The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-21
TO TAKE UP THE RATE WAR.
RAILROAD MEN TO MEET IN At
LANTA TOMORROW.


The Rate Cutting Has Been Prac-
ticaIIy Confined 10 the Seaboard's
Territory so Fnr-Thc CLYDE Line
Refused 10 he a Party TO the Cuts,
and the Seaboard Issued "A Rather
Bitter CfrcuInr-NOne of the Roads
in the Association VIII Act UntiI
After the Mecting-The Associa-
tiOn Pretty strong Institution
for One Line 10 FiEht-The War
Not Likely 20 Reach Savannah
soon.
The wholesale slauEhteriug Of rates, both
on freight and passenger business. by the
Seaboard Air Line from the north and
east into the territory OF the southern
States Freight Association. has been the
principal topic OF discussion among rail-
road men for the last few days and just
now the all absorbing question - how IS
IL going 10 be met and resisted?
II IS hardly probable that anything new
in the situation VIII be developed until af-
ter the meeting Of the executive board OF
the Southern States Freight Association
watch viii be held In Atlanta tomorrow.
dent H. ~ Conner and Traffic Manager
W. +. Sheliman Of the Central Of Georgia
Railway Company and General Freight
Agent +. 3. Papy Of the Plant system
from Savannah who Will leave the city
tonight for Atlanta.
There is the strongest opposition 10 this
cutting Of rates on the part. not only o.
these but of all lines which are members
Of the association. and Il IS believed the
executive board will take some positive
and decided stand IN combating H. So far
none of the other lines from the east into
the south have met the cut rates made by
the Seaboard and that they viii not do 50
until after to-morrows meeting has al
ready been stated by Commissioner II. S. |
Halnes.
The Clyde line which operates directly |
with the Seaboard has already refused 10 |
take any part in the rate cutting. The /
SeabOard quoted a first class rate Of ~ |
cents from Philadelphia 10 Atlanta, but I
the Clyde line refused TO bring the freight j
on any such basis from Philadelphia to /
Baltimore because h Is a member Of the I
ASSOCIATION and so stated. This necessi- /
tated the withdrawal Of the rate from /
Philadelphia, and the Seaboard then got /
out circular addressed TO the merchants !
OF philadelphia in which these facts were ]
stated, and asking the merchants II they /
were willing TO submit to any such action /
on the part Of the Clyde line when the /
merchants Of Baltimore are enjoying "a /
nrst class rate from that city to Atlanta OF I
= cents. Copies Of these circulars have i
been received by railroad men in Savan- i
nah, and they make 1t appear that the 4
SeabOard D. ma king a decided effort to in i
Ject s much bitterness as possible into the /
nght. The regular first class rate from /
Philadelphia Is Sl.14, 80 this viii give some /
made.
So far the reductions have only affected 1
the territory through which the Seaboard |
runs. All OF the SeabOard's connections /
tn the south, are members OF the Southern /
states Freight Association, and /
they OF course have refused to 1
participate In the reductions made, /
though they have not as yet /
refused to prorate the regular through /
rates with the SaabOard as heretofore
That is the Seaboard, In making the reduc- /
IONS, must stand all the loss, and pay its 1
connections their proportion Of the regular 1
through rate. Should the Seaboard's con- |
necuons on both ends OF the line refuse 10 1
prorate with It any longer on account OF /
lts action IN cutting the rates. that sys-
tenn business would be confined to its |
own local territory and it would doubt /
less be compelled to come 10 time
II Is not considered likely a the present |
time that the rate war viii materially az /
feet Savannah. The rates reduced are all |
10 interior points, and the coast cities and /
ports are cutting no figure. Should the |
lines OF the association decide to meet the |
reductions and go stiu lower however
3here would necessarily be a reduction OF |
rates through the ports to interior points |
and the indications are that such is the |
only way in which Savannah or other |
coast cities might he affected
AS is well known, and as stated in the |
Morning News, the fight originated be-
tween the Seaboard Air Line and the /
southern Railway Company.
The differences being on account of a |
line of steamers between Baltimore and |
Norfolk, which is the terminus of both |
these systems. Being unable to make a |
satisfactory OF an equitable agreement |
with the Bay line OF steamers between |
these points, which is in the control OF |
the Seaboard, the Southern established |
aus own line Of steamers and the Sea-
board got mad and began TO cut rates !
me position taken by the Seaboard is |
that while the Southern had a perfect |
right 10 establish its own line of steam |
ersi II IS contrary to all equity and pro- |
pflety Tor II to come in and compete
against an old established line of steam |
ers which is capable of handling all the
business and thereby njure and take
away large share of the business here
tofore had by the Bay line
IL would appear however that the Sea-
board has undertaken a pretty big fob
when II makes a fight on the whole |
Southern States Freight Associa ton. The |
nght promises 10 be a long and bitterly |
contested one, but in the struggle the
association appears to have the strength
ana every other advantage in its favor.