The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-07-21
FREIGHT RATES.
COLUMBIA is HURT AS SHOWN
BY MIR. PARKER.
Why Is This DISCRIMINATORY ?-The
Mills la Greenville Get Coal So
Much Cheaper Than DO the CoIum-
bia Enterprises.

Columbia, July 1.-THE newly ap-
pointed. freight committee of the
Chamber of Commerce held its inf-
uai meeting yesterday afternoon at
O'Clock. Present were all the MEM
bers of the committee, and also Mr..
Lewis w. Parker, president of the
cotton mills corporation.
Mr.. Parker was the first person
outside of the comnittee's person
mel to lay facts before the commit
tee looking towards relief from what
appears to be railway discrimination
against Columbia shippers with spe-
cial reference to coal
Mr. Parker told of conferences ha
has held with the railroad people over
the facts that Columbia is badly dis
criminated against in the matter of
rates. For example, he said that
Greenville obtains it's coal at a rate
OF 80 cents less ton than does Co.
lumbia, and this discrimination he
claimed to be without any adequate
reason
AS the city of Columbia ships in
and uses some $4,000 tons of coal an
pually, this is a considerable item;
and as the mills managed by Mr..
Parker use about $4,000 tons of this
total product, Or five-eighths of all
the coal shipped into the city, he is
interested in knowing the reason for
this discrimination by the railroads
against Columbia
Mr.. Parker told the committee that
unless the rate was reduced to Co
lumbia he would proceed to make ar
rangements to have all his mills at
Columbia run by hydro-electric pow
er. which would result in cutting the
railroads out Of carrying approx
mately $4,000 tons each year.
The discussion that followed was
quite interesting. 1t was shown that
not only In the rate on coal is Coz;
lumbia Disseminated against. but az
well on many other articles, and that
so long as this discrimination is per-
mftted to continue small industries
and commercial enterprises can not
be prof1tably conducted here to COM
pete with Augusta, Charleston and
other points that sell goods in this
territory, which, goods ought to be-
/ ~ ~
wholesale establishments Of Column
bia.
1t was stressed that many people
have come to Columbia seeking loca-
ton for investment in the establish
ment of industrial plants, and all the
conditions were satisfactory and pleas
ing: but the parties left to not return
after they discovered that Colum-
bia freight rates well nigh are pro-
hibitive.
The complaints of discrimination
were informal in their method of pre-
sentation but none the lssS earnest,
and it is the expressed purpoAy ef.the.
committee to take proper steps to assr
certain why this condition of afrairs
exists.
1t Is not the purpose Of the COM
mittee to take up individual COM
plants against the roads, and make
collection ,f overcharges in such
cases, or to attempt to adjust individ-
ua' differences, but to proceed ON
broad lines of action for the benefit
OF the entire community.
To this end the committee desires
to receive all information available re-
iating to freight rates to this and to
other points for comparison, and pro-
vide themselves with an arsenal of
facts. and then have conference with
the railroad officials to ascertain the
why If such discrimination as alleged
| is found to exist
The committee will meet again in
regular session on August IL. ana
| thereafter on every third Tuesday of
the month"; and in the meantime, the
committee may be called together by
any one member Meetings are to be
held at the Chamber of Commerce
rooms at o'clock each time.