The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-07
CHARGES AGAINST
 RAILROAD LINES
Georgia Railroad Commission
 Has Many Complaints
LONG HAUL INVOLVED
Certain Railroads Have Refused to Re- eeisc short Haul Shipments Which Might Have Beeu Long Haul
 for Them

state railroad commission has unoer Ill., vestigation q practice on the part of cef- tain railroads in the state which is incl dent to their effort to keep the long haul for themselves.
 This practice consists in q refusal To receive from competing lines at junction points freight shipments intended for points on fheir lines. which they might have handled for the entire distance. un- less the freight charges be first prepaid.
 The first specific ease occurred at ROCK ledge. Ga. on the line between Laurens and Montgomery counties, the junction point of the Macon. Dublin and Savannah and the wadley southern railroads. The Wadtes Southern refuses to accept from the Macon. Dublin and Southern at Rock ledge any freight intended for points on it's line unless the charges are prepaid.
 The effect of this attitude is this; The shipper does not like to have to prepay freight charges. but prefers to send his reight collect and let the consignee pay the bill. Therefore. when one route is es- abolished as prepay route, nine times OQl Ol lEI. UT pClildpS pAhchN4f MY SA'P per will select the competing route, which will carry the freight and collect charges from the consignee.
 Now the Wadley Southern, belongs to the Central of Georgia, and the Macon. Dublin and Southern to the Seaboard Air Line. so it is really little bout between these two roads. freight shipment originating in Macon or coming through Macon destined for point on the Wad- ley Southern might just as easily go over the Central from Macon and be turned over to the Wadley Southern at Wadley. So, in order to compel shippers to route their stuff by the Central of Georgia, the Wadley Southern refuses to receive 1t from the Macon. Dublin and Southern at Rockledge unless the charges are prepaid.
 That such is the purpose of the de- mand must be apparent from the fact that railroads generally accept freight from shippers without prepayment of charges, holding the property until the freight charges are paid. In the case of the Wadley Southern shipments, that road itself would collect the entire charges from the consignee and remit to the connecting road only it's proportion. It is not a case, therefore, where there Is danger of any loss accruing to the railroad company if the charges are not prepaid.
 Another case of the same kind recent ly occurred at Statesboro, where the Sa.- vannah and Statssboro railroad. said to be the property of the Seaboard, refused to accept freight from the Central of Georgia without prepayment of charges. This was sort of turn about or fair play proposition. President J. R. Ander- son of the Savannah and Statesboro ar ranged, however. to take care of the patrons on his line, regardless of the attitude he had taken in the matter.
 What President Anderson objects to is the alleged practice of the Central in hauling Savannah freight over it's line to Statesboro by roundabout way and giv- ing it to the Savannah and Statesboro there instead of letting it go from Savan- nah by the Seaboard, and by the Savan- nah and Statesboro from Cuyler the shorter and, as President Anderson claims. the logical route. His road will continue to inforce the rule of prepay ment on shipments of this kind.
 The railroad commission has submitted 10 US SlgtCldl dllOllicl, JuuEt IdlllcS h. Hines the questions involved in these cases. The railroads claim the lndoubted right to refuse to transport freight when ever they choose unless the charges are prepaid, and it is said quite a serious doubt exists as to whether the comms- sion has authority to do anything in the matter.
 This is certainly one way of effectively killing competition without consolidation. in so far as certain points are concerned Parties living on the Wadley Southern are practically compelled to patronize the Central to the exclusion of the Mobile, Dublin and Southern or suffer whatever inconvenience may be involved in the pre- payment of freight charges.
 It is comparatively a new question in Georgia, and the railroad commission Is making a thorough investigation of the matter before taking action.
 Orders Are Emphatic
 Captains Of military companies which cannot account for any govern. ment property they have had on hand might as we'll get ready to hand out the cash when inspection time corner around, for orders are emphatic anc specific this year.
 Maj Frederick L. Palmer, acting in.
 
 companies at the time of his first TO. port to Adj. Gen. A. J. Scott, but either from captains or former captains oi these companies he collected a total ol 1850 in cash in payment for govern, ment property for which they could no account, This is an average of s70 pel company and if kept up throughout al the inspections will mean a total ol nearly 45O00 to be collected for los property.
 This action is taken under genera order No. issued from the office O the adjutant general short time pIiol to inspection. It was provided that n government property must be acco6nt ed for or payment be made, The stat, also made an allowance of lost propert. of q per man for average enlisted strength to each company, so that thi will help materially in making the pay ments The cash collected by Majo Palmer, however, was over and abov this allowance.
 The captain of each company Is un der bond, varying with the service $SO00 for infantry 5000 for cavalry and s5000 for artillery. to take care o all arms and equipment, and when an of this property disappears he Is hei personally roSpcnslple. III soiuo m stances this money is collected froi former captains of these companies n longer in the service, but whose book are not released until full account ing is had.
 The mony collected for this los property goes to the United States gov ernment. Although the United State furnishes the property to the state from their regular allowance by Con Sress, the title to it still remains 1 the United States and when 1t Is los reimbursement must be made to tn <>daro1 ~avAru u1ent