The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-02-27

Mississippi Central, in connection with
the Gulf and Ship Island, carries
freight from Natchez to New Orleans
1t appears that all of the roads vol
UNFAIRLY carry freight through Hatties-
burg to Gulfport cheaper than they
carry to Hattiesburg. The Mobile and
Illinois Central completes for the priv
ilege of carrying freight from St.
Louis through Meridian and over the
Alabama and Vicksburg to Vicksburg
at the river rate of IL cents, and the
Illinois Central Completes for the priv
ilege of carrying freights from st.
Louis via Jackson and thence over the
Alabama and vicksbufg to Meridian at
a rate cents cheaper than it will car.
ry the same freights via Jackson and
| the Gulf and Ship Island to the nearer
! point-Hattiesburg. Again, to COM
| pletely demonstrates the selfishness
and unreasonableness of the Illinois
| NShtidi, IL dulHlUo luoI Wueu the Mis-
sissippi Central was completed to
Brookhaven from Hattiesburg it at
once reduced the rates from the West
to Brookhaven 4 IL cents. This, It
must be borne in mind, was not under
complusion or any connection between
Brookhaven and the Mississippi River,
for the Mississippi Central was not
I completed to the river until about a
year afterwards. 1t thus appears that
the Illinois Central recognized at
Brookhaven a compelling force of COM
| petition coming through Hattiesburg
to Brookhaven, while it refuses to
give Hattiesburg itself any benefit
whatever from the acquisition of the
same railroad in addition to its &C
QUESTION of the Mobile, Jackson and
Kansas City road and the extension
to Jackson of the Gulf and Ship Is
land.
(9) The effect of this unjust dis
! elimination against Hattiesburg has
been to make 1t practically impossible
for jobbers in Hattiesburg to compete
with Meridian and Gulfport, even in
the territory Immediately surround
ing Hattiesburg. One or two large
grocery houses are shown to have
continued in business supported in
the main by the local demand; but two
Of the largest grocery houses have re-
Gently moved away because of the dis
elimination in rates, one moving to
Gulfport and the other to New Orleans.
No argument is needed to show that
Hattiesburg houses cannot meet the
competition of those at Meridian, Guls-
port and Jackson, which enjoy so
much better through rates and equally
as favorable local rates.
QO) Not only the defendant com.
panies Disseminated against Hatties
burg on through rates, but they have
adjusted their domestic commodity
rates not on mileage basis. but on
a grouping or sectional basis, giving
a rate out of Meridian, Gulfport and
Jackson the same as, for instance,
for all stations within, say, fifty miles,
and then the same INCREASE for all
stations up to one hundred and so on.
This takes from Hattiesburg all OPP
portunity of overcoming the discrim-
nation against it on through rates by
better local rates.
QD 1t is important to know what
the attitude of the four companies
whose roads enter Hattiesburg is in
reference to this petition. The New
Orleans and Northeastern, through
Mr.. Steel, its general freight agent,
admits that Hattiesburg is entitled
to the same rates as Meridian from
the West and from the East, with
probably differential of 2 cents on
lower classes on freights from the
North or what is known as the G.. F.
A. territory. Mr.. Smith, vice ?president
and general manager of the Mississip-
pi Central, who was examined by pc
titioner, stated he could not contro-
vert either the statement of facts or
conclusions of Mr.. Steele Mr.. EN-
erson, who was general freight agent
of the Mississippi Central when this
controversy was begun, testified that
the Mississippi Central then favored
the petition. 1t is not shown that it's
position has changed. Mr.. Boylston.
general freight agent of the Gulf and
Ship Island, was present ON the first
day of the hearing, but did not testify.
and Mr. Steele states that the position
of the Gulf and Ship Island is that of