Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-10-06

AAC AnC DlulL DOdfu OL lfduo uolu
a warm session Friday afternoon, at
the board Of trade rooms. The meet.
ing was special one, called for the
purpose of discussing with the officials
of the Cotton Belt and the Pine Bluff
Arkansas River railway, otherwise
known as the Swan Lake road, the
matter Of reducing the freight rates
on the latter line. The members of
the railway company arrived in the
city in their private cars Thursday af
ternoon, for the purpose of attending
a meeting of the directors of the Pine
Bluff Arkansas River railway, held
in the Offices of Bridges and Wool
bridge. attorneys. Friday morning.
They were represented at the board of
trade meeting in the persons of Su-
Belt; General Attorney West. and
perintendent VIM. Green of the Cotton
Traffic Manager Fl. E. Farrell. Super
intendent Green seemed to take little
interest in the proceedings. and left
the room before the interesting part
OF the proceedings took place.
General Attorney West opened the
ball by making reply to those parties
wishing reduction in the freight
rates on the Swan Lake road. His re-
ply consisted of a report in statistic
al form of the receipts and expendi.
lures of the Swan Lake property dur
ing the fiscal year 1904. He endeay-
ored to make this answer the argu-
ments of the shippers for reduction
in rates. by showing that the road had
suffered an actual loss in operating ex-
penses of more than $4,000 during
that peried. Attorney West was diplo-
matte in the extreme. and talked per-
suadingy of the condition of the road
at the present time.
John M. Oracle. than whom there is
perhaps no man better acquainted
with the actual conditions of the
Swan Lake road, replied to Judge
West. and stated that the manage
ment of the road had taken report
of the roads condition in 1904 as
criterion, whereas it was we'll known
that the road was knocked cut of
third of the years business during
that particular period by the over
flow The statistics submitted by
Judge West were all right. except that
they didn't work, that was all. He
knew what the Swan Lake property
was like. and was prepared to say that
up to the time the Cotton Belt took
charge of the property it was paying
money, and he could see no legitimate
excuse for it's not paying more money
now, since the operating expenses had
been materially reduced by the Cotton
Belt people. Besides, they had five
miles more trackage to their credit.
And besides. the country was in a far
more prosperous condition in every
way: saw mills had been erected
along the route, new farms had been
placed in cultivation and scores of
new enterprises had sprung up to
make new business for the road
Mr.. Oracle went after the manage
ment of the road on the proposition
of freight rates. He said that he fur
nished. individually, about one-fifth of
the business of the road, and for this
reason thought he had a right to kick
at the exorbitant rates charged him.
He took the illustration of barrel
of molasses, which he said he could
have shipped from Louisiana to Rob
Roy for 21 cents, whereas the Swan
Lake road charged him IA cents to
haul it out to his place, distance Of
only nine miles. In fact, it was the
same old story, in the matter of dis
elimination.
Since the Cotton Belt had acquired
the property, he said, the local freight
rates had been raised fifty per cent,
and in fact 1t was difficult to tell just
what the rates were since no one had
ever been able to secure possession Of
a tariff sheet.
Mr.. Oracle then jumped on them
with both feet on the levee proposi-
tion. He said the planters along the
line had. been keeping up the levee
foE ~ road 'for a. number Of years.
and that the management of the road
had absolutely refused to do anything
for them Last year he had asked
them to contribute at least $500 for
the levee work, but had never got
cent out OF them.
The hrbanity and diplomacy of
Judge West, general attorney for the
road, did much to keep down friction