The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-15
THE RAILROADS SIDE OF IT.
Mr.. Papy's Explanation of the Rail-
road COmmIssIOn's Action.


General Freight agent F. B. Papy OF the
Plant system returned yesterday from At
ianta, where he appeared before the rail-
road commission Wednesday. representing
the railroads in the complaints against the
Central. the Savannah. Florida and Wes-
tern, and the Florida Central and PENN
sular for Determinations and arbitrary
rates for switching and transfers on the
River street tracks. and also in the case OF
the Hawkinsville and Deep Water boat
line, where the Savannah, Florida and
Western declines TO transfer cars from
one OF its depOts TO the other because the
Shipment vas 70 90 over the boat line.
freight bureau. represented the complain
ants. \ fun report OF the hearing before
the commission was given in the Morning
Ne"s Atlanta dispatches yesterday morn
When seen by Morning News reporter.
Mr. Papy said: The commission decided
in the matter Of the complaint made by
the Hawkinsville and Deep Water Com
Pany, that we must transfer their freight.
we confess that we are disappointed
some people Will say that we ought not
70 be-because we were hauling the Hawk
lnsVllle freight Taking that view of the
matter We should not be. We are, never
theless disappointed, because It defeats
an honest emort upon our part to pro-
tect the interest, as we see It, of Savan-
nan. We declined TO transfer freight to
me HaWkinsville company for two rea-
sons-because that line is in direct COM
petition Of the rail lines leading out
from Savannah, and especially. because
We believed that our refusal would enable
US TO maintain the dinerential rate in IA
vor of Savannah, which has existed for so
titled to-
AT the time the Hawkinsville steam
boat line was established" said Mr.. Papy,
the rates from the Ohio river gateways
70 Hawkinsville were as follows, per 100
pounds; Flour in sacks, S8iac; grain and
hay, S4c; -four in barrels, 69l2c. The rate
20 savannah from the same gateways was
&c, zoe and 40c. You will see, therefore.
that the dtfferential in favor Of Savannah
THE establishment Of the Hawklnsville
ana Deep Water Line and the encourage
ment IL received Mr.. Papy added, com
PEELED the roads TO reduce the rates to
Hawkinsville to 32c. on -four in sacks, 2Sc
On grain and hay and sec. on -four. The
diferentialS were therefore reduced in
like proportion to s15c. on flour in sacks to
Sc on grain and hay, and TO Ice. on flour
on June ! these last figures will be
reduced still further. They will then be
5lac on -four in sacks &c. on grain and
nay and 1Oc. per barrel on -four. If Sa-
vannah can do business In that territory
on this basis II will not only be pleasing
but instructive to the railroads We be-
lieVe that our course would have ena-
bled us to maintain the usual differential
which Savannah has had and which she IS
entitled TO. We failed, however and will
now obey the order Of the com ission.
with respect to the complaint filed con-
corning the charges made by the railroads
for transferring freight" Mr. Pany said,
the commissioners were divided as to
their authority. The chairman did not
hesitate to say that they did not have
the authority to fix the charge while an
other member thought they had. IT was
however, suggested that the question be
sent back to the commercial bodies Of
savannah, the freight bureau and the
railroads, that they might agree. If they
famed n 10 ion ha
taken back to the commissioners when
they would endeavor to formulate a rate"