Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-07
LOWER PORT RATES
WOULD CURB TRUSTS
Continued From Page One

ten per cent These bases were changed
at will of the alleged trusts, so Vice Pres
ideut Newill stated.
WOULD CURB TRUSTS.
With the reduction of ten per cent IN
port rates, jobbers or consumers would
be enabled, so Vice President Newlll
said, to buy at the Pittsburg manutac-
tories on f. o. b. Pittsburg prices and
thus save the advances made from IRON
ton to Pittsburg bases
.arbe question of a ten per cent reduc-
ton is small" continued Vice President
NewilI. when compared to what iron
dealers will secure in being saved from
the clutches of the steel trust win ten
ner cent off in rates. dealers can BUY l. o.
h Pittsburg and escape from the Vacll-
lating methods.
Continuing his testimony Vice Presi-
dent NeWill said that to all appearances
the fight had become sconfilct pet"eeh
the Atlanta Steel company ana local joy
hers which was entirely foreign TO the
D1onned readiustment of rates by when
the neonle of Georgia would come INTO
their own in securing more advantages
by cheaper rates.
He said that the hardware men hao
discussed the situation and had onereu
to double the output of the Atlanta olee,
company in Atlanta, if that concern would
withdraw it's objection to the reaoJus1-
ment of the port rate revision.
THE only trouble we had, snlii iil
ra,,a rI,ad Vice President Newill, was
that we could not guarantee to treble inc
distribution of the Atlanta steel coIh-
pany in Atlanta" -
IT was brought out in the evidence VI
Vice President Newill and that OF Mr.
w. A. Parker, of the Beck q Grese
Hardware company, that the AliaHtd
steel company, in making its Atlanta Ter
ritory prices followed the prices Oh tiie
alleged steel combines in quoting the
Pittsburg prices, with the aool'ioh@i 0o''
of transportation added.
Would Reduce Prices
The two witnesses stated that the oe-
creased port rates would result accoroiiis-
Nv in increased business for Atlanta Jop-
hers They contended that it would not
onIv bring this increased business, out
would as we'll lower the cost to the con-
s,rners. Both of the witnesses stated thaI
lower rates would naturally mean lower
prices to the consumed.
The morning session of the hearing was
concluded with the calling OF Manager
Harry T. Moore, of the Atlanta FrelsuI
bureau. as a witness for the petltohers.
Manager Moore reviewed the history VI
the fight for port rates, going INTO
tailed account of the efforts for re-
T,isior of rates during the past seven
years.
Cross-Examinatton
M ,,,ornine session of Thursdays
baarino was begun with the continuation
of the cross-examination of W. A. Parker
of the Beck & Gregg company py Az
tornev J. Carroll Payne, representing lhe
Atlanta steel company. The last naIned
conpany. through Attorney Payne, enter
ed a protest against the proposed re-
vision of rates at the initial hearing wed
nesday. -
Answering the question OF Attorney
Payne as to how long the port rate hau
been in effect Mr.. Parker said that IN
so far as he knew the present rate was
higher than It was in 1888, when it was
IS cents per one hundred pounds of IRON
Attorney Payne's question drew out the
information that the Beck & GREGG Hard
ware company had been organized IN
1883. with a capitalization of 100000; that
II was re-chartered in 1903 when it capital
was increased to $3.50, 900, and that it now
had a capitalization of 100000. 1t had de-
clared dividends and increased its tonnage
yearly From the purport of Attorney
Payne's questions, it seemed that he wish
ed to show that the company had made
money Notwithstanding railroad rates.
Mr.. Parker stated that no complaint
had been made othe interstate commerce
commission on the Pittsburg rate. He
said that there were no iron manufac-
tories at Savannah or hardware jobbers
tIfat would cause serious competition, and
that all he contended for was a lower rate
from Savannah to Atlanta. What We
contend for" declared Mr.. Parker lis
that the rate from Savannah to Atlanta is
rfroafn
Asked as to whether he would back the
statement made by Attorney Wimbish
that the present petition would be with
draw if the Atlanta Steel company could
show that 1t would be injured, Mr. Park
er replied:
Il will back any statement that Attor-
ney Wimbish may make"