The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-09
BIG DELEGATION
FROM SAVANNAH
FOR RATE HEARING FRIDAY.
CITY ATTORNEY GARRARD WILL
MAKE THE ARGUMENT

Savannah Rate Committee and Dele
CATION of manufacturer and Rep
resentative business Men win
storm the Georgia Capitol to De-
pand Equal Rates for Savannah
With Those Proposed for Atlanta.
Data Being Prepared and DeIega-
tion VIII be Armed With an Ar
ray of Facts, Showing How Savan-
nah Would be Injured by the Dis
examinations.
A delegation of fifteen or twenty
representative business men of Savan-
nah will appear before the Railroad
Commission next Friday. City Attor-
ney Garrard will argue the case be-
fore the commission, and short argu-
ments will also be made by a num-
Der of others from Savannah who are
to be present at the hearing. This
was determined upon at a meeting of
the City Rate Committee at the Cham
her of Commerce yesterday afternoon.
A plan Of work was outlined that
the committee may be in a position
TO show the commission just how the
proposed rates would damage Savan-
nah. Secretary w. j. Donlan of the
Chamber of Commerce was appointed
secretary of the committee by Mayor
AYERS. Mr.. Donlan will get up facts
and figures showing just how the dis
examinations would affect Savannah's
interests. He has already gathered a
great deal of information on the sub
ject, and more will be compiled with
in the next few days.
Committee Means Business.
1t was the sense of members of the
committee present that large dele
cation be taken to Atlanta to show
the officials that Savannah is thor
oughly stirred up over the discrimina-
lions. Let them see that we mean
business" is the way one member of
the committee put it.
In discussing the matter the COM
mittee clearly outlined the fight that
is to be made. 1t is not to be a fight
against low rates, nor yet a fight
against Atlanta, but a fight against
rates discriminating against Savan-
nah in favor of Atlanta.
They can make the rates as low as
they please, said Mayor Myers, aft
err the meeting, and the committee
won't kick. What we are going to
insist upon is that Savannah be given
as low rates as Atlanta or any other
point. 1t is the discrimination against
this point that We object to-"
Not Fighting Atlanta.
I'VE want it understood that we are
not fighting Atlanta said a member
OF the committee during the general
discussion that took place. atlanta.
has her advantages and Savannah has
hers. What we object to is Atlanta
retaining her own advantages and TAX
ang Savannah's also. Atlanta's advan-
tages as distributing point are recog-
nlzed, and Savannah's advantages as
port are equally we'll known We
don't object to Atlanta's ADVANTAGES,
but we want her to leave US ours"
We object to their overcoming nat
ural advantages by artificial means,
and that is what the proposed rates
would do said another member of the
committee. Savannah has natural ad.
Vantages that no inland town can
overcome"
VIII Study Carefully.
1t was agreed that the rate question
would have to be carefully studied and
investigated before the appearance be- |
fore the commission. Immediately aft
or the meeting Mayor Myers called
upon Col. Garrard to see if he would
undertake the work. and he agreed to
do so. All the information gathered
by Secretary Donlan will be turned
over to Col. Garrard, and the question
'ill be carefully studied from every
standpoint.
All of this information will be tab
ulated so that ii can be readily re-
ferred to, and the commission will be
stormed with this array of data. The
members of the committee will study
the rate question as much as possible, |
but 1t is such complicated one that
1t was decided to have an attorney
to go thoroughly into the matter, and
make the main argument before the
commission.
VIII BE a Large Delegation.
Besides the rate committee, nearly
all of the members of which are go
ing, Mayor Myers is DESTROYS of hav-
ing a number of manufacturers and
other business men make the trip to
Atlanta. He viii ask some of them
to go and he requests that any, whom
he is unable to see, who can go, will
send in their names. He wants as
large a delegation as possible.
The party will leave Savannah
Thursday night, spend Friday in At
lanta and return Friday night, reach
ing here early Saturday morning. On
~ one day will be lost from business
and the Mayor urges all the manufac-
turers, who can do so, to make the
trip. The delegation will not only APP
pear before the commission, but will
call upon Gov. Terrell and ask his
good Offices