The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-02-17
Mr.. GREEN EXPLAINS.

! BIRMINGHAM, ALA, Jan. n, 1890
Editor Commonwealth. Greenwood, Miss,
My DEAR SIR; NV attention has
been directed to an editorial In your
edition OF January 90, under Rather
Steep Rates." in which il Is made to
appear that the Southern railway ia
charging excessive rates ON cotton from
our local stations to Greenwood, when
the facts do not justify the charge.
| In the first place. onr local tariff rate
from Malmaison to Greenwood is 10
cents per hundred pounds, or 90 cents
per bale of 800 pounds, and not $l.2s
per oale as claimed In other words II
Mr.. Henry shipped his cotton locally
from Malmnisnn to Greenwood, we
would have charged only 80 cents per
bale thereon, II he did ship it locally
and we charged him more, | will, upon
presentation of paid freight bill,
promptly instruct Mr. Crutcher to re.
fund the overcharge.
In order to facilitate the movement Of
cotton from our local stations via the
Greenwood compress and enable Green
wood buyers to classify and substitute
at the compress, we publish through
rates from our local stations to Eastern
Virginia. South Atlantic and Gulf
Coast points and the practice is to ship
this cotton on a through bill Of lading
to be stopped Mt Greenwood for coln-
preston.
For tho sake OF uniformity we hava
established what Ia called floating
rate to the compress point. This float.
ing rate il part Of the through rate,
and is unifor,nally 81 25 per bale, which,
in some cases, is more and IN others less
than our local tariff. After this cotton
has gone through the compress, the
Cir enwood buyer reships 1t to snch
point of final destination as he may
select. He surrenders the original bill
lading and the freight bill covering
charges already paid into Greenwood AZ
81 25 per bale. We give him new bill
lading and refund the entire amount
paid into Greenwood, billing the ship
ment AT the through rate from shipping
point to final destination. II Mr.. Henry
sold his cotton IL Greenwood and sur.
rendered TO the buyer his expense bills.
the buyer should have refunded 30 him
tile full freight charges, because when
the buyer reships this cotton, the South
ern railway refunds charges TO him.
The above Is plain statement u
facts which may be easily verified, and
trust that you will give this statement
as much prominence M yon gave tho
editorial referred to In your paper OF
January 20. lam personally very much
interested in the development OF Green.
wood. Your city has not II more sub
stantial friend than the Southern rail.
way the policy of which is to con.
tribute TO the welfare Of communities
located along it's line. Yours truly,
L GREEN,
Division Freight Agent.
We are gnd to publish the above let.
ter that the planters can see the ar,
the railroad has with the
cotton buyers that ID by the seller sur
rendering the bill OF lading to the buyer
his freight in returned. We in the
article referred to stated the truth an
we had heard II from the lips Of MIR,
Henry and Mr.. Henderson, the former
who was charged Si25 n bale for ship
ping cotton nine miles, the latter 10
cents for six miles, while the rate from
Ninter City here, thirty miles, was
only 80 cents. but as We stated in a
former issne, u correction was made In
both eases. We recognize the railroads
rs well as individuals have rights which
should be protected, and no one will be
uuirlsar I'm rpsauf n WrnuU dnna thAfn