Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-17
CURB|NCADDST To
R. +. REVENUE,
IS CLAIM
Freight Bureau Members Hear
New Theory Of Rate
Regulation,

Declaring that governmental regu
istion. by relieving the railroads Of
unfair and injurious practices from
which they could hardly have freed
themselves, has resulted in increased
revenue for the carriers. Attorney
Edgar Watkins. president OF the At
lsnta Bar Association, In on address
at the annual meeting and dinner OF
the Atlanta Freight Bureau at the
Piedmont Hotel Thursday night
clearly set forth the results Of the
work Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the various state
commissions, in regulating the roads
and obtaining rate reductions.
The fact that the recent agreement
between the express companies and
The Interstate Commerce Commission
had obtained for Atlanta a greater
reduction in rates than the Freight
Bureau or local business men have
ever asked for, was emphasized by
]. B. Hockaday. general manager of
the Southern Express Company, in
an address on the new express rates,
which 20 into effect all over the Unit
ed States February !.
Lower Rate Than Asked.
THE Freight Bureau has been
nght!ng,' he declared, for a rate OF
$3.50 per hundred from New York to
Atlanta, and under the rates that 90
into effect February ! they will get A
rate of $305 per hundred. The new
rates, based on the block system and
approved by the Interstate Com
merce Commission, mean reduction
of 25 per cent on shipments of a hun
de- nd n
instances where the shipment weighs
less than 100 pounds. the reduction Is
more than so per cent
Under the present rate, for In
stance, the rate on l0-pound pack
age is 81, under the new rates II VIII
be 4S cents"
Mr.. Hockaday also urged upon the
business men of the city the neces-
@ity for securely wrapping their pack
ages and clearly and carefully au-
dressing them
Roads and Public Must Agree.
mo intelligent executive officer OF
o railroad" said Mr. Watkins In his
speech. desires to return to the days
when there were no laws regulating
his business. and. while all regula-
ton has not been Intelligent and
helpful, the general results have been
beneficial One Of the greatest bene-
fits is a. clearer understanding OF the
respective rights OF the public and or
the railroads: a recognition by the
public that there is a private side to
the business of transportation, and a
recognition by the railroads that their
money is invested In a public use.
AS commissioners become better
Informed and as railroad officials
recognize more the public character
l. Inv for 4 "a
general good will increase and regu-
lation will become OF still more
value"
Mr. watkins declared that the aho-
rtion Of the secret rebate system
has been one of the most beneficial
results Of railroad regulation, but de
clared there is still the necessity of
stopping another kind OF discrimina-
ZION that is none the less important
and injurious discriminate against
localities
Should Stop Discriminat alton.
Unjust discrimination should be
as effectually stopped between locali-
ties as 1t has been between individ-
uals," he said. 1T was easy to with
draw a favor from an individual;
sometimes II Is easier to extend a ia
vor to another community than to
take II away from one. Whatever the
methods, the sooner discrimination is
wholly abolished the better for the
carriers"
In his annual report Chairman w.
A Parker. OF the board of directors.
called the attention OF the members
OF the Freight Bureau to the various
cases Atlanta now has pending be
fore the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, and declared that q favor
~ Il 49,.
ing Of several millions of dollars an
nually to local shippers one case
alone-the petition OF the Freight
Bureau TO the commission to estab-
lish no higher rates TO Atlanta than
obtain from Cincinnati to Birming
ham from North Atlantic ports and
interior Eastern points all rail. and
sea and rail. no higher than Nash
vile. Knoxville and Chattanooga
VIII result in a saving OF $3.50, 900 per
snnum
Mr.. Parker announced that begin
ming Friday the board OF directors
will audit free of charge all freight
and express bills OF members OF the
bureau, file all claims and arrange
that all payments be made direct TO
claimants. This is considered one OF
the most important steps the direc
tors have taken since ITS organiza-
ton
Continued prosperity for Georgia
and the South was predicted by Mr.
Parker He presented statistics 10
show the remarkable growth OF this
section I'm the past few years
All OF the old members of the board
Of directors were reelected. as fol-
lows: 5. {. Dinkins, Gordon + Kiser.
Louis Gholstin, Clyde l. King. f. {.
N
ron. Boiling H. Jones, f. r DuBose,
J. r. Mobley. c. II. Kelly, w II.
Camp, r. L. Rhodes. r Rosenbaum.
w. A. Parker, l. A. Hirschberg, Chas
L Flyea. II. r. Wey, wylie r West.
o r. Strauss and S. A. Wardlaw.