Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-29
WHAT DO PORT RATES MEAN9

the future of and poiticsf
These questions again uttng sharply into public
They welfare of every merchant and
household They should enlist the attention of voter
and doubt they will do for incidents of recent date and
others early prospect have forced this port rate issue into
popular Noteworthy among these incidents the decs
of supreme in the Mcndon and the forth
coming election of three railroad commissioners The supreme
has held that former Governor Smith warranted in
supendng Mr. G MLendon from the commission and that
the legislature justified in dismssng him. This decision
upon port But Cover
Smiths action based very largely the fact that
Mr. McLendon betrayal of the peoples interests voted
commissioner against righng of the rate As to
the approaching election fill three expired terms the railroad
commission this may be said Whoever become candi-
responsible office the people know fully
precisely important matter of port
because only by ectng htthnkng and conscen
tous railroad commissioners that Georgia get her de-
in this particular.
is by port ratesY
The phrase itself has so frequently real
meaning by persons seeking becloud and simple
ton of business fair that word of explanation pertinent
called from the fact that they the rates
charged railroads shipments from Georga ports Sa
and Brunswick the interior cities of the staeCor
DELE MOutrie, Qutman Thomasvlle Albany Amercus Daw
Hawkinsvie Macon Griffin Atlanta Gainesville Rome,
Dalton Columbus Athens and all the others.
the railway freight rates from the ports to these inland
points reasonable normal there would have
port rate issue But these excessive and alb
normal they constructed purely artificial and arb
basis and that at the bottom OF the whole discussion
conditions Georgas cities well
Brunswick would profit richly by the
fronts upon the and of the
favored ports along the Atlantic For transpora
ton by much cheaper than by rail The interior cities
would of course this advantage the
Brunswick do but they should share
portion to their distance from the ports That to say Athens
Atlanta Rome entitled the benefits of compe
ton from eastern cities to Georgia ports.
But under existing conditions the charged by the rail
roads for carrying freight from the ports to inland points
high destroy this advantage entirely And the rates
fixed to accomplish this very end They pupoy con-
struced protect the long and expensive ara haul from
cities and the just and logical basis of aordng
the carrier fair compensation for the and value of the
service rendered.
this arbitrary artificial fixing
the ports of Savannah and Brunswick interior cities
that constitutes the chief injury and injustice merchant
of these cities entitled first OF all to the water rate
from York Boston the Georgia port He emit
tied reasonable and normal from the his
This combination of would represent just charge
transportation from New York the inland Geor
ga city would represent fair and natural method of fix
ing
But the method enforced by the railway lines this They
of transportation from the port the interior
city so high that the merchant must pay as much bring ms
today of the greatest barriers known
tuny Georgia They crush the value of ompe
ton compel merchant pay for long haul
Consider instance two of present port rates
Grafton.
The Central of Georgia railroad charges twenyhre cents
hundred pounds bring of axes fences
from Atlanta Savannah the of thirteen cents hun
ded pounds Why this amazing and illogical differenceP The
explanation this The Central of Georgia puts this
of ten cents hundred pounds order make the cost of
shipping iron from Pttsburg to Georgia interior points partly
by and partly by rail equal to the cost of shipping all the
way by the long and expensive rail haul
Considering this particular instance further it that
thirteen cents per hundred pounds adequate charge for
load shipments of what technically termed especial
The road itself voluntarily established this from Atlanta
Savannah. Under this the special iron
than double the derived from the of
all traffic the Central of Georgia Therefore thirteen cents
per hundred pounds represents liberal compensation for the
and value of the service the road renders Yet ship
from the ports Atlanta permitted to charge twen
ty-three cents per hundred.
Is this dealH Is just to the merchant the
cOnsmerf Has the time not arrived for the people of Georgia
elect railroad commissioners who have enough intelligence
and conscience to remedy such conditionf
The facts already FORTH however make minor of
the injustice done Georgia cities by these excessive from
the inland The injustice of the present rates.
method of fixing rates. that they make cities the vic
rank discrimination favor of cities in other
examples Atlanta half the distance from Bruins
wick Savannah that Nashville Yet under the existing
rate adjustment coffee be shipped through Atlanta