The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-07-20

tnat comes through the gun pOrIS,
must come direct over the Mobile and
Ohio or be hauled to Meridian by the
Alabama and Vicksburg. Traffic to
Jackson from st. Louis or the west
which does not come through the gulf
ports must reach Jackson via the
Illinois Central direct or via the Ala
bama and Vicksburg railway. Nerd
ian is the terminus of every line
reaching there excepting the Mobile
and Ohio. Apparently competition be-
tween Meridian and Jackson as dis.
tributing centers is no keener and no
greater in volume than that between
Meridian and Hattiesburg, or that
between Jackson and Hattiesburg, and
upon an equal adjustment of rates
there is no reason to assume that the
volume of traffic brought in and dis
tributed from Hattiesburg would not
equal that of either Meridian or Jack
son.
The highly competitive conditions
claimed to exist at Meridian and
Jackson do not appear to be competi-
ton of carriers reaching a common
point, but seem to be competition be-
tween the desire of the Illinois Cen
trail on the one hand and of the Mo-
bile and Ohio on the other to see that
Jackson and Meridian are given ad-
vantages with each other.
Defendants argue that river compe
tition greatly diminishes as distance
from the river increases, and but for
other circumstances, would be less
controlling at Meridian than at Jack
son. They argue that this river
competition never has been controlling
as to Hattiesburg, and under present
conditions cannot be controlling" As
has been noted, Hatiesburg is nearer
to Vicksburg than is Meridian, and
| is as near to Natchez as Meridian is
to Vicksburg. There appears to be
no reason why the river competition
should not reflect as far from Vicks-
burg or Natchez to Hattiesburg as to
Meridian, except the fact that it has
not been permitted to do so. Obvi-
ously, "under present conditions" the
+ river competition cannot be controll-
ing at Hattiesburg; but there is great
force in compliments contention that
Hattiesburg is much nearer each of
the gulf ports than is Meridian or
Jackson, and that it is as near to the
Mississippi river as is Meridian and
has direct lines of railway from both
Vicisburg and Natchez, while Merid-
ian has a direct line only from Vcks-
burg.
Defendants argue that the competi-
ton at Meridian was created in "an
era of unrestrained competition" that
it resulted in an abnormal depression
of rates at that point and that Hatties-
burg was not in existence until long
after competition and strife between
markets and carers had established
both Meridian and Jackson as base
points. But does it necessarily fol-
low that an adjustment created at
such a time and under such conditions
must be perpetuated regardless to the
effect upon other places and the eff
feet of the development of the coun-
try and construction of new railway
lines and connections?
Defendants argue that it is easy 70
see that the reason that the rates
from st. Louis are the same to Me
ridian and Jackson is because both
the Illinois Central and Mobile and
Ohio reach st. Louis and are parallel
with each other, and it has long been
their fixed policy to maintain the same
rates to opposite stations on their
respective lines. We again come back
to the fact however, that Meridian
and Jackson are Sc miles apart and
that the Mobile and Ohio can not
reach Jackson and the Illinois Central
cannot reach Meridian except over the
line of the Alabama and Vicksburs
railroad.
Defendants also argue that mas !
much as the New orleans and North
eastern railroad has established a line
Of differential rates over Meridian to
Hattiesburg which make through rates
rom st. Louis to Hattiesburg lower
han the rates from st. Louis to Me-
idian (Which are the same az 20
ackson), plus the local rates from
feridian to Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg
not unduly Disseminated against.
hese differentials are compared with
zeal class rates from Meridian TO I
attiesburg, a distance of S5 miles,
4 a scale of 65 cents first class and S
ON Vicksburg to Hattiesburg 19e t
lies, on a scale of 68 cents first class. e
The question of whether or not Il