The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-18
INJUNCTION GRANTED
AGAINST THE CENTRAL.
Judge Cam UphOIds the North and
South Steamship Co.

South Steamship Co.
An Injunction restraining the Cen
trail of Georgia Railway from discrim-
mating aginst the North and South
Steamship Company has been granted
by Judge Cam in the Superior Court.
The details of the case are familiar,
the argument having been heard Sat
scented the petitioners and Lawton &
Cunningham the railway company.
The North and South Company
claimed that the railway company
charged it Az cents more for wharf
ing, towage. etc, per barrel of rosin
and other naval stores than it did the
Merchants and Miners or the Ocean
Steamship Company lines. 1t further
urged that it was Disseminated
against in handling of cotton and that
lumber shipments were held up for
from twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
treatment to all the companies.
Referring to the case, Mr.. M. M.
Stewart of the North and South Steam
ship Company said:
"The North and South Steamship
Company commended for the right to
go to the Central Railroad docks for
cargo. The Central Railway now
agrees to allow this; the North and
South Steamship Company contended
that on export or shipside cotton, the
Central Railway should deliver to the
steamship Santurce, and the Central
Railway now agrees to do this.
THE question of transferring naval
stores to the North and South Steam
ship Company on the same basis as
to the Ocean Steamship Company and
Merchants and Miners Transportation
Company is yet to be argued. the
Central contended that if North and
charge 2 cents per bale wharfage on
cotton as other wharves charge them,
they had no objection to making the
delivery. This admission of 2 cents
per bale wharfage on the part of the
Central will probably result in a de-
mand on all wharf owners for a gen.
eral reduction in wharfage rates.
AT present shippers of cotton
bought locally pay 5 cents per bale
wharfage. The present terminal
charge of points on cotton was made
upon the basis of 6 cents per bale
lighterage; 5 cents per bale wharfage,
and cents per bale for trucking to
lighter berth. This 4 cents per bale
has in many cases been absorbed.
From certain points the terminal
charge has been cut to 71a cents per
bale. AS much of the Central's bust
ness is moved over their own WharVes,
this terminal charge Is clear gain.
Comprising ha been reduced 1912
cents per bale in the past ten years,
SO the railroads are now enjoying on
cotton passing over their own termi-
nails a clear gain of 221a cents per
bale, without any reduction in freight
rates. An effort will probably be made
to have the export rate into Savannah
reduced and if the railways refuse, the
Rilroad Commission will be given the
facts and figures with request that
they handle the matter.
Another point that is taking up the
cotton trades attention is that of
compressed cotton. The rate on fiat
and compressed cotton into Savannah
is practically the same, while it takes
just two cars to haul fifty bales of
fiat or uncompressed cotton, and one
car to handle a like quantity of COM
pressed cotton. The idea is that the
railroads as common carriers have no
right to do a compress business, which
they are doing through the Atlantic
Compress Company, owned by the
Central, the Atlantic Coast Line, the
Southern and the Seaboard; that they
must give rates on compressed cotton
and rates on uncompressed cotton,
and as they can haul two bales of
compressed for one of uncompressed,
the reduction in rates on compressed
cotton must be half of those on un-
compressed cotton. less a proper al
lowance for handling and extra
weight"
In referring to the other railroads
from which deliveries are made to his
company Mr.. Stewart said that the
Seaboard Air Line had agreed to give
equitable rates and that unless the
Atlntic Coast Line discontinues dis
examinations suit win be entered
against that system to force an equal
ity of rates.