The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-27
CAN'T GET THE RATES BACK.
,euoLESALE MERCHANTS WILL
NOT ATTEMPT IT.

They Think Florida Mileage Is OF
a. Stay-POSsibiIity of "a General
,yithdrawaI of Mileage BOoks-It
:. claimed They Are Being Substi-
,uted for standard Rate Passage
now. II Would BE in Georgia.
71or Herman Myers, chairman of the
o,mittee appointed by the Wholesale
III ,r.rebants' Associat ton to confer with the
81 .,roace books in Florida, will report that
. inpracticable to further pursue the
81 .,,tter at present. The rates are of TO
.,,v and the merchants realize the re-
81 ,.l+s are equitable in their application.
n While the matter is stoutly denied by
+ me roads, it is not improbable that certain
+ .,r,bpations may have been formed in
Il csorrja by which the books would tie
Il ,,thdrawn here, and, indeed, it Is said
y core has already been an attempt TO
r4ng the proposition before the Southeast
en- Passenger Association. There are
.me roads in Georgia, however, which
uould make it altogether impracticable to
.tenpt the withdrawal until their sup
n)rt was assured.
one of the reasons which lead the exec
r.iye officers of the roads to give this
+. ratter serious thought is the perversion of
fe use of mileage books. Many causes
4 hive been assigned for their withdrawal
r. Florida, all of which seem quite tena-
HE. and are thought to fully justify the
ro9ds in stopping the Issuance of this kind
Of transportation. In talking on the sub
net weu-known official said it was as
tonishing to note the use to which the
4 hooks are being put at present. They were
originally adopted for the exclusive use of
travelling men, he said. but are now being
used by the general public in such lots as
70 constitute a very large portion of the
TRANSFORMATION sold Especially has this
been the case during the past four years,
he said and it has grown to such proper
tons in certain localities as to materially
reduce the revenue on passenger traffic.
There is an element, he said, that pur-
chases the books, even though they only
intend using half of them. The transpor-
tation is then disposed of to scalpers, and
the books have thus developed into a
cudgel by which the public got two dam
aging blows at the roads; one was by OBJ
tanning cheaper mileage than the roads in
tended as a standard rate, and the other
was feathering the scalpers' bed.
In Florida the roads are said to have
been unable to get operating expenses
from passenger business on account of the
mileage books. The relative population of
that state, however, as compared with
Georgia, is such that mileage rates could
be continued here with less damaging eff
fects than there. With the tourists and
drummers making constant use of them
the effect was to reduce the passenger re-
ceipts to a level of what they would be If
rackoned on the basis. of the mileage in
place Of the standard rate. But if it
should be desired to withdraw mileage In
Georgia, considerable Roadway is already
attained for the reason that three of the
most important systems in the state have
sgnifed a constructive willingness by
Withdrawing it in Florida. These roads
are the Plant System, the Florida Central
and Peninsular and the Southern Rail-
road, which withdrew mileage on the
George Southern and Florida. 1t is said
the roads which would not enter the deal
would be the. Central Railroad and the
Georgia and Alabama, because of the fact
they reach competitive points and could
not afford to become parties to with
drawal single-handed.
The rumor that the Southeastern Pas
senger Association intended to discuss the
matter at its recent session in Washing.
ton was the means of an expression from
Ar John NJ. Egan, vice president of the
central road in which he advised that he
ana not desire the Centrars vote cast on
nat proposition until the matter had been
thoroughly discussed. The reason is not
AhoWn. and Mr.. Egan did not give one,
'hough 1t is apparent, in view of the fact
we georgia and Alabama are not mem
bers Of the associa ton and would not,
therefore, be bound by it's action
IN lnelr decision to pursue the matter
no further, however, the merchants fully
appreciate that the roads cannot favor
tIem TO the exclusion of the general pub
nc On account both of the interstate COM
MERGE act and state laws. They could
moi expect concessions in view of these |
restraints on the roads, and have decided !
20 rehnquish correspondence on the sub
Ject knowing the withdrawal win operate
equally on all. They share the belief,
however that the movement will event |
ualy expand and embrace even more ter
lI'ofy than Florida if mileage is used too |
extensively in future.
Morning News representative met a |
'Ci 'Hern business man day or two ago, !
" 20 had been reading the discussion Of |
.ue mileage book question Il don't see |
"Hd' me railroads are kicking about" he |
0diu On many roads in New York state !
.ou can buy mileage books for yourself, 4
S W. and your family or anybody else
ne me DOCKS are paid for and are used, and ,
o' LAY Is all the railroads want They are /
go, ngr travel ana make the reduction in |
Oruer TO secure it,"