The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-24
BREWER ENTERED
THE ARENA ALONE
Wanted Georgia Freight Rates
Decreased 20 Per Cent
ASKS POINTED QUESTIONS
Mr.. Winburn and Mr.. culp Were
Both Questioned by Man Who
Signed Himself Secretary
Board o. Trade.
ASKS POINTED QUESTIONS

Atlanta, April %. = (Speeial.)-Single
handed and alone, W. H. Brewer of Crit
fin, who signs himself secretary of the
Griffin Board of Trade, appeared be-
fore the railroad commission Elst week to
urge the granting of his petition which
asks that the commissions standard tariff
of freight rates be reduced 20 per cent
throughout the state.
Mr.. Brewer faced some twenty or TWEEN
ty-five railroad men, all life time ex-
perts in their profession, who had the
matter of freight rates at their finger
tips. Though his petition was signed by
some tirty-fve or forty Griffin merchants,
none of them accompanied him here to
make the fight
Mr.. Brewer first wanted some of the
railroad men sworn as witnesses. The
first one he called on was Vice President
w. A. Winburn of the>Central of Georgia,
who was put upon oath, and Mr.. Brewer
then began to question him. A number
of questions were asked about the value
of the Centrals property and its tax re-
turns with which Mr.. Winburn was not
familiar, and he replied he did not know.
Mr.. Brewer then asked at what the
Central of Georgia was bonded.
about $4,000 a mile, l believe" Mr..
Winburn replied.
And you return 1t for taxes at $4,000
Mr.. Brewer said. ''There is one thing I
would not do" Mr.. Brewer continued,
land that is swear to a lie about my
taxes. I return my property at every
dollar of its value. and would sell at
for what I return it,
Mr.. Brewer asked Mr.. Winburn some
questions about the comparative cost of
hauling interstate and local traffic. Mr..
Winburn replied that the cost of hauling
local tariff was greater.
Then why don't you quit hauling local
traffic altogether" Mr. Brewer asked
Mr.. Winburn replied that the railroad had
been built largely for that purpose.
Mr.. Brewer charged that the Central
of Georgia had increased its earnings 25
per cent year for the last two years
and all of the money had been charged
up to operating expenses. Permanent
improvements had been so charged, he de-
clared, and money had been spent to pay
lawyers to "bribe members of the legis-
1ature."
Mr.. Winburn spoke of water COMPETE
ton at Savannah.
'The only water I know anything about
in connection with railroads Is watered
stock and they have plenty of that
Mr.. Brewer retorted
General Freight Agent l.. Green of the
Southern was the next witness and Mr.
Brewer questioned him somewhat on the
same line. After examining several wit
nesses, Mr.. Brewer made a speech in be-
half of his plea for a reduction of freight
rates. He admitted that nothing could
be shown by the witnesses.
You can't get anything out of the peo-
ple'' he declared.
The railroads could all stand this re-
duction of 20 per cent, he asserted, and
they ought to be made to stand 1t. They
would never do it until they were forced
to.
General Freight Agent A. Pope Of the
Seaboard Air Line and other railroad
men made brief arguments against Mr.
Brewers petition. Fourth Vice-President
J. M. Culp of the Southern and Vice
President Winburn of the Central OF
Georgia said they would waive making
arguments at this time, but in case the
commission decided to hear from them,
they would be ready at any time to p e.
sent their side of the case. They did not
consider that any case had been made
out by Mr.. Brewer, they said
In reply to questions from General
Freight Agent James Menzies of the At
lantic Coast Line, Mr.. Brewer admitted
that he had no basis upon which to de-
mand a reduction of 20 per cent in the
freight rates on that system, and that
he knew nothing about the rates charged
on the Coast Line. Mr. Brewer said he
simply wanted the reduction to apply to
all the railroads in the state because
he thought they could stand it and
ought to be made to do so.
Several other railroad men questioned
Mr. Brewer along the same line, and the
commission when the hearing concluded
took the matter under Amusement