The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-19
KICKS
WHEN THEY DID 1T
KNEW THAT OTHER CITIES
WOULD NOT TAMELY ACCEPT
THEIR OWN DOOM.

Yet Railroad Commission, Joseph
NJ. Brown Says. Calmly Proceed
ed to Give Atlanta Rates That
Are Believed TO Spell Ruin for
Manufacturers of Competing Cit
ies-HOVv Atlanta Freight Bureau
Man seeks TO Comfort Savannah.
Atlanta, Sept. 1S.-The Railroad
Commission expected complaints SIM
liar to that which is now made by Sa-
vannah, as the result of it's recent cir
cular order reducing rates on manu-
factGred goods from Atlanta to Athens,
Augusta, Macon and Columbus. In
fact, several of these complaints have
already been received by the COM
mission, and in speaking of them Com
missioner Joseph NJ. Brown said:
I'VE propose to give as prompt at
tention as possible to each and every
one of these complaints, and to see
that every section of the state is given
fair and impartial rates. The subject.
as every one will readily understand,
is big one, and it will require some
time to deal with it properly. The re-
cent reductions which the commission
made constitute only the first step in
the work we have before us. Other
matters viii be taken up in their order
and we hope to have the whole situa-
tion Strengthened out to the satisfac-
tion of all as soon as it is possible to
do So
Tour of the A. and b. n. n.
Mr.. Brown spoke in general of the
complaints that have been received,
but did not state from what points
they had come.
The commission will be in Cordele
tomorrow and will from there make
a trip over the line of the Atlantic and
Birmingham Railroad as the guests of
the officials of that road, returning to
Atlanta on Wednesday or Thursday.
Vice President Sam d. Jones of the
Atlanta Freight Bureau was asked to-
day about the complaints made by Sa-
vannah with regard to the recent ac-
tion of the commission. Mr.. Jones,
who is president of the Atlanta Stove
| Works, has taken an active interest in
the rate matter and was witness be-
! fore the commission.
just BE Patient, He Says.
1T is trle under the order of the
commission. Savannah ieannot get
goods from Atlanta any cheaper than
heretofore" Mr.. Jones said. but that
will be provided for in the commits
| sion's action on the main question
which we have submitted to them. that
| is, If the commission takes the same
view of the matter that we do. We
have demanded a reduction in rates
between Atlanta and the ports, Sa-
vannah and Brunswick, to apply in
| both directions, and this will include
reductions on all the classes: as well as
commodities. This. / understand, the
commission is working on now and we
may expect something definite from
them in the near future.
Further than this understand that
the commission proposes to extend the
reductions made in Circular SOL to ev-
cry basis point i'm the state, that is, as
near as it is possible to do so, it pro-
poses to put them on practically the
same footing. When this is done and
the port rates are amended as they
should be, do not think Savannah
will have any cause Of complaint.
Has Water, what Else Is Wantcds
Savannah certainly has no ground
of complaint that she cannot compete
With Atlanta. Even now Savannah. as
a port city, has always enjoyed adj
vantageous freight rates such as At
lanta and other inland poinls have
never been able to secure. Savannah
still enjoys these low rates and should
not complain If Atlanta is given that
to which she is entitled. But Atlanta
is not making any effort to secure any
advantage over Savannah or any other
Georgia city. All we are asking is to
be put on the same basis with all, and
particularly with Nashville, Birming-
ham, Montgomery, Chattanooga. Rich
mond and other points similarly locat-
ed, which in spite of their great dis
tance are enabled to undersell Atlanta
in her own territory solely because OF
unjust discriminating rates"
--s-e-e--