The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-15
RATE MUST STAND
COTTON COMPREssORs SAY THEY
WILL APPEAL. TO LAW.
IF THE RAILROADS INSIST
,poN A REDUCTION IN THE RATE
FOR COMPRISING.


compress Association Precipitated
warm Discussion Over the RE-
ductiOn the Railroads Propose to
voLe-AtIantic Compress Company
uod Concluded Not to Oppose the
reduction - Resolutions, Protest.
,ny A.ainst the Reduction, Tele-
oroohed to Traffic OmciaIs in Con-
f.rence mt Hot Springs-Omcers
elected for the Ensuing Year.
The annual meeting of the South
EASTERN Compress Association was held
n yesterday at the De Soto. There were
& ,uo sessions. one in the morning and
4 one in the afternoon, and both were
1 warm. The usual routine business of
the association was transacted, but
+bat about which the members grew
heated in their argument related to
rates to be charged for the compress
sion of cotton. Some of the members
declared that their property would be
mined. that the reduction of the rates
would mean its virtual confiscation and
reversion to the railroads.
It had reached the members of the
association that it was the purpose of
the railroads to cut the rate for COM
pression from S12 cents a hundred to
6 cents. Indeed, it was reported that
the Conference Committee of the
southeastern Freight Association was
in meeting at Hot Springs, Va, and
that the question of the reduction was
under consideration.
After some little discussion at the
morning session, there was a commit
tee appointed to make a report at the
afternoon session. This report was
adopted by large majority. 1t was
in the form of the following resolu:
tons
Whereas. 1t has come to the knowl-
edge of this association that a reduc-
ton of 2k cents will be made by the
different railroads for the COMPRISING
of cotton, they being about to pay 6
cents, instead of S12 cents as hereto
4 fore; and,
Whereas, Said reduction makes the
4 compress business improbable, and
q when forced to do it amounts to prac-
A teal cOntiscation of all congresses;
and,
Whereas, If said reduction prevails,
in order to give sufficient remunera-
ton for COMPRISING additional charges
must be made to the shipper and he
in turn must add such charges in buy
ing his cotton, and thereby pay less
for the product to the farmer; it is
u therefore,
Resolved, First that the railroad
authorities be requested to rescind
their resolution to pay cents and
that the charge for COMPRISING be as
heretofore, say S12 cents, so as to save
the producer the additional tax on cot
ton and the owners of congresses a
serious loss in the value of their prop
erty.
Resolved, further, that in the event
~ the railroads are unwilling to comply
with our request, that we employ com
petent counsel to go before the Rail-
81 road Commission and courts, and get
the commissions to make a differential
rate of ten points on compressed cotton
. and that all expenses for carrying out
this resolution be betrayed by this as
II ISOLATION.
Resolved, further, that a commit
tee OF five shall be appointed by the
chair, which shall be known as the
steering Committee, and who shall
look after the proper execution of these
resolutions. c. Wessolowsky. chair
man; j. S. Akers, ]. H. Rucker, ]. P.
Doughty, John c. Webb, Committee"
President w. H. Tayloe of Union
town. Ala, called the association to or
der
The following gentlemen were pres
ent at the meeting: Messrs w. B.
Harold, Americus; ]. P. Doughty. Au-
gusta; c. Wessolowsky, Albany; Law
renee Fiske, Montgomery; C. C. Han
sen Atlanta; Lee Roy Springs, Column
ola; A. j. Carver Dawson; ]. S. Akers,
Atlanta; j. B. English, Macon w. o.
Jones, Elberton; j. L. Whitehead, AL
oany; S. B. Brown Albany; j. M. Finn.
Dublln; Joseph Newberger, Grenada,
MISS. j. H. Rucker, Athens; James P.
Farrell, Montgomery; w. H. TayIoe,
Onlontown; Columbus Bierce, New Or
ieans James Tobin, Augusta; ]. NJ.
barnard, Savannah; w. A. Crutchfield,
Macon; ]. F. Minis. Savannah; L. H.
aearn, West Point, Miss; w. H.
Games, Galveston; B. T. Lowe, Angus
"a Thomas 3. Blake, Atlanta; c.. c.
Cantrell, Troy; w. w. Robinson, Ma
con- M. NJ. Champion, Townsville; w.
y: Austin, Savannah; William Drake,
Nlcksburg, and Herbert w. Slower.
New York
4 Reports of the officers were received,
ana the usual business was transacted.
men the question of the prospective
reduction in rates for compression was
III oIodched. Mr.. Doughty took a leading
put IN the discussion, saying that he
Understood that it was the purpose of
me railroads to make the reduction,
anu mat as the association was organ
yea Tor purposes of mutual benefit and
projection, he desired to know how the
e0Hpresses expected to cope with such
reduction
some eight or nine years ago the rate
toI compression was 10 cents a hun
uea' and Mr.. Akers said that he had
Sluerstood that an effort was afoot to
nave it restored to that amount. He
sSAed Secretary Hanson what had been
T Ione along that line, to which Mr..
hanson replied that that matter had
'Ten disposed of a year ago
MI robin declared that a reduction
cents hundred would mean that
nc congresses could not successfully
operate At S12 cents, he said, the
oIIlHPensation is reasonable, but
ulaIges would have to be made if it
~ 80 made cents that would reflect
upon the producer.
At NJ. hanson, who is president of the
eialuc Compress Company, repre-
IA lung thirteen of the presses in the
nc speclatlon, was asked for the position
FL n uIs company. He answered that
beeung Of his Board of Directors had
s" held, when it was decided that
me company would not oppose the pro-
poseG reduction. If the railroads per-
~ IN the determination to make it.
NAT statement seemed to arouse
80 - Ieellns, as some of the members
81 syUiSluered that, as matter of course,
rsd,, lne congresses would oppose the
i-uIuon. The discussion finally Gull