The news & observer., 1898-07-30
A LONG FELT WANT
THAT IS WHAT THE WILMINGTON TARIFF
ASSOCIATION is
This Association Has Secured Two important
Concessions from the Railroad Com
mission by Wise Action.

Ever since the establishment of the
measure have felt the need of some as
sociation or organization that would pre-
sent the reasonable demands of the pco
pie for reduction of rates i'll way that
would successfully meet the figures anG
arguments of railroad experts. lndivid
ual shippers and others not trained III
been at Il disadvantage i'll presenting
their complaints to the Commission
Many necessary reforms have not been
effected for this reason.
The members of the Commission, some
of whom had no expert knowledge, have
been often puzzled to know what to
do when confronted with the figures of
experts against an appeal for reduc-
ton, and in their perpleXity, feared to
make the just reductions because it
might bear too heavily upon the rail
roads.
| had talk yesterday with Mr.. !. 4
Taylor, President, and Mr.. James Kyle
manager, of the Wilmington Tariff AS
sociaton, who secured Il reduction in the
molasses rate of % per cent because
the railroad experts could not answer
their argument. They showed that the pco
pie of South Carolina and Georgia enjoy
ed Il much lower rate than the people of
North Carolina, and they accompanied
their petition by expert statements that
made the matter clear. In fact, after
all the General Freight Agents. had
been heard. the Commission affirmed the
rate reduction without hearing Mr.
Taylor or Mr.. Kyle.
Speaking of the Association, Mr.. Tay-
lor said:
This association was organized in
March of this year and the membership
is composed of nearly all the leading
business men of Wilmington. The
business men in Wilmington realized
that they could do nothing as individuals
to secure rate reductions and adjust
mcnts, and they organized so as to make
their requests come from IN organized
body of weight.
I'VE demand equitable treatment-tho
same accorded to other cities in other
StateS-nothing more and nothing less
We ask for nothing except what we
regard as just.
"Appreciating that it requires an ex-
pert traffic manager, the association ap-
pointed Mr.. James Kyle, and he has fur
nished statements that no railroad eX-
pert could confute.
we expect to do great deal more
in behalf of the shippers and consumers
This is just Il beginning. We do not
work by agitation. but by presenting just
claims backed by facts and figures.
'-rhc rate granted on molasses will
average reduction of about % PEI
cent, and the reduction on the bacon
rate is 40 per cent. These are State
rates that benefit, not only Wilmington
but all places in the State. They are
the rates given in South Carolina and
in Georgia, and there is no reason why
we should not have had them in North
Carolina long time ago. We did moi
ask, as some of the railroad experts
said that the same rate be given to
all North Carolina points as are gwen
from Wilmington to points South. We
recognize that the roads make those
very low rates to get business out OF
the State. We only asked that the intra
State rates be reduced to the prevailing
rate in Georgia and South Carolina
and in the matter of molasscs and ba-
con in bags we are glad that the Com
mission granted this reasonable con
cession."