The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-22
THE RATES TOO HIGH
ROADS MUST NOT DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST SAVANNAH.
JUDGE SPEER'S DECREE.
INJUNCTION AGAINST L. & NJ, F., c.
d p. AND s., F. s. w.

Decree Follows the Conclusions An
nOunced by Judge Speer in His Re-
cent Decision in the Case of the In
terstate Commerce Commission
Against the L. & n. and other
Roads-Rates ON Cotton and Naval
Stores, From Points on the Pensa-
cola and Atlantic to Savannah,
VIII Have to Come DOvn-The Rul-
ing of the Interstate Commerce
Commission Upheld.
Judge Speer's decree in the case of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
against the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company and others was
filed yesterday in the Office of the
clerk of the United States Circuit
Court. The decree follows the decision
rendered by Judge Speer some two
weeks ago and in it's effects will be of
large Importance to the cotton and ma
val stores interests of Savannah.
The case was based upon an effort
to enforce ruling of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, in which the
Savannah Board of Trade, which had
declared illegal certain rates on cot
ton and naval stores the Louisville and
Nashville had declared operative and
enforced between points in Florida and
Savannah. W.. w. Gordon, Jr was
counsel tor the complainant in the
hearings had before Judge Speer. The
decision of the court, it will be remsm-
bered, upheld in every essential respect
the complainant's contentious.
The decree filed yesterday expresses
in mandatory form the conclusions
reached by Judge Speer and expressed
in his decision. 1t upholds absolute
ly the ruling of the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
Must Charge Only Fair Rates.
The respondents, the L. & N, the
F., c. & P. and the S., F. & W., are
prohibited from charging a rate of
$3.50 per bale of 500 pounds on I'M
compressed cotton from stations on the
Pensacola and Atlantic Division of the
L. & N. to Savannah and are further
prohibited from charging or receiving
any other than "a reasonable, just
and lawful compensation" for such
service.
The roads are enjoined further from
enforcing the increase of rs cents,
which was placed into effect in Sep
TENDER, 1897, and which brought the
rate on uncompresesd cotton, from
to Savannah, up from $2.75 to $3.50 per
bale. Neither the whole amount of
this increase or any part thereof must
be charged nor will the companies be
allowed to charge for such transporta-
ton a rate which is more than rs
cents higher than the rate from the
same point to New Orleans.
The companies are further enjoined
from charging a rate of PAN cents per
hIJn6rnd fnr. rrciY1 nd QQ1L nte
per hundred pounds for turpentine,
shipped in carload lots from points on
the Pensacola and Atlantic to Savan-
nah, and from charging more than
Just, reasonable and lawful compen-
sation" for such service.
Same Rate as Pensacola.
On shipments of rosin in carload lots
from points on the Pensacola and At
lantic division of the Louisville and
Nashville to Savannah, by way of Riv-
er Junction, the Louisville and Nash
willie is enjoined from charging high
er rate per hundred pounds for it's SER
vice to River Junction than it charges
on similar shipments to Pensacola,
which is approximately the same dis
lance. On shipments of rosin from sta
tions west of Messy Head to Savan-
nah, by way of River Junction, the
same rate is made to apply, while from
stations east of Messy HeadEthe rate to
River Junction, on shipments to Sa-
vannah, must not be more than six
cents higher than the rate from Sneeds
to Pensacola.
Judge Speer's decree directs that the
costs of the case be taxed against the
respondents and that execution for
them issue at once.
1t is possible that the case will be
carried by the railroads at interest to
the Circuit Court of Appeals, but the
opinion of Judge Speer is usually re-
garded as so convincing and accurate
an expression of the law, it is not be-
lieved that an appeal would result in
a reversal Of the iII6pnopt apd daorao