The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-02-15
CHARLESTON ASKS AID.
Of Press to take Legal Action Against
the Railroads.-Fund Of $4,000
Raised. r.

H| laiScly atteHueu ana CntnuS-
iastic meeting of the business men of
Charleston, presided over by Mayor
Rhett, it was decided to make an eff
fort to remove the railroad discrim-
nations which exist against that port
and the cost of the action before both
the United States and the State COM
missions was guaranteed by the bust
ness men at the meeting. City coun-
ell will appropriate $1,000 and the
business houses will raise $4,000,
which is expected to cover the cost Of
the proceedings. But the spirit of the
meeting was to proceed in the matter
to the desired consummation, no mat
ter what be the costs.
Mayor Rhett presented the subject
to the meeting, reviewing the freight
rate and service troubles, arraigning
the railroads and especially the
Southern railway for their discrimin-
ations against the port. The mayor
had carefully prepared himself and
his statement Of these determinations
while appreciated before, had net been
brought so forcibly before the bust
ness people.
F. The disinclination of the Atlantic
Coast Line to do anything for Char
lesion was exposed and the facts laid
bare in the case Of the Southern rail
way, which has been shown to be ac-
lively operating against the port. The
reduction of through cotton rates,
abolishment Of the grain business,
stoppage Of flour shipments and driv-
ing away of business of the port with
the control of the South Carolina and
Georgia by the Southern railway we're
all painfully exhibited to the meeting
on the statement of the mayor.
The determinations againa the
ports to the south of Norfolk, barring
Wilmington by. which Charleston
suffered to all extent as high as 100
per cent. in some cases, were told. The
building of the barrier against the
expansion of trade was shown to be
the work of local railroad interests
and not of the systems across the
Ohio, from whom letters were read ex-
pressing their desire for trade con-
ncctions with this territory, the mis-
leading, juggling of rate figures,
bla<e promises, bare-faced misrepres-
entations of facts by the railroads,
which in many cases the roads were
forced to acknowledge and in some
cases overcharges and other discrimin-
ations against the port were all gone
into by Mayor Rhett.
The efforts of Charleston to secure
a correction Of the troubles in the
past were touched upon and the fav-
orable decision of the interstate COM
merce commission that wrongs had
been practiced, but the board was un-
able to correct them, was commented
upon.
Courts on Redress.
Now, however, the board has the
desired power and Mayor Rhett
counts on certain aredress of the
wrongs from the federal board as we'll
rs the state board, which Mayor Rhett
thinks is better constituted than ever
to serve the cause Of the people He
said that the railroad commission
was "railroad commission"
long enough, but he thinks that
commission was "railroad commits
sion" long enough, but he thinks that
the personnel Of the board has now
changed, and he declared that he be-
lieved Commissioner Sullivan to be
especially friend Of the public. May
or Rhett declared that the time was
ripe for action. The local press had
been enlisted in the fight and the
Columbia State had championed Char
leston's cause, as had other papers
through the state. He said that
Charleston s fight was the fight Of
the whole state. He said that the
railroads had been able to maintain
its warfare by arraying section
against section and creating the false
impression that when Charleston was
making a fight for fair rates, she
was undermining trade conditions of
Columbia and other cities. Charles
ton is now, however, a unit on the