The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-09-27
G. c. y r. OFFICIAL DISCUSSES
APP LEGATION WHICH HAS
BEEN FILED BY SMALLER
STATE LINES.

Editor News: The article in your
paper yesterday with reference to the
application of the Georgia carriers
fo9 a revision of class ''p" scale, is so
unfsir to the Georgia carriers in gen
cral, particularly as to any discrimi-
nation on their part toward Bruins
W.ck. that the writer feels the correct
facts should be put before the public.
The class ''p" scale now in use was
authorized by the railroad commits
son of Georgia in 1851, and two inn
ortant facts should be borne in mind
in considering the application of the
Georgia carriers; first, when these
rates were promulgated, it was the
custom to charge mileage on freight
equipment, regardless of the length
of time the car was in service. This
vas found to be such an unfair basis
that it was several years ago changed
to a per diem basis, which must be
universally recognized as an equita-
bic basis as giving the owner nom
iCally fair return On the investment.
second, the cost of operation of rail
roads within the state of Georgia in
| 1914 compared with 1882 shows an
ircrease OF nearly one hundred per
cent, by which the public benefits in
better and more efficient accommodate
ions and service!
An example Of the difference in
computing car service. as q; reason for
the increase. the following is quoted:
Under the old mileage basis car
moving from Seven Mile Slidingf
TO Brunswick would draw mileage of
.siX-tenths cent Fer mile, or AZ cents,
regardless of the time the car was in
service, while under the present per
lem rlan the owners of the car
would receive 40 cents for each day
the car was in service and, while the
CRITICALLY, an empty car can be NOV
ed to a loading place in one day,
loaded the next and unloade1 the fol
lowing day, actual practice shows
ttat usually the full free &'me allow
ed for loading hlfd unloading is used.
lrclement weather are not included
add there are necessary delays in
transportation, and fair average for
short line service is eight or nine
days, which, at As cents per day, is
| $40 or $3.50, an compared with n max
llmum of ~ tbider the old method,
which no fairminded person would
be willing to SHY was fair to the own
ers of the equipment or offered a fair
return on the investment. if the cars
y ere the property OF the loading line
Some change bad to be made, as no
me would, under the then existing
, conditions, prOyido the necessary
equipment but depended on the other
lilies to supply tr cir needs and We
arc ali familiar Will the old condit-
ons when it was almost impossible
! to get cars to move the traffic and
| ;ere in Georgia our mills and the tie
reople were the worst sufferers. Now
al of the lines own sufiicien equip
nent to handle the traffic offered and
cen furnish equipment promptly.
; Carriers, therefore, feel that these
changed conditions are sufficient to
warrant an increase in the present
class p scale to save them from an
actual loss in handling short haul
traffic
The railroad commission of Gcor-
gia in the present class "p'' scale pro-
Vldes tivemile groups up to one hun
dred miles then ten miles groups
I I'D to four hundred and sixty miles,
o. tiftysiX groups. The Georgia car
riers are asking for an increase from
emily nineteen groups, decrease from
-Nenty groups, seventeen to remain
as at present. The maximum increase
asEad for (and only from one group
900 per car, while the maximum
decrease asked for is $500. II will
u ercfore be seen that the Georgia
arriers are willing TO adopt a new
scale providing as maximum decrease
If twice the amount of the maximum
increase. Let us figure further: Sup
pose car is moved to Brunswick
from each group as designated by
the RAILROAD commission The increas.
ed cha ~'"es would amount on the en-
re movement to St709, while the de-
crease asked for would amount to
$2S.4l, a net saving Of $t1.29.
| want TO make particular stress
Of the fact that these changes are TO
De uniform and will not, or cannot.
prove detrimental TO Brunswick: in
fact there is reasonable ground to
beheye they will prove advantageous
for the following reasons: The in
crcases asked for are mainly, in fact,
practically all, to distances under $50
miles, and are not applicable to
brunswick alone but between all
points, so Brunswick will be on the
anne basis as any other point. On
he other hand, from distances great
eT than 80 miles, the rates are inva-
riably muchly reduced, and this will
permit the handling of ties TO Bruins
wick, whereas the present rates will
not VIII ich Should he a Erf9af adva,,