The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-02-13
AGAIN IN Lime LIGHT
CIRCULARS PLAYED STAR PART
- POLITICS OF THE STATE.
,oirroad Commission Now Demand
ing a Hearing. $. q. Mchendon'
Represents the Shippers.

;DO a hedEIHEs H' ~
Represents the Shippers.
poiIroad Commission circulars
o,c 317 and 318, issued in 1906,
nd which played an interesting part
~ Georgia politics along about that
lime are again springing into the
rmelight.
Those circulars ordered a reduc-
..o, in freight rates within the state
sn,onnting to an average of about
n nor cent. They reduced by ap-
nroximately that amount the percent
400 which certain railroads are al
,omod to charge above the standard
+oriff and affected principally the
Central of Georgia Railway Compa-
Nv the Seaboard Air Line, the At
iontic Coast Line, the Southern rail-
now and the Georgia, Southern and
Florida.
Scarcely had these circulars been
issued by the railroad commission
1,ban temporary injunctions were Sc
orred bv the railroads affected in the
Iynited States court restraining the
commission from enforcing these or
dprs on the ground that they were
confscatory.
hearings from time to time, and then
came the panic of 1907 which held
tbe proceedings in allegiance. Other
circumstances have combined to de-
Law the hearing of the case until now,
when the state railroad commission
is demanding a hearing from the
limited States court and pressing for
tbn dissolution of the injunctions
which have been granted to the rail-
roads.
Under the present law relative to
rate litigation of this class Judge w.
T Newman is required to summon
IN his assistance two additional fed
pral Judges and these three must hear
the case and expedite it as rapidly
as possible. Judge Newman is now
in correspondence with other judges
with view to taking up the case at
the earliest possible date.
If is said that the dissolution of
these restraining orders by the court
and the enforcement of the famous
circulars reducing the freight rates
within the state would require the
railroads in question to rebate to
Georgia shippers more than $1,000
600 in excess charges above those
fixed in the orders of the commits
sion. The saving to the shippers OF
the state if the orders were enforced
would amount to approximately
$150,000 a year.
The railroads are still opposing
the reductions on the ground that to
enforce them would mean confisca-
ton of their property. 1t is true that
the gross earnings of the Georgia
railroads have increased about so per
cent since the circulars were issued,
but it is also claimed that the operat-
ing expenses have increased so rapid
ly in proportion that the railroads
are not earning net as much as they
did then.
Nevertheless the railroad commits
sion thinks the time has come when
these orders ought to be enforced
and it is urging an early hearing.
Whatever the decision of the three
judges may be it is almost certain
that the case will go to the United
States appellateecourt before it is IL
nally determined.
The famous circulars were issued
at time when there was good deal
of political agitation in Georgia, but
the commission believes the time has
now come when the railroads can
stand these reductions without really
feeling them.
An interesting aspect of the case
is the appearance in it of S. G. Nc
Tendon, former chairman of the rail-
road commission, who is now repre-
senting the Valdosta Chamber OF
Comemrce, composed of many of the
shippers of that city, who are seek
ing to have the injunctions dis
solved.