The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-22
FREIGHT BUREAU WON OUT.
l.. a N. Railroad Must Amend Naval
Stores Rate to savannah

Stores Rate to savannah.
Capt. D. C. Purse has Just received from
the secretary of the Interstate Commerce
Commission copy of the commissions
decision and order in the case of the sa-
vannah Bureau of Freight and Transpor-
tation, against the Louisville and Nash
Vile. Florida Central and Peninsuar and
Savannah, Florida and Western Railways
and other transportation lines in Georgia
and Florida, which fully sustains and up
holds the contention of the freight bureau.
The unlawful acts of the lines which are
the defendants in the case in making dis
criminative freight rates against SaYan-
nah, especially the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad, which is the original and
principal offender, have received frequent
notice in the Morning News and some time
since the decisin of the Interstate Com
merce Commission was reported and its
salient points given. The order, designed
to carry out the conclusions of the decis-
ion, has just been promulgated. 1t directs
that by March IS the Louisville and Nash
vile shall cease to charge and collect the
rates that are declared Illegal, and shall
put in force scale of rates that shall do
equal and exact justice and violate none
of the provisions of the act to regulate
interstate commerce. r
In stating the case that had been offered
for dts considera ton and determination
the commission, in its decision, says: THE
Louisville and Nashville Company makes
certain local rates on rosin and turpentine
from stations on it's Pensacola and Al
iantic division in Florida to Pensacola,
Fla. and it joins with CONNECTING carriers
in making certain through group rates
from the same stations to Savannah Ga.
For It's service to the junction point the
Louisville and Nashville exacts shares of
the through joint rates to Savannah,
which greatly exceed It's purely local rates
for like distances to Pensacola, while the
shares accepted by its connec ting carriers
are reasonably low"
Upon this state of facts the. commission
held, first ''that the shares of the Louis
vile and Nashville Company in the
through rates to Savannah are unreason-
able and unjust and operate to make the
entire through rates unlawful under sec
tons l and of the act, in comparison
with the rates to Pensacola. Second, that
rates on rosin and turpentine from such
Pensacola and Atlantic division stations
20 Savannah should be adjusted to the
rates to Pensacola by adding to the local
rates of the Louisville and Nashville
Company for the distance to Pensacola,
which is nearest to the distance from each
staten 10 River Junetien, the re e ! [ snare
accepted by the carriers to Savannah from
River Junction: provided, however, that
on shipments of turpentine to Savannah
from stations east of Messy Head the
Louisville and Nashville Company should
have more than its loNal rate for the like
distance to Pensacola, and that such rate
should be determined by adding differ
entail of cents to the Louisville and
Nashville rate from Sneads to Pensacola,
Nax affVzag 20 INnFf
cepting their present share from such sta
tons east of Messy Head"
The recently issued order of the COM
mission provides that the decision shan be
cried into immediate effect by the rail-
roads, especially the Louisville and Nash
ville. The railroads are specifically re-
quired to desist from charging the uulaw-
full and improper rates they have charged
in the past on rosn and turpenine, and
to make their rates conform to those
charged to Pensacola. The discrimination
against Savannah, which of late has serv-
ed to take some of the capital invested in
the naval stores business to- Pensacola and
other points in Florida, win thus be at an
end
The decision of the commission also de-
clares the rate of $3.50 per bale of 800
pounds of uncompressed cotton, from the
stations on the Pensacola and Atlantic di-
vision of the Louisville and Nashville to
Savannah, to be Illegal and violative Of
the provisions OF the act TO regulate inter- |
state commerce. The defendant companies
are required to desist from charging this
rate and to bring the rate back to that
previously charged, S. 10 per bale of 800 |
pounds of uncompressed cotton.
The railroads affected by the order are |
required further to make and file with |
the commission, on or before the fifteenth |
day of March. 1900. a statement showing |
the rates which they have fixed and es- |
tablished under the provisions OF the or |
der.
Capt. Purse hopes that this victory for |
the Bureau OF Freight and Transporta-
ton will result in much good to the city |
and so expressed himself. when he was |
seen, on the subject. The bureau was rep |
resented before the commission by Mr.
w. w. Gordon, Jr