Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1905-05-11

Oecn presented 10 the Ordinary oShiAs nAAAA W
call stock law election, and he will run clta-
ton next month preparatory to ordering the
election unless the movement IS met oy Couu-
ter petition, which is hardly probable. Indeed
it looks now as if we will have stock law elec-
ton within the next sixty days
The petitions are from Fitzgerald, Ocila
and Western Irwin and have sufficient NUMBER
of signers to guarantee the success OF the no
fence-men, unless the Opponents OF the move
ment get busy right quick.
The editor of the Enterprise favored the
no fence law in Calhoun county when 1t was
adopted there several years ago, but there was
comparatively little open range in that county
at that time and not much stock. The condl-
Mons here are altogether different. Inere are
perhaps as many cattle and sheep on tue
ranges of Irwin county as any other county IN
the state. and some hogs. The ranges are
broad and very good for cattle and sheep.
But
The Enterprise wants the farmers, or the
people of the county living outside fltzgerald 70
have just what they want in this instance 1t IS
a matter that does not concern the people OF tnls
city where the stock law already prevails
If a majority of the people interested desire
the change we shall be glad TO see them win the
fight.
If on the other hand it will not be to their ad-
vantage we shall of course regret to see the
movement succeed.
If Commissioner Stevens is selling more
tags than the fertilizer men need and getting
the money and turning it into the state treas
ury, as he no doubt is doing, then the taxpayers
certainly have no good ground for complaint
The Railroad Commission has refused At
lanta's petition for reduced port rate. That is
Commissioners Joseph M. Brown and H. Warn
er Hill so voted.
Com j. Pope Brown (chairman) however,
dissent and voted to grant the petition and
gave his reasons as follows:
ATLANTA, May 10, 1905-Tn re Port Rate
Case: After a careful Investigation of the facts
in this case, am satisfied that the existing rates
actually ia force by the railroad companies to and
from Atlanta, Savannah and Brunswick are too
high am led to this conclusion by an investi-
cation into the facts appearing of record in the
Office of the railroad commission, and as well
from evidence submitted in behalf of the Atlanta
freight traffic manager of the Southern Railway
Company, who stated to the commission, in the
presence of the representatives of other railway
companies, and presumably with their concur
renee that the existing rates were too high, and
that the roads would reduce the rates so 10
correspond with the following schedule:
Classes
l. 2. 3. 4. 5. e,
Rates ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 48 "a IS 20
and on classee and would arbtrate with COM
plainants.
This reduction was never put into effect.
It has thus been admitted by the railway COM
panies that the schedule of rates last above set
out is Just and reasonable. 1t seems to me that
the commissioners would hardly be justified in
saying that the railroad panies would voun-
tarily suggest an unreasonably low schedule of
rates. The merchants and shippers of Atlanta
have contended that the present schedule was
too high, and that the rates named by them
were just and reasonable. The only question:
therefore, before the commission is which is
more nearly just and reasonable tariff-that
submitted by the Atlanta freight bureau?
In my original motion made on July 49, 1904
after hearing the evidence submitted l then fav-
ored the granting of the prayer of the Atlanta
freight bureau, and now the utmost conserva-
tism will require nothing less than the establish
ment of the rates as adopted by the freight bu-
reau in it's amendment and indorsed by the traf-
fc men of the railroad companies as being reas-
enable and just
II therefore move the commission 10 make
at once effective the schedule of rates between