The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-10
TO TALK GALA WEEK RATES.
MERCHANTS AND RAILROAD MEN
WILL MEET TODAY.


The Only Trouble Is With Rhtes
From FIoridR-The Railroads.
Want the Gala week aud SO Do
Merchants-wiu Do What They
Can TO Help the Drummers.
The meeting of the representatives of
the wholesale and retail houses of the city
and the railroad passenger officials
will be held this afternoon, instead OF to-
morrow. 1t had been called for tomorrow
afternoon, but it wa ascertained that. II
would be impossible for all the railroads
TO be represented then.
The Florida Central and Pennsular rep
resentative had to come from distance
and for this reason, an the merchants be-
ing right in the city it was decided That
the meeting would b. held at the conVen7
fence of the railroad men.
General Passenger Agent A. O. Mac
Donell of the Florida Central and Penin-
sular, wrote yesterday that he would not
be able to attend the meeting if il should
be held on Tuesday, but that he will be
in the city, to-day. and twill be convenient
for him to be present
The change in the time for the holding
of the meeting signifies nothing, The
same representation can be secured, ana
one day will serve as well as the other.
What is desired is to secure action before
the meeting of the conference committee
of the Southeastern Passenger Associa-
ton. This will be held in Atlanta on Jan.
IS. The results of the meeting will be re-
ported to the conference committee, and
the passenger agents of the lines running
into will recommend the adoption OF
whatever rate may be agreed upon by the
meeting. This recommendation Will be
equivalent, it is thought to the granting
of the rate, so that whatever the meeting
of the general passenger agents and the
merchants may decide upon as a rate at
the meeting this afternoon will doubtless
be that TO which the conference commit
tee give its sanction.
The meeting will be held sat the De
Soto at 4 o'clock, city time. The railroad
men who will be present are General Pas
senger Agent j, c. Halle of the Central,
General Passenger Agent A. O. MacDon-
ell of the +. C. & p, General Freight and
Passenger Agent A. Pope, or representa-
tive, of the Georgia & Alabama, Passen-
Ger Traffic Manager b. w. Wrenn and
Assistant General Passenger Agent II. G.
McFadden of the Plant System.
The railroad men are anxious to have
= the Travellers Protective Association post
of this city hold a celebration at the time
of the state convention of the order. This
convention will be held some time in April
which will be a good month for festivities
of the kind it is proposed TO have. The
drummers want TO see the occasion. made
the biggest gala week that Savannah has
ever seen, and they think they will be
able to make it such if they can only get
the cooperation of the merchants and the
railroad men to the extent they think will
be necessary. The aid of the merchants
has been enlisted in their behalf, and il
is evident that the railroad men want to
do all they can to help the affair along.
They are willing to give the lowest rate
they can see their way clear to promul-
eating, and have so informed the drum
meTs
A meeting was held some time ago, and
it was then ascertained that there would
be no trouble in the desired rates being Sc
cured from Georgia points. The trJdols
is understood to exist with the roads out
of Florida
The fact that the time at which 1t is
proposed to hold the gala week is also thai
a. which a great many of the Florida
tourists and hotel servants are returning
to the North, will cause complications and
cut down receipts from those sources, the
railroad men claim, if low rate is put
on to Savannah
The merchants of Savannah do a large
business with Florida points and they
desire to retain this and increase the
territory. They think the gala week will
afford a good opportunity for the accom-
plishment of this. Mr.. Herman Myers
who called the meeting of the merchants
says that the business of the merchants oil
this city IS now largely done through the
travelling statesmen, and they should be
given encouragement in their Undertaking
Within the last seven or eight years, Mr.
Myers says, the trade of the
city done by merchants coming
here has decreased one-half. The firms
employ more travelling statesmen and near
ly all the business is done through the or
ders received through these drummers OF
those sent in direct from the merchants
over the country. These merchants for
merly came 10 Savannah to do their trad
ing, Mr.. Myers says, but they have now
given up this practice, 1t is also his opin-
ion that the city should be alive to the adj
vantages that viii follow the holding OF
the gala week. He says Macon and At.
lanta are constantly having such cele.
brations to. hold and increase their trade
and that Savannah should do the same +.
The last meeting at which the railroad
officials discussed the matter of rates was
held by the members of the. post This
time the merchants viii talk with the Off
Gals. The drummers have been success
full in getting the merchants TO take that
InlIch interest In the matter. The gen
tEmen's parlor of the De Soto Will be used
for the meeting in the event the crowd is
not too large TO be accommodated by it
; in that case, the banquet room will be
used