The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-08-24
REDUCTION IN FREIGHT RATES.
Shake-up In Present System is Ex-
UCctcd.

pcctcd.
Greenville, August 22.-ConSiderable
reductions in freight rates, over prac-
tically all the railroad lines in South
Carolina, and a new system of rate
charging, are essential features in
proposed schedule OF freight rates,
made out by the railroad commission
of this State, in response to numerous
petitions and complaints. which have
been made to it. Copies OF this pro-
posed schedule haze been sent to the
railroads, and they are notified to
meet the commissio. at IL o'clock on
September 20, in Columbia, to show
cause why the rates should not be put
into effect.
Copies of these proposed schedules
Cf rates have been received in the past
few laws bv tie rate committee of the
board OF trade, which was largely re-
sp"nsible for the p,tit onS lrd com
plants which have resulted in the
action of the railroad commission
The present system OF rates for
freight transportation through South
Carolina is divided for the most part
into ten-milc blocks. Freight shippers
are required to pay according TO this
ten-mile block division, which means
that if a point is y miles distance.
the shipper must pay freight on 80
miles, or for any distance hetwocn the
tens, the higher ten is charged.
FiyC-MiIp Breaks
Should the proposed schedule of
rates be ordered by the commission in
September, the divisions will be in
five-mile blocks, instead of ten, which
Will mean much saving for smaller
distances. In addition to this, there
is also a reduction in the actual rates,
and the revised schedule will mean
great saving to freight shippers all
over the State.
AS an example Of the saving effect
ed by this proposed schedule, the dis
tance from Greenville to Spartanburg
is thirty two miles. Shippers between
these two points at present pay freight
charges for forty miles. which is 81
cents per hundred pounds. for first
class freight matter According to the
proposed schedule, the shippers will
pay for freight over only thirty-five
freight charges, the rate on the same
class will be only 2S cents per hundred
pounds.
Charleston and Grecnyille.
The reduction in freight rate be-
tween Charleston and Greenville will
be cents per hundred pounds, for
first class matter. which will mean
reduction or 5 cents per hundred
pounds on freight shipped from New
York to Greenville. as practically all
this traffic goes through Charleston
People at Charleston will, under the
proposed schedule, pay freight to Sam
merville on only twenty five miles in
stead of thirty, as heretofore, which
will effect as great saving
The actual reduction, regardless OF
the milage, is shown by the difference
in rate from Greenvile to Pelzer, a
distance of sixteen miles. Uunder both
old and new schedules, the freight
milage would be twenty miles. but
with the new schedule, the cost per
hundred pounds will be only 20 cents,
as against % cents at present
Over Gents Reduction.
For the first seven classes of freight
matter. which includes practically ev-
erything which is shipped by freight.
the average rate per hundred pounds
for the first fifty miles would under
the proposed schedule be % cents. as
against the present average of 81 81
cents.
For the seven classes, for one hun
dred miles, the average price would be
81 81 as against 33 6-7 under the pres
ent regime. For 260 miles, which will
take in the distance from this city to
Charleston, the average rate would be
43 81, against the present rate aver
age OF 45 6-7
These reductions appear small. but
for the shorter distances they will
amount to considerable reduction
when large shipments are made, and
in the course OF time there will be con
siderable saving In freight charges. 1t
is the hope OF the rate committee of
the board OF trade here that the pro-
posed schedule, which the commission
I'll IFnx a 4.