The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-04-14
pORT RATES AGAIN AWAKED
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN GOV
ERNOR AND CONSTITUTION
REVIVED QUESTION.

GOVERN
or Hoke Smith and Editor Clark
Howell of the Atlanta Constitution
has disclosed the fact of it having
come back to life. On last Thurs
dav the railroad commission was ex-
nected to begin wrestling with that
intricate question once again, but
consideration of it was postponed I'M
iii May 9Th next.
The action pOstponing the hearing
was taken by consent of all parties
interested, the principal reasons be-
ing the absence of Commissioner O.
B. Stevens and representative of
some of the railroads interested.
The Atlanta Steel Company, which is
fighting a reduction in the rates in
conjunction with other shippers and
manufacturers, also desired a post
ponement in order to further pre-
pare defense.
Two members of the commission
have been sparring a bit with the
constantly growing subject already.
Two petitions asking for a revis-
ion of certain rates from the ports
to interior points in Georgia are be-
fore the commission; also a letter
from the governor asking that the
matter of constant discussion three
or four years ago be again consid-
cred. The public knew nothing of
the existence of such documents I'M
til last week, although all have been
matters of official record for more
than a month. Chairman McLendon
denies that he intended to withhold
from the public knowledge of the
re-entry of port rates into the
Iimelght. He didn't give out the
governors letter, he says, because
he didn't think such would be cour-
teous. The petitions from shipping
companies filed about the same time
were just simply overlooked when
reporters were around.
Not a Dead Issue.
Now, the cat is out of the bag
and it is known that port rates"
are not a dead issue. 1t is said that
Governor Smith is hopeful of clos
ing his administration by making
good this foremost pledge of his first
CAMPAIGN In view of the fact that
he has but little more than two
months to accomplish this in it may
be stated that he and the railroad
commission will have to get quite
busy to do SO.
Port rates" are said to be the
product of the splendid brain of
Harry Moore, manager of the At
lanta Freight Bureau. Soon after
the bureau was formed several years
1,Nv
railroad commission was asked to re-
wise and reduce rates between Geor-
gia ports and interior points The
petition was declined. Governor
Smith, then a practicing attorney,
represented the petitioners. Declina-
ton Of the petition contributed large
ly towards inducing Mr.. Smith to
seek the chief executives chair Ad-
vocacy of port rates" was one of
his campaign leaders.
The commissioner who most
strongly opposed the port rate re-
vision was Joseph M. Brown. He
came in for considerable ridicule
during the campaign of 19O5-19O6,
and was subsequently bounced from
the commission. He ran for gov
ernor last year, and one of the chief
planks in his platform was opposition
TO port rates. The sequel is
known.
Since the present commission was
organized under the act of August,
1907, no official mention was made
OF port rates" until Monday.
Asked for Revision.
Tn hie oor1 ,,o,,1r-;vo - T1o, 81 TIo,,-
ellis editorial Governor Smith in
GUIDED a letter addressed to the rail-
road commission, written February
10Th last, asking that rates from the
ports be taken up for revision.
A few days later the Beck &
gregg Hardware Company, with a
warehouse at Savannah, asked the
commission to revise the rates on
IRON products from Savannah to in
terror points. 1t is claimed in the
petition that difference of ten cents
Per hundred pounds exists between
'de rate on iron products from Sa-
'dnnah to Atlanta and from Atlanta
10 savannah, the same favoring the
downward journey
y, On March 10th petitions from the
McCord Stewart Company, Kelly
brothers Company, Hightower, Hall
man & Company and J. j. &. J. E..
MADDOX were filed, asking that rates
TO and from the ports be revised.
many inequalities are claimed in the
petitions.
When the governors letter was
sent to the commission copies were
forwarded to all the commissioners.
II was referred officially to a COM
r!iJtee composed of Warner Hill and
GGuIIer e. Galloway. Later Murphy
Cahdler took Mr. Callaway's place
on the commission and the commit
tee.
wants to BE Convict Warden.