The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-21
RATES OF THE RAILROADS.
THE CASE OF THE GRIFFIN GRO
GERS GOES OVER.

Railroad Managers and Attorneys
Representing All the Leading
Lines Doing business In the state
Rally at Atlanta for the Meeting of
the state COmmisSfOn-Other Mer-
chants FniI TO Join In the Plea
and the Rome Board of Trade OPP
poses II.
Atlanta, Ca, April 2O.-Railroad mana
gers and attorneys representing all the
leading lines doing business in the state
gathered here to-day to attend the meet
ing of the railroad commission for the
hearing Of the application made by
Brewer & Hanleiter of Griffin for a gen.
eral reduction of 53ls per cent. on the To-
cal rates in effect throughout the state.
The hearing DID not take place, how
ever, but at the instance of the roads
was postponed until May 10, the request
for the postponement being due to the
fact that the application for the reduc-
ton was indefinite and vague in its ma
ture and did not give the railroad men
anything upon which they might prepare
an issue
When the commission called up the case.
Mr. Brewer. the senior member of the
Griffin wholesale firm, appeared as the
representative of the compliments.
Upon the reading of the application,
which was filed with the commission sew
eral weeks ago, General Counsel Cum
ming of the Georgia railroad, entered
demurrer on behalf of the railroads,
claiming that there was no specific charge
set out and that no cause of action vas
shown. The commission sustained this
demurrer and gave notice to the complain
ants that they would have to amend the
complaint before the case could proceed
further
Mr.. Brewer, after some parleying, retir-
ed and fixed up an amendment reciting
that the rates of the roads to cities like
Atlanta. Savannah. Augusta, Macon and
others were lower than to Barnes
VILE Griffin, and smaller towns. The
amendment also charged that the
Southern and Central were over capital
lied and that they should not be permitted
to earn interest upon this excessive valu-
alton.
Attorney Cumming then addressed the
commission, saying that this amendment
was the first intimaton the railroads had
of the nature of the complaint they were
to meet and he asked that they be given
time in which to prepare their answer. He
said that the time was asked for in good
faith as the railroads expected to aid
rather than obstruct the commission in
arriving at the Justice of the matter by
bringing forward all the information they
could command. They would be able to
show that the proposition of the COM
plainants was nothing less than preposter-
Gus, as it would speedily bankrupt every
railroad doing business in the state if al
lowed by the commission.
Mr.. Brewer objected to a continuance
and insisted that the railroad men ought
to be as well prepared to go into a de-
Tense of their business methods as at any
future time. He urged that the railroad
men could travel to and from Atlanta for
nothing, but that 1t cost him money to do
so.
Upon this statement the commission
suggested that he might go ahead with
his case and then the railroads would be
allowed to answer later on, but he declin-
ed this proposition and it was finally
agreed that the whole matter should go
over until the date stated
1t appears that the complaint of the
Griffin merchants has not met with the
approval of the business men of the state.
as no other names were added to the petit
ton to-day, and Messrs. Brewer & Hamlet
ter were the only active parties engaged
in the prosecution to-day There were a
number of merchants and business men
present who came to oppose the petition.
The board of trade of Rome sent a dele
cation for this purpose, who presented
resolutions adopted by that body protest
ing against any such radical step on the
part of the commission.
Several other cases booked for a hear
ing by the commission to-day on COM
plants by Capt. D. G.. Purse of Savan-
nah were also postponed until the May
meeting.