Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-23
M'LENDON OPPOSES
GUT IN PORT RATES
CHAIRMAN OF RAILROAD COM
MISSION DOES NOT AGREE
WITH GOVERNOR THAT RE
DUCTION SHOULD BE MADE.

Chairman S. G. McLendon, of the rail-
road commission, will oppose any re-
duction in the present Georgia port rates
on cotton. Governor Smith has officially
urged that they be reduced at least five
per cent.
The foregoing means that in the matter
of port rates the governor and the chair
man of the railroad commission have
reached an open difference of opinion.
The chairman's vote will be against the
reduction that the governor recommends,
when after all the hearings are over
and all the evidence is in the commission
comes to a vote on the matter.
Chairman McLendon does not say he
will vote against the reduction In fact,
he refuses to say one way or the other.
He declines to express personal opin-
ion. But he has drawn up for the COM
missions members a statement of the
situation as he sees 1t after several
months of investigation. Thursday morn
ing he sent copy of that statement TO
Governor Smith with his letter acknowi-
edging the governors communication re-
commenting the reduction in cotton
rates. And the statement makes show
ing decidedly against any change in the
present rates.
Chairman Makes Comparison
In that statement, a copy of which the
chairman declines to give out for publ
cation. he compares the port rates on
cotton in Georgia with those in Alabama
and Texas; and the figures which ne pre-
sents in that comparison show that Geor-
gia already has lower rates tfan either
of the two states named. and even that
in some instances the rates IN actual
effect are lower than thoae liked by the
commission.
Chairman McLendon does not take
North Carolina into consideration In the
conparison. he says, because that state
manufactures more than 80 per cent OF its
cotton and very little goes to the ports.
South Carolina also, says Chairman
McLendon. manufactures some 10 per cent
of it's annual crop. A comparison with
Louisiana would not be fair, be says
because Louisiana has the Mississippi riv-
er affecting its rates.
Mississippi has only one port Gulfport'
saws the chairman, fed by a small ran
road belonging to millionaire Jones' tne
Ynagnate who is endeavoring TO make
GREAT mort of Gulfport and who could "af-
ford to haul cotton for nothing" because
the railroad is not his main enterprise
So the elimination leaves only Texas, the
greatest cotton producing state in the
south. and Alabama, for comparison with
Georgia, Florida not being counted
COMPARISON FavOrs Georgia
Figures that are presented side by side
show. according to Chairman McLendons
statement. that Georgia is better on al
ready than either Alabama or Texas
81 present these general facts for your
own conclusions, without. offering any
opinion of my own" says Chairman Nc
Tendon. winding up his statement to the
commissioners.
In his introduction of the statement,
Chairman McLendon declares that he
began the investigation of not only port
rates on cotton but of all other rates in
this state and territory as well, long be-
fore the governors first letter reached the
commission in February of this year.
Railroads Already Depressed
On the general situation in railway cir
cIes Chairman McLendon's communities
tion contains a statement that if all the
surplus freight cars in the country on
March 81 1909 were tracked end to end
they would reach in solid line from Sa-
vannah to Chicago and back TO New
York, estimating $50 cars to the mile.
This represents, he says, an enormous in
crease during the preceding months in
the number of idle cars; and he gives the
figures for each month. He connects this
part of the statement with the cotton
port rate question showing of fully
grown depression already existing in rail- .
roads circles-a depression to which any
reduction of rates would add.
Further, he mentions the two important
cases affecting southern freight rates now
pending before the interstate commerce
commission, as constituting reductions
which are already hanging over the rail
roads