Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-10
FREIGHT MEN HERE
RAILROAD MAGNATEs IN SESSION
AT THE JEFFERSON.
REORGANIzE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION.
A Plan on Foot to Dispense WITH
the commissioner and substftuts
for Him n Board Of Arbttr.,tou-
Another Meeting Here This Month.

The Southern States Freight Association.
the one organization I'm the south xb,cn
controls the railroads passing through the
territory south OF the Potomac and east
OF the Mississippi is on the eve OF reor-
ganization, and Commissioner IL 4
Haines, whose headquarters are I'm A.
lanta, will very probably be without an
office.
For some time the association has boon
losing favor among the railroads OF the
South When 1t was organized. almost
every railroad in the South held member
ship In 1t, and they were controlled in
their rates by II. AS time wore on. how
ever. railroad after railroad withdrew
| from tho association, and the result was
that the burden OF the organization. which
had grown expensive and cumbersome. feIt
upon the few railroads remaining loyal to
the association.
These companies grew tired of maintains
ing so expensive an organization as that
presided over by Commissioner Haines,
and they called a meeting to be held In
this city yesterday for the purpose OF do
visng some plan whereby all the roads,
including those which had withdrawn from
the association, might be again brought
together under a less expensive and sims
pier organization.
NET AT THE JEFFERSON.
In response to this call there assembled
| at the Jefferson yesterday at l o'clock
Messrs W. w. Findlay. third vice-presi-
dent Of the Southern railway: John NJ.
Culp, traffic manager OF the Southern rail.
way; H. f. Smith. general freight agent
OF the Southern railway; Reuben Foster,
general manager OF the York-River route:
T. NJ. Emerson traffic manager OF tho
| Atlantic-Coast Line r. G., Erwin. traffic
manager OF the Plant System; r. d. Papy.
| general freight agent OF the Plant System;
! j. Shaw. vice-president OF the Georgia
! Southern and Florida railroad; Thomas X
! Scott president OF the Georgia railroad:
! A. G.. Jackson, general freight agent OF
/ the Georgia railroad; Joseph Whitney.
! traffic manager OF the Merchants and
Miners Transportation Company; W. L.
! Guillaudeu, ice-president of the Old Do
minion Steamship Company; c. T. New
berry. general freight agent OF the Ola
| Dominion Steamship Company; j. M. Ea-
| gan. vce-president and general manager
OF the Central Georgia railroad; w. A.
Winburn, general freight agent of the
Central OF Georgia railroad; j. w. Fry,
general manager OF the Cape Fear and
general freight agent OF the Cape Fear
and Yadkin Valley railway.
A COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
rhe meeting was held behind closed
doors. and II was at once agreed that
the Southern States Freight Association
should be reorganized. A committee TO
report a plan OF reorganization was APP
pointed, and while they were out the
! meeting took recess. The body re-
| convened at o'clock. and tho COM
| mlttee reported n plan which proposes
10 do away with the office OF commis-
sioner. and In his stead substitute an
| advisory board OF eight, whose chair
g,fn y ahall be empowered to act for them,
| though his powers will not be nearly
| so great as those OF the commissioners
| under the present organization. The re-
! port contemplates the continuance or
| the Rate Committee and Executive Board
of the association. but proposes To
abridge their powers.
| REPORT FAVORED BY THE MEET
ING.
The report was discussed at consi-
derable length. and II apparently met
with the unanimous endorsement or tho
| officials present. IL was deemed mex
pedient TO take hasty action. though,
and the report was laid over until the
| 22d. when another meeting will be held
| at the Jefferson, and some final action
| will be taken IL Is likely that tha
report will be adopted at this meeting,
and that the association Will be re-
organized as provided for therein.
Mr.. Hanes has been commissioner for
| several years, and employs In his Office.
| I'm Atlanta, some thirty-o'ld clerks, tho
majority Of whom are expert rate-men.
| Some OF these men will doubtless bo
| thrown out OF employment by the new
! Dian