The morning news., 1899-12-07
WON'T RAISE PRICES HERE.
.nyANCE IN COAL RATES WILL NOT
AFFECT SAVANNAH.

r,terfOr Points in Georgia VIII BE
,Gected, hut Water Competition
prevents the Roads From Extend
tu.- the Advance of Ten Cents a
ron to the POrts-HOVv MIR. Egan of
the Central Meets the Objection to
The Advance-ShOws Mines Are De-
handing an Increase of 80 Per
cent. From the RailrOads-News
and Notes of the Railroads.
The price of coal in Savannah wiR not
he affected when the railroads put inlo
ees.t their promised increase in rates
from The mines to points of consumption.
The increase viii be ten cents on every
IN. but coal will he sold for the same
mise in Savannah after the rate goes into
eaec as now, in 50 far as the increase
NAV he concerned. i.
Vice President Egan Of the Central was
sssn yesterday relative to the proposed
Increase. He said it is only 10 interior
points that it is contemplated, the seaports
being excepted. That they are not in
eIudel with destinations TO which tie rates
are TO lie raised is due to the water COM
peu,ion, the transportation by vessel be-
ing even now cheaper than that by rail.
Comparaively little of the coal used IN
Savannah is brought here by rail. That is
due 10 the fact that there is a good busi-
ness established by water route, schoon-
ers and barges bringing the coal from the
North If the rail rates to seaports should
be increased there would be sill further
advantage given the vessels, and the rail-
roads would carry even less coa9 than
now.
The Railroad Commission was advised of
the purpose of the railroads to increase
the coal rate. Chairman 1rammefl thought
Il possible that the roads had not gil en-
the matter due consideration. He accord
ingly wrote the traffic managers of the
roads IN Georgia a letter that indicated it
might lie well for the officials to consider
a possible effect upon manufac urirg IN
dusties if The price of coal snould he rais-
cd through an advance IN railroad rates.
Mr. Eean does not be ieVe the effect of a
slight advance on coal rates wou hurt
manufacturing enterpris to anything Ike
the degree railroads would be hurt If they
should on,inue to carry ccai at the present
rates He says many, if not aal of the rail-
ways in Georgia have expended large. sums
for the encouragement Of manu- a turing
Industries and have advertised The re
sources of the state in many ways with
view If increasing The population ard MAX
ing it equal with other slats5 in the union
that have more wealth without having
greater advantages.
Bus hess mtn " no have established such
enterprises in the STATE, MIR. Egan says,
and ale carry ng them on know full well
that no firm or corpol alton can be a sue
cess that does business at less than cost.
He says every manufacturing corporal on
in Georgia, owing to the better condition
Of affairs that prevails throuehout the
country, is able 10 obtain tor its products
now much higher price than in the past.
The Central, he says, is in accord with
this Prosperity and hopes il will continue
for some time to come.
The prosperity lowering over other cor
poTauons however, does not, according to
Mr. Eean, extend to the railroads. They
nave 10 pay more for material and sup
pies than ever before. the manufacturers
having run up the prices on them. Even
coal will cost them a great deal more next
Year than they have been paying.
The matter of this advance in the price
OF the coal the railroads use was discussed
by Mr.. Egan. Taking the Central as an
example, he went on to say that the rail-
roads will have no little difficulty to CON
tend with in this respect. showing that
during the year ending Oct. 81, 1899, the
l.
O. b., cars at the mines, 236, 145 tons of coal
al cost of $225,320. Within the past week,
when negotiations for the CentraPs coal
supply for the calendar year 1900 were
pending, Mr.. Egan was quoted an advance
On the present prices equal to at least 30
per cent.
II the Central uses the same quantity of
coal during the coming as during the past,
year this advance in prices will increase
lis operating expenses for coal alone $751;
@5. The increased cost of conveying this
quantity Of coal from the mines to the
points where It is to he used will be about
5000 which would make the total amount
Of additional expenses for coal alone $112-
$685.
The Central handled 2S9, ,S63 tons of rev.
enue-paying coal during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1899. If it should handle
similar quantity paying revenue during
me fiscal year ending June 30, 1900, the
proposed advance of 10 cents a ton in
freight rates would increase the revenue
from handling coal $23, $3.50, which is only
n per cent. of the increase of S112, ,596 in
me cost Of coal to the company al points
Whefe the fuel Is to be used
some time ago Mr. Egan gave some idea
u lle advance in all manner of railroad
supplies and materials. The advance in
.ne price Of coal is among the least. Some
nave increased all the way from 50 to 100
per cent. Mr. Egan says that, while there
seems TO be a season of prosperous times,
we Iuiure for the railways is darkened by
tue additional expenses that will be In
CURED In procuring. the necessary supplies
10 operate them.