Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-25

reduction; second. the adjustment of
the use of free passes, which has help
ed to sustain the action OF the COM
mission in reducing the cost Of passen-
ger transportation to the. individual
iswho pays; and, third, the order for
bidding any general reduction of en-
: ployes' wages until the facts upon
which the reduction is based are first
! submitted TO the commission.
/, / regret that noe marked reduction Of
fcharges for freight transportation, has
been accomplished during the past two
years. Before the railroad commission
had finished the fight in the courts de-
Tending suits brought to enjoin the re-
duction of passenger rates. the panic,
which originated in New. York during
, the summer of 1907, had reached Geor-
gia. Loud was the complaint by the
transportation companies Of hard times
and loss Of money. Not until the early
part OF the present year were the full
reports OF the railroads for the year
ending July /. 1908. made to the rail-
. road commission. From these reports
1t was learned that the wall in the
spring Of 1908 about heavy losses on
the part of the railroads was unbound
ed. 1t is a source of qualification to
! know that the railroad companies Of
Georgia, even during the panic, fell but
Z
and suffered far less than the average
railroads Of the United States.
PORT FREIGHT RATES.
With the improved conditions Of the
present year, and with the knowledge
of the real prosperity of the railroad
companies. l brought to the, attention
of the railroad commission the impor-
lance of revising the port rates Of the
state. BY this, l mean revising the
charges for freight transportation from
all interior points in, Georgia to the
ports, and from the ports to all in
terror points in Georgia.
The Importance Of this question
grows out Of the fact that practically
all the railroads Of the state which
reach from the ports to the interior
Of the state have been controlled for
years by those interested in railroads
stretching north and west from the
state. Water transportation costs the
carrier less than rail transportation.
A haul of a certain distance partly by
rail and partly by water, can be made
cheapest by the carrier where the wafer
haul constitutes the longer portion OF
the haul
The control of railroads which reach
the ports Of Georgia, by railroads
stretching north and west from the
state, has caused a natural desire upon
their part to divert freight from the
ports. and TO force 1t over their long
rail lines An influence has existed for
years to keep the rates to and from
the Georgia ports so high that trans
portation through the ports would be
hindered, and that the long rail lines
north and west would do the carrying
for the people of Georgia.
The same thing which applies to
Georgia with reference to the control
of railroads reaching TO the ports by
parties interested in railroads stretch
ing north and west applies TO the
states adjoining Georgia. Our whole
section has suffered a lack of the le-
Ultimate benefits of low rates which the
ports of the section should give to the
people.
have urged that freight rates to and
from the ports of Georgia should be
fixed solely upon the basis of reason
able compensation to the local carrier,
uninfuenced by the interests OF rail-
roads outside of the state. If they
can be lowered and still remain rea-
sonabie and just to the local railroads,
! then the shippers are entitled to have
them made lower. Excessive rates
should not be charged shippers In
Georgia to enrich railroads outside or
Georgia.
Various arguments have been presented
to meet the demand for lower freight
rates to and from the ports of the state
to interior points of the state.
EXPENSIVE FORM OF "PROTEC-
TON"
I will refer to but one OF these argu-