The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-02

pension of the reduced rates. They made
the mistake of supposing that the COM
mission was similar to court of law where
continuance or a rehearing by the court
suspends all action until the matter is
definitely decided. 1t is an oversight which
may prove very costly to them, that is
supposing that the commission would have
consented to suspend the order pending
the rearing. Under the rules of the COM
mission an order is in force until rescinded
or superseded. The statements of the
members of the commission as to the fact
of the order being in force are very plain"
The raih oads have evidently determined
to hold to their theory of the case. Their
argument is that in any court of justice
decision of the court in any case which
had been reopened and a rehearing granted
would be suspended, pending the final de-
cision of the court. They are acting under
the advice of their attorneys in taking this
position, they say. None of the railroad
men who were seen, however were willing
to be quoted. The railroad men also claim
that their stand in the matter does not af-
feet fertilizer shipments.
There is nothing to prevent fertilizer
men shipping as freely as they please,
said a well-known railroad men. 1T is
true that the old rates are demanded by
the railroads, but if the commission shall
decide at it's hearing Jan. that the re-
duced rate was effective from Ian. l the
railroads will simply be compelled to re-
turn to the shippers the amount of the eX-
cess charges according to the new rate.
If the commission shall decide that the
old rate was effective then the shippers
have lost nothing"
The shippers do not see it in this light,
however. If they wait for the decision of
the commission they lose that much time
in making their shipments and if the COM
mission should restore the old rate they
q r. n (
a 20 per cent. reduction. If they ship now
they are required to pay the old rate, in
spite of the announcement CT the commits
sion, which will place them at disad-
vantage compared with shipments made
after Jan. g. provided the commission
should then reaffirm it's former position.
Then there is a chance that the position
taken by the railroads may be legal and
even should the commission reaffirm its
decision as to the reduction on Jan. 6, that
the higher freight rates paid on shipments
previously made would have to stand and
the difference be charged to profit and
loss.
AS to the rate itself and the effect of it
a prominent railroad man said: THE re-
duced rate, instead of being a benefit to
the fertilizer manufacturers of this state
is really a detriment, especially to the
manufacturer in the interior, because it
reduces the differential between him and
ili5 COllpGAilOI III OAldI4 Va
Savannah. For instance, we will
say that the rate on fertilizers
from Savannah to Atlanta is So per ton,
and that from Atlanta to Hampton,
point this side of Atlanta, the rate is 81
per ton. Now this order of the commits
sion makes a reduction of 20 per cent in
all fertilizer rates The rate from Savan-
nah to Atlanta becomes 81. 40 and the rate
from Atlanta to Hampton becomes so cents
What is the result. The Atlanta manu-
facturer had formerly a differential of 81
per ton in his favor, whereas he will now
have only $1.60. Instead of preventing
the Charleston manufacturers from doing
business in this state they will be able to
come in and do a much larger business
next year than this year. The fertilizers
for this season have already been sold
and in reality the rate makes no differ
ence to anybody. The manufacturer
would not get the benefit of it and neither
would the farmer. The middleman is the
only man who will profit by it, If the
farmer should get the benefit of it the
difference would not amount to cents an
acre. Charleston will not be hurt by the
reduction because Charleston gets the
same rate to competitive points as Savan-
nah. We cannot prevent this because it
is regulated by competition. Another
point for the fertilizer men to remember is
that Charleston manufactures more ferti-
lizer than all the factories in Georgia COM
bined and consequently the closer compe-
tition will be so much disastrous"