The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-30
c0rIGYT MEN WON THE FIGHT.
rro OVER COMMISSIONS DE-
L c1sIoN ON COTTON RATES.

N
MS ConeratuIating Themselves
RoteS Remaining Unchanged.
80 convinced That the Present
,...s Are Equitable, But Feared
,hc Result of the COmmissiOn's
,-.stiantion They Hold That
,rh.v clearly Had the Better of the
..rmeut-Nfce President Egan's
v.rosition of the Railroads Side.
g..slac-ion beams from the face Of
ri. railroad official in Savannah who
H. snytbirg to do with the transports
''.a ~ freight. Relief of the uncertainty
,s,t was felt as to the action of the Rail
..,5 commission in the cotton case is the
..nss The effect is not confined to. the
,4,tsls OF lines centering at Savannah,
,,- extends throughout the state.
THE Railroad Commission did not cut the
-s,ss on cotton. In failing to do so the
,,,,rois=on did no more than was ex-
,,sotsi of it, after the arguments We're
ssar5 that the railroads had carefully
,.-.rsrsd and submitted. 1t was clear to
many thai the commission could not pos
demand that the roads make the reduc-
,,,p suggested by Chairman Trammeu.
and The decision handed down day before
Yesterday afternoon in favor of the roads
WAS not in the nature of surprise,
though largely of relief. for the railroad
officials felt some alarm until they finally
asesrtamed that the commission viewed
tbs natter as they did,
Vice President John NJ. Egan, Traffic
Manager Z. II. Hinton and General
Freight Agent W. A. Winburn were the
Central officials who returned yesterday
morning from their trip to Atlanta. Co.
A. R. Lawton Of the firm of general coun-
s,l for the read was also member of the
party that returned, while the other lines
were also represented by counsel and OFF,
cals Vice President and General Man
ager Cecil Gabbett of the Georgia and
Alabama and Adr w. T. Charlton of the
firm Of general counsel, We're there for
that road while the Plant System had its
interests in the fight cared for by Freight
Traffic Manager d. f. Jack, General
Freight Agent James Menzies and Hon. f.
q. duBignOn of the firm of general coun-
sell
Day before yesterday brought no con-
rnuance of the hearing before the com
mission, hut that body held a secret SEES
son TO look into the merits of
the roads arguments against a reduc-
ZION. The position of the carriers must
have appealed strongly to the commits
sloners, for he decision finally reached was
unanimous in favor of the roads The case
was indefinitely postponed, which means
that 1t was laid on the table to remain UNI
IL Inc commission may care to take il up
AGAIN That is as much as the officials
could have possibly expected. and they
We're Wen pleased to have succeeded SO
wen In showing the commission that they
oouia not stand the imposition of rates so
much below those that are now in effect.
Last spring the commission served all
roads in the stale with a notice to appear
ana snow cause why the cotton rates
should not be reduced. The first hearing
was IN Jhe latter part of June, when the
i'IoadS arguments were filed. A post
lohement was ordered by the commission
al mat ume, however, and the next hear
Hs was not until July "a. Chairman Tram
men men mad a substitute to his original
Poposiu on that the roads make a hori-
zohtal cut in cotton rates 20 per cent T.
was to have them adopt a Siding scale Of
GUS whereby the rates from five up to 100
N"ieS snoud he sca.ed, making the reduc-
't0H IN the present rates the greater the
less the mileage.
tAe railroads did not feel that they could
Arule the proposition without time for
'oNSIoeIatlon, so they asked the commits
',oH TO allow them another postponement.
A. was granted, and the hearing on Thurs
,S was me close OF the matter. Such a
suohg case was made out by the roads
Oldt lhe commission could not ignore their
90 lli4l I4iE. The
.uz STATE showed they would suffer dispro-
~ ,oHdteiy' as the sliding scale would
l'',l- mat every bale of cotton they haul
'o.dHy would be al a reduced rate. while
-e stronger lines might take a bale al one
I'm Iof delivery at another more than 100
- mrs distant and never suffer any reduc-
~ ot d1 ait. The officials believe the cry
~ ''!5 Smad lines and the manifest injus-
e mat would have been done them had
ton 0-ie"' u 'ii7 susses-
Inc commissions session on Thursday
rSs d great event in the railroad world.
',t ieaoIhs officials of all the roads in the
slar were present. Savannah, as may be
t,.-, ldu large delegation, and in all
inc af"gIg some sixty or seventy protest
ts' -' t-san is happy over the success OF
No. 'lPosltion to the threatened reduc-
t1 - AauIOdu men DO not hesitate
is 5 ooip 70 MIN much of the credit that
+i- Uue ior the defeat of the motion. for
ma Cal eIulIy prepared argument had great
.,, i,us-ce with the commission. It was
Nm, ''''i' ca IN clear and concise form that
enc me matter before the commission
ros5t III light that plainly showed the
t5a. we're not receiving anything more
ana -. "a Just and equitable rate at present
A. l.ial reduction would be a gross in
~ 'Hat the companies could NOT stand
- w.. Esah arguments were adduced en-
COZ: iioth MS personal knowledge of the
oot, lie'oNs governing the movement of the
60 crop his experience in the general
fc.s1 o'lllos Of his profession and the Of
nar l. records of the business of the com
,-5, lie submitted in part that:
nsr.. central of Georgia Railway Com
ffar operates more mileage in Georgia
ter any other railway. It's principal
st,, mas are within the borders of the
~ ~ IS interested in no other seaport
The Fahnah. 1t reaches nearly oil or
vii 7'edlest commercial centers that are
fia Neorgla boundaries, and is bene-
.nd 'Ae prosperity and welfare of each
mr. farmer, merchant, manufac-
hess oup citizen who is engaged IN BUSH
"a -"Sely or indirectly, in Georgia.
lrl,,. 'l""aN, TO earn it's expenses of
.''fAll. and IA IT. -.