Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-09-14
GEORGIA COTTON MEN
FIGHT 3O-DAY NOTICE
Would Allow Carriers to Change
& Rate In That Time.
STRONG APPEAL PRESENTED.
Samuel Brown, of Albany, and F. c.
strachan, of Brunswick With other
Southern Shippers, Address Inter
state Body.

lhkSl
state Body.
Washington, D. C.,Sept. 13-The in
terstate commerce commission Wed
nesday heard arguments regarding the
petitions from various cotton-carrying
roads for authority to change rates
on export cotton upon less than 80
days notice. 1t was the first time
that the full commission had since
the membership was increased An
interested spectator at the hearing
was Representative John Sharp Will
llams, of Mississippi.
L. j. Freeman, general counsel of
the Texas and Pacific Railway COM
pany, was the first witness. He ex-
planned the old system in vogue, un-
der which he said there was no pub
lished export rate to the port Of ex-
port, but the lowest commission of
water and rail rate through any port
from any point fixed the rate. His
contention was that if his road filed
the inland proportion to the port of
export and added to that each day
the water rate to the foreign desti-
nation, the law would be fully COM
piled with. But, he said, in order to
make this plan effective and to meet
commercial conditions, the railroads
should be allowed to issue a through
bill Of lading from original destina-
ton to the foreign point of export.
l.. Green, freight traffic manager of
the Southern railroad and chairman
of committee representing the lines
south of the Ohio and Potomac and
east OF the Mississippi, argued that
the engaged cotton for export was ab-
solutely limited by their ability to OBJ
tain ocean tonnage.
Mr. Green said the existing rates on
cotton to the American ports were
today very much lower that they
would be but for the force Of COM
petition which the old system COM
PEELED.
President Horace Smith, of the
Nashville, Chattanooga and st. Louis
railroad, member of the commission
of which Mr.. Green is chairman, COR
roborated his testimony.
Representative Williams INQUIRED
of the commission if it was not Of
the opinion that carriers were not
compelled to publish a rate to Liver
pool, Hamburg or Havre because of
the fact that the ocean steamships
which form a part of the carrier lines
are not within the jurisdiction of the
commission, and, therefore, the car
riers were not compelled to furnish
the through rate to foreign points.
Speaking for the commission, Chair
man Knapp said that they had held
that where point through rate was
established between an inland rail
line and the ocean line, the carrier
could file that entire through rate or
may file the inland proportion.
Mr.. Williams remarked that he
wanted to have proper understand
ing Of the attitude of the commission
on that question
Samuel Brown, of Albany, Ga, a
banker, cotton dealer and cotton
grower, opposed the 3O-day notice pro-
vision of the law. It's enforcement.
ne declared, would not only throw the
ship brokers out of business, but the
old line ship companies would soon
have charge of the trade, and he said
they, being comparatively few, would
increase the rates and cause conges-
tion at the ports.
They would also, he added, be an.
able to handle the large cotton crop
when its movement was at its height,
and thereby the handlers of cotton
would suffer great loss.
E. w. Porter, of the Memphis
Exchange, urged that the 3O-day no.
tice be not enforced.
Chairman Knapp said he saw no
reason in the law or in the CONNER.
clal conditions, why a rail carrier
from the interior may not publish its
export rate to the seaboaYd, adhere
to that rate and change it only upon
such notice as the law permits or
the commission may decide, and at
the same time, be perfectly free, as
now to givethrough bills of lading
to foreign destination.
Mr.. Porter declared that If there
was anything that caused delay in the
movement of the cotton crop, it would
affect other lines of business, and the
bank would restrict their loans to
all other business.
Mr.. Porter expressed the belief that
he could do business on one days
notice.
], S. Davany, of the Memphis Cot.
ton Exchange, and E. N. Terry, OF
Memphis, representing the National
Lumber Exporters association; A. r.
Smith, of Louisville, representing the
cotton department of the Louisville
and Nashville railroad; w. B. Nesbit,
OF Birmingham, Ala, and F. G Stra.
chan, of Brunswick, Ga, also spoke
in favor of the abolishment of the
30day notice