The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-04-14
WILL
FIGHT MOVE To
INCREASE RATE
RAILROADS AFE AGAIN SEEKING
TO ADVANCE SHIFT.
ING RATES.
Atlantis Shippers Urge All Shippers
of the State TO Join With Then, in
Opposing Roads sefpre the Rail-
road Commission.

Local shippers are very mud inter
ested and viii probably at once take
steps TO protest against the ATTEMPT
recently made BY the railroads to in
crease switching charges throughout
tie state. Brunswick, being a port.
IS naturally interested. as all ship
ments received here by one road to
: delivered to anon er, have to be
shifted. therefore this port is yitally
interested in the matter. The Atlanta
onstitution OF Yesterday in discus
sing the question contained the fol
loving article
Shippers in Atlanta and throughout
the state will s,renuously resist be-
flre tie railroad commission the at.
teanT recently made ~ the railroads
10 increase re switching charge
from s. per car to q rate which the
shippers claim will amount in some
Instances to as much as $45 per car
Tor the transfer Of car from che |
point in the yards 10 anOt& sr no.N- |
The railroads originally announced |
that they intended to increase tie |
switching charge from s. 10 s. and
he Atlanta Grain Dealers Associa. |
ton Immediately fled q protest with |
the railroad commission. Later the
railroads signified their intention Of !
putting into effect what is called loraN
rates wllid2 will mean, according to
the shippers. that it will cost the shin.
pers in the neighborhocd of 100000
per year for switching alone.
Have Employed Counsel.
The Atlanta shippers have employ.
ed Attorney W A. Wimbish. of At
ianta. to represent them when the
commission takes lip the hearing On
April 20, and they have urged ship
pers throughout the state to aid them
in their efforts to prevent the pro-
posed increase.
Ihe committee appointed by the
shippers to look after their interests
in the matter has sent out the follow |
ing statement OF tGeir position with
regard to the increase:
Present Rate Since 1894.
The present SWITCHING rate OF 50 !
per car was established by the rail |
road commission OF Georgia in 1884. |
and has teen in force since that date. !
On the strength and faith that this
charge would remain in effect many
Industries were induced b. the rail.
roads to locate on their rails beyond
the city limits, and after a period of
tWenty-nlne years, when the factories
ara warehouses have been establisi ed
to withdraw the switching rates and
substitute local rates. Would appear
Jhat the roads are acting arbitrarily
with their patrons, and to their great
disadvantage, because they cannot, at
t1ls late date. dismantle their plants
ana move to more central locations:
III othef words, having these plants at
their mercy, il looks like an effort to
secure more revenue. or increased
rates, when the records Show the last
hscal year to be the most prosperous
period in the history of the Georgia
carriers.
1t is the declared purpose of the
railroads to ignore the rate of 81
per car for what is termed industrial
switching, and substitute therefor To-
cal rates for the service of handling
cars between industries. both of which
are situated at, or Immediately ada
cent and tributary to a single station.
ana within the customary yard or
switching limits.
The roads having these rates once
established, they may be permitted TO
charge full tariff rates. The public
might then be required to pay the
same charges on non-competitive traf
nc when originating and arriving at
destination over the rails of con-
Meeting line.
Ihls very question was presented
10 the Georgia railroad commission in
April, 1902. and by a unanimous opin-
'on the commission held the 50 rate
should remain in force. The commits
sion rendering this decision was com
posed Of 1le following gentlemen:
Hon. Spencer r. Atkinson. chairman;
Hon. G. Gun'y Jordan and Hon. J.
Pope Brown
Affects All Georgia.
The proposed changes not only af.
fect Atlanta, but every city and town
in Georgia, and it behooves Interested
parties thronghont the state to or
eanize and oppose these unreasonable