,
of course, to be considered as the
real beginning Of the war
The course pursued by the AS
sociation lines will be watched with
interest. There is no question of the
fact that all effort will be made to
have all of them participate in the
war, but whether they will all allow
themselves to be dragged into it is
another question. The fight is fight
of the Southern system, but it is pref
ty we'll understood that the Southern
dominates the Association, and it is
consequently pretty safe to assume
thatevery member of the Associa-
ton will be called upon to come for
ward and aid in the effort to crush
the Seaboard Air Line.
Most people are familiar with the
origin of the trouble The Southern
went into Norfolk and put on a
steamer 20 Baltimore to compete
with the Old Bay Liue, in spite of
that company's protests that there
was scarcely business enough for
one line President Hoffman. OF the
Bay Lire, is likewise President Of
tie Seaboatd, and the railroad and
steamship companies are very inti
mate!J associated with one another
i'he Seaboard, in fact, claimed that
the Southern's action was direct
attack upon it and its interests, and
it met the situation by making a
seewping cut in both freight and pas
senger rates from the East to points
in the interior of the South Atlantic
States. For few days the Pas
senger Association took no step. but
after while it authorized its mem
bers to meet the Seaboard cut The
last named company is, however,
determined to force the fighting to
the bitter end, and it is generally
understood that as soon as the first
cut is made that the rates will be
sent topling down once more. The
feeling between the two competing
lines has always been very bitter,
but it has grown so much in inten
sity lately over this last fight that
there is no telling TO what extremes
the rate cutting will BE- carried. Vice
President St. John, of the Seaboard,
has given to the Norfolk papers de-
tailed history of one side Of the case
in which he explains fully the posi-
tion which his company occupies in
the fight. He says:
The Bay Line, although entirely
independent of the Seaboard Air
Line. is and always has been a close
ally and friendly connection More
than that, the Seaboard Air Line in
extending it's aid in time Of need to
the Bay Line is practically conserv
ing it's own interests, which are also
threatened We believe that no cor-
Gdence can be placed in the promises
or policies Of the Southern In some
States it seems to successfully evade
enacted law and Court decisions, and
so long as it can dictate the member
ship of railroad associations and the
officers comprising them it is stick
Ter for tariff rates, and especially is
tie latter said to be true where it
has been successful in closing out all
avenues of competition. In certain
cases. after its recognized aud self
asserted statements in regard to the
consolidation Of other lines with its
own, and where investigations have
followed concerning such matters. it
has suddenly necessitated the use of
field glass TO determine its owner
ship
''For competitor to oppose it is
simply to invite the statement that
such competitor will cease TO exist in
very short term of years, andio many
lines the fear of it causes discrlmina-
ton in lis favor and against its com
petitor. entirely at variance with the
third section of the Ac. to regulate
commerce, which provides that 1t
shall be unlawful for any ccmtnon
carrier subject to the provisions Of
this Act to make or give any undue
or unreasonable preference or advan-
tage to any particular person, COM
parry, firm, corporation or locality.
or any particular description Of
traffic, to any undue or unreasonable
prejudice or disadvantage in any res
pect whatever, etc
1.-The influence of the Southern
has been powerful enou sh tlusfar to
prevent arrangements for running a