The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-01-01
Railroad Commissioner Garris.

railroad commission made public It's de-
cision in the matter of the petition OF the
1tton mills for reduction of the rate on
manufactured cotton goods. The petition
also charged that the port Of Charleston
was being Disseminated against in the
routing of shipments; that the Southern
Railway especially, declined to route
goods via Charleston, but instead shipped
via Norfolk.
The commission, after public hearing
and exhaustive investigation, decided that
the failure to route by Charleston lay
with the cotton mills, they having the
right to ship their goods by whatever
route they chose, and that Charleston was
not being Disseminated against in the
matter of rates as compared with Norfolk;
hnt that Charleston should have quicker
freight schedules from various points in
( this State 1t also reduced the rate on
{ cotton goods 20 per cent, to take effect
the first of February.
The decision is lengthy one, consum-
ing eight columns of space in the daily
papers, therefore we cannot print 1t or
even comment on it at length But the
paper has attracted SO much attention, on
account of the equity and logic of its
reasoning, that we bring it to the atten-
tion of our readers, hoping that many OF
them whom we are sure have opportunity
will read the decision 1t is the work OF
Hon. C. w. Garris, of Bamberg, who has
been a member of the board for several
years; the country boy who was born and
raised in Colleton county, not many miles
2 from this town. Mr. Garris acted for the
commission in this matter, investigated
the subject thoroughly, and wrote the
decision.
The daily papers commend the decision
for its lucidness and logic, as it makes
plain an intricate and little understood
question. The Columbia State is especially
eommendatory in its language, stating
that the paper is the best by far which
has, come from the commission. From a
lengthy editorial in chat paper on the sub
jeet, we take the following:
1T is to be hoped that those desiring
light on the very important but intricate
question of freight rates read the decision
: of the State railroad commission printed
in The State Yesterday. The decision is
really illuminative, bringing within reach
TO nd N r
of the freight rate issue between Charles
ton and the Southern railway recently
submitted for adjudication.
There is perhaps no subject IN every
day business more abstruse than that OF
railroad freight rates--So many technical
terms are employed, 50 many different
rules are applied, such multitude OF con,
tending interests have to be considered
that it requires a special education to
make rates and almost an education to
fully understand them. 1t is to the credit
of the State railroad commission that IN
this decision they have made an intricate
matter tolerably plain. The exposition is
lucid and the reasoning by which a de-
termination has been reached is logically
very sound. The paper IS convincing
one and is by far the best which has come
within our memory from the commission.
Unfortunately the railroad commission
has not been regarded as a strong factor
in arbitrating the differences which arise
between the railroads and the people, and
many of our citizens have looked upon it
as well-nigh useless. having the erroneous
opinion that the position was simply one
of ease with fat salary attached. This
idea is being dispelled, and the people
are beginning to know somewhat Of the
arduous duties and intricacies of the office,
and the credit is due to the able and logi-
cal course of the distin guished son whom
Bamberg now claims as her own. With
an earnest and conscientious desire to
fully understand and solve in just and
impartial way the grave problems before
him, he studies well the interests of all
parties concerned. Naturally then, his
decisions are based On justice and right,
and press and people are realizing that in
c.. W. GaIris We have the ablest railroad
commissioner who has ever held the office
in this State.