The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-10
MAY END THE RATE WAR.
CONCERTED ACTION OF THE STATE
CoMAIIssION SOUGHT.

The Cut Applied to Local Rates i'm
Georgia and the Two CaroIfnan
Would he RuinOus to the Roads,
md They Might Settle Their Diff
ferences Rather Than Have the
Cut Made General.
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. 9.-To-morrow's
meeting of the state railroad commission
to consider the adoption of an order COM
pelling the Seaboard Air Line and the
Southern to extend their rate war to local
rates will be highly important
The commission has wanted the boards
of trade in all the principal cities in tho
territory where the rate war prevails to
be present, and also the chairman of the
North and South Carolina railroad COM
missions Chairman Evans Of the South
Carolina board win come, but Chairman
Wilson of the North Carolina board could
not accept The idea of having these
parties in attendance is to carry the pro-
posed plan of forcing the cut to local
rates into all the states in the territory
affected
This would be ruinous to the lines, and
the proposition to do 1t will have strong
tendency to bring the war to an end.
Vice President st. John and President
Hoffmans of the Seaboard arrived here
to-day. President Spencer of the South-
| ern has been asked to come apd he may
also be here by morning.
President Spencer will at any rate
| come to Atlanta on Sept. 20 to offer be-
fore the commission as a witness in the
investigation of alleged joint ownership
| OF the Southern, Central and Georgia
| Southern and Florida, that date having
been fixed for a resumption of that case
| by the commission.
Baltimore. Md, Sept. 9.-The war in
| passenger and freight rates from Baltl-
more south took another turn to-day
when the seaboard Air Line issued new
tariff, naming the combination of freight
rates on Portsmouth, which has hereto
| fore been confined to local business, as
through rates from baltimore to all sta
tions on its line, both local and competi-
tive. These rates will become effective
next Saturday and will apply to all
| classes.
Under the new schedule the first-class
rate per 100 pounds will be "a cents.
against $1.O7, the rate which prevailed be-
| fore cutting began, and 70 cents, the rate
| now in effect. The rate on sixth class
shipments will be 28 cents, against the
prevailing rate Of 81 cents, and 46 cents,
the original tariff.
| The Southern Railway Company and
the Atlantic Coast Line have issued a
| tariff effective Sept. 49, increasing about
| 90 per cent. the freight rate to certain
| points In South Carolina and North Car
olina. The companies have taken this
! action, 1t is said, for the purpose of pro-
tecting their local business.
Augusta, Ca, Sept. 9.--The merchants
of Augusta are seeking to induce the Sea-
board Air Line to discontinue the slash
| ing Of rates, Joseph r. Lamar Is now
at Mount Airy, where he went to piacs
| the petition OF the Augusta merchants
| before Judge Emory Speer. Mr.. Lamar
| probably arrived at Mount Airy some time
| late this afternoon, and 1t was an i'm
possibility to get any information from
| him tonight He left Augusta on Tues
! day night for Atlanta, with the intsn-
tlon of keeping quiet his mission. To-day
| Paul Muslin, who is very much inter-
| ested In the case, gave the story TO a re-
| porter. Said he:
II brought about the case which Mr..
| Lamar has now in hand. 1t Is not yet
known whether Judge Speer will sign the
papers, but Mr.. Lamar is strongly OF the
| opinion that he WILL"
Continuing, Mr.. Muslin, who does one
| of the largest wholesale business in Au-
| gusta, said that II the cutting of rates
was kept up the grocery business Of this
city would be utterly ruined. Not being
competitive point. so far as the South
ern is concerned. the Seaboard has made
no reduction to this city. Atlanta mer-
chants can, therefore, buy goods north
and sell them in Augusta at far lower
| prices than can the merchants of this
city. II Is a policy that means simply tho
| cutting OF the rates Of Augusta unless
there is a relief. All lines Of trade viii be
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