The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-28
GREAT PRINCIPLE INVOLVED.
RIGHT TO REDUCE RATES WHERE
THERE is COMPETITION.

Argument of the southern's Counsel
in the Famous DanviIIe Case, Be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Cons
missiOn-DanviIIe Wants TO BE Put
on Parity with Lynchspurg and
Richmond Railroads Reasons
for Not Doing IL.
Washington, Oct. N.-The complaint of
the city OF Danville Va, against the
Southern and other railroad companies,
was argued before the Interstate Cons
merce Commission to-day. Mr.. Holmes
Conrad appeared for the city, and Mr.
Edward Baxter for the railroad companies.
Mr.. Conrad said. in his presentation OF
the charges, that they were those of dis
elimination in favor of Lynchburg and
Richmond against Danville, and included
not only freights to Danville and the other
points, but outgoing rates as WELL the lat-
ter item including especially the rates on
tobacco to Louisville.
The specific allegation was that higher
rates were charged from other points TO
Danvllle than were charged from those
same points to Lynchburg and Richmond
the shorter. This he characterized as an
undue and unwarrantab.e preference. He
presented a table TO show that while tha
distance to Lynchburg was sixty-six miles
greater from points ia the New England
and Middle States than to Danvile, there
was a preference In favor of Lynchburg
OF II cents per 100 on nrst-class freights
and a corresponding preference on all oth-
er classes OF freights. A difference of II
cents was shown on freghts from Balti-'
more, of "a cents on Western -four, and OF
IS cents on leaf tobacco to Louisville.
why the Rates Are So.
Replying, Mr.. Baxter admitted that tha
Lynchburg and Richmond rates wera
lower than those to Danvllle, but he de-
MED that they we're made under substan-
TALLY similar conditions His contention
was to the effect that the rates to Lynch
burg and Richmond had been made 10
meet the figures of lines which were In
existence when the Southern road entered
the field. and he quoted numerous OLD
schedules, some of them going back as
far as 1875. to show that the rates to
Lynchburg had from that time been lower
than those to Danville. The Southern
road had neither reduced nor increased
rates and could not be held responsible for
the tariffs imposed.
IL the question involved Danville only,
ne said, there might be an easy adjust-
ment, but IL involved principle and there-
fore, the change could not be conceded.
This principle was the right 10 make low
er rates where there was competition than
where there was not He also showed
that on the Washington line of the road
the distance 70 Lynchburg was less than
that TO Danville, and contended that this
being the case, the rate to Lynehburg
from Norfolk, over the Norfolk line must
be the same as that over the Washington
line, Notwithstanding on the Norfolk line
the distance to DanVille was less.
In his reJonder Mr. Conrad said that In
opposition TO the showing Of old schedules,
the testimony of many witnesses made ID
plain that the Danville rates had been in
creased since 1886, when the Southern Com
pany had acquired the lines running into
Danville, and ne contendcd that the dis
elimination had been so great as to sap
the lifeblood OF that city. Merchants from
Richmond and Bynchburg had been able
to sell under the very shadow Of the
houses In Danville, the result being that
Danvile merchants we're driven out Of
business.