The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-21
RAILROAD MEN ARE
 MAKING PROTEST Shall Fare be Reduced to 2
 Cents a Mile LIVE ISSUE IN GEORGIA Prominent Railroad Officials From All Parts of the South Are Present at the Meeting of the Rail-
 road Commission.
LIVE ISSUE IN GEORGIA

Atlanta, April 20.-Railroad officials an railroad employees gathered in the senat chamber at the capitol this morning t enter their join protest against tn proposition contained in the motion 0 Chairman J. Pope Brown to reduce tn passenger rate in Georgia from to cents per mile.
 To the left of the senate chamber wer seated some thirty-five oi forty railroa' officials, including presidents, vice presi dents, traffic managers, general passen ger agents and assistant general passen ger agents, not to speak of the attor neys who were present in the event an emergency calling for their services On the other side were assembled a many railroad employees, representative of numerous labor organizations, and rep resented by Col. R. l.. Colding of Savan nah, all gathered with one object in view namely. to convice the commission tha it would be unwise as well as unjust an unfair to the. railroads to make tn proposed reduction in the passenger rat'
 Chairman Brown opened the hearin with the announcement that the meetin had been called to consider his motion | reduce the passenger fare in Georgia I ? cents. He read from the protest made one of the roads, part of which he sal stated his position clearly and fairly. This statement was to the effect tha the chairman did not want to cause tn railroads any heavy loss, but made hi motion on the idea that the increase travel under the 2-cent rate would max good any loss consequent upon the re duction This" the protest stated, problematical.'
 That is tairly stated" said Chairma Brown. and 'that is exactly the ques ion we are here to determine.
 MT. Brown then announced the meetin open and asked if there was lnyoile WI wished to apepar in favor 'f the 'euu' tion.
 No one responded in support of the me tion and Chairman Brown then stdteu .n commission was ready to hear from thos who wished to oppose the feouc,ioh sue gested in his motion.
 Theie was brief consultation betwee the railroad men, after which Hon. Roper l.. Colding, a well-known attorney or Ss sannah, took the floor.
 Represents Employees.
 T appear" he said, ''as the represer tative and friend of the railway en nloves. | have not been employed b any railroad, do not represent any raj | road and do not own a dollar of stock | any railroad corporation. l have simpl
 come here representing the railroad en | ployees, voluntarily, and without charg 1 as many of these are my persons 1 friends.
 MT. Colding then read the resolution | of protest passed at meeting or en | ployees recently held in Macon again
 the reduction to cents. He read also
 letter of protest from Mayor Bridge
 Smith of Macon, reciting the fact thu | the city council of Macon had joined u
 railway employees in their stand by off
 cial resolution. Similar letters were req
 from Columbus and Savannah. | Another letter read was from form' Railroad Commissioner G. Gunby Jorda
 of Columbus. who declared that the 3-cei | rate is a fair one. and even under th' i rate he said, some of the roads are ope
 ating their trains al a loss In the hol 1 of developing the country through whic
 they run.
 Even in the thickly populated Ne ] Enrland and central states where u
 travel is many times greater than in Geo | a.
 cents, Mir. Colding declared. Mir Coldir i called attention also to the protest of u | Travellers Protective association again i this reduction because they felt certa
 that it would mean fewer trains ar
 poorer service than is now given.
 No Public Demand.
 Vice President and General Manag ! w A. Winburn of the Central of Geo 1 gia Railway company read the protest | that company against the reduction. Thel | is no public demand for reduction to
 cents in the passenger fare. Mir Winbur i said No such demand has appeared | the press nor has 1t been heard on tf I stump On the other hand, others tha
 the railroads were protesting against The 3-cent rate has been in force man years and is everywhere recognized as
 reasonable and just rate. The public d.
 mands speed. safety and comfort in trav and to give 1t these it Is necessary ths fair rate be allowed.
 The percentage of operating expense including taxes. Mir wipburn said.
 15. g per cent. While cents is tho raj now charged. MT. Winburn said the raj earned Is actually much lower. A 2-cer rate, Mir. Winburn said. would reduce tf average rate on the Central to 1.71 cent per mile. It would. he declared. reduC the passenger earnings of the Central Georgia not less than 20 per cent. whi it would require an increased travel 25 per cent to overcome this loss. H felt satisfied that the necessary to ovel come this loss could not be secured. Would Cause Great Loss. c Compton. fOurth vice president .