Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-27
GOV. SMITH AND
.M'LENDON DISAGREE
GOVERNOR SMITH is SAID TO BE-
LIEVE THAT CHAIRMAN M'LEN-
DON HAS CHANGED FRONT ON
PORT RATES.

An open breach is threatening between
Governor Smith and Chairman McLendon
of the railroad commission, over the
question of Georgia port rates on cotton.
Governor Smith says that the rates are
too high. In a letter addressed to the
commission last week he urged that they
be reduced at least five per cent.
Chairman McLendon, transmitting cop
les of the governors letter to members of
the commission, sent along statement
drawn up by himself and containing plen-
ty of inferred argument why the rates
should not be reduced, though the chair
man stipulated expressly that he merely
stated facts and was not advancing his
own opinion.
Friday The Journal published briefly
an outline OF the statement. A copy had
gone to the governor with the chairman's
acknowledgements of the governors let
ter Saturday morning the statement
was given out for publication. 1t was
then seen that The Journals already pub
lished impression of it had been correct.
Under that impression The Journal had
inferred that Chairman McLendon is OPP
posed to any reduction in port rates on
cotton and will vote against 1t.
From that statement the breach may
be born. In fact, 1t may already be
lusty bowling babe, for all anyone on the
outside knows for Governor Smith re-
fuses absolutely to make any statement
for publication, further than TO say some
what significantly that he has received
the chairman's statement and Chairman
McLendon discourses happily and non
committally all around the edge of the
subject.
At the conclusion Of his statement
Chairman McLendon says: 'I present
these general facts without announcing
my own conclusions in the matter. for
the information of members of the board,
the governor and the public, which 1
think ought to be fully advised upon this
subject" Throughout the eleven pages
of typewriter matter which precede this
concluding paragraph, Chairman McLen-
don does not draw an inference. He Of
fers positive statements, leaving infer
ences for those who read
What Differences Are
In its last analysis, the matter is an
| honest difference of opinion between Gov
ernor Smith and Chairman McLendon.
| It assumes the aspect of a breach when
it is known that Governor Smith is, ac-
cording to his open avowal since the be-
| ginning of tina first campaign, determined
| that port rates on cotton, among others,
shall be reduced, and that Chairman Nc
! Tendon became a railroad commissioner
! of the state because he was understood
! TO favor just as strongly as did the
! governor the reduction of those rates.
Last February the governor wrote to
! the railroad commission about port rates,
1 referring to a published statement by
! Chairman McLendon in 1906. Chairman
! McLendon, referring the matter to his
associates, himself quoted the state
| ment referred to.
''Yonder stands at Memphis a freight
train OF forty cars loaded with cotton
| that has crossed the river, fifty bales to
| each car" the statement began. The
| first train referred to. loaded with cot
ton that had crossed the river" would
pay $2,25O freight to Savannah, showed
| the chairman. Behind this first train
stood a second Of equal length and load,
carrying Memphis cotton, which would
take the Memphis rate proper of 50, Sol
| to Savannah. A third train joins the
| procession as the two southbound trains
move through Atlanta. The Atlanta
train pays $4,000 freight to Savannah. A
Macon trains joins in. It pays So, 400
And train from Sandersville pays So
$50.
This is the (Sandersville) port rate
| for the farmers of Washington county, -
| said Mr.. McLDendon, in 1906. 'And yet
you have been told that no one in Geor-
gia was interested in or cared anything
about port rates except Atlanta"
1t is known almost positively that on
the strength of this speech which was
accepted as expressing Mr.. McLendon's
firm convictions, the present chairman
of the railroad commission was given his
appointment. Certain 1t is that his gen.
eral views on port rates made him per-
soma grata with the administration that
came into power out of that campaign
Has He Changed
Get these figures firmly fixed in your
mind" said the chairman. as he de.
picted the moving cotton trains in 1906
And It is just because Governor Smith
accepted the injunction, apparently, and
fixed the figures firmly in his mind, thai
the breach is now threatening. For it is
pretty soundly understood, through wha
can be CLEANED from intimate friends OF
the governor, that the chief executive i:
of the opinion that Chairman McLendor
in 1909 thinks differently about port rates
on cotton than he did in 1906