Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-31
A FGr-ReGcb5ng PERIL
To Georgia Industries


three hundred and fifty miles-than for hauling a
car of. eastern apples from New York State to
Thomasville--a thousand miles Yet, this
is but one among of amazing increases which
the carriers are seeking to impose intrastate
commerce in Georgia and which, if allowed, will
prove a crushing tax divers fields of native in
dustry and trade
A digest made by Mr.. Harry T. Moore, of the
Atlanta Freight Bureau, and covering twenty-siX
important commodities shows that the rate revis-
ion which the roads have designed involves in
creases ranging from twenty to hundred and
forty-seven per cent For example, the proposed in
crease on interstate shipments of canned fruits veg
etables and syrups average thirty-seven per cent
on hay, one hundred and seventeen per cent; on
horses and mules. forty-two per cent; on fresh
meats sausage and dressed poultry, one hundred
and forty-eight per cent; apples, sixty-nine per
cent; and on watermelons, one hundred and five
per cent
A mere glance impresses one with the fact that
these exorbitant increases are against the very
lines of enterprise which now most important
to the States agricultural and industrial develop
ment. For years past there has been an earnest
campaign to encourage food production, animal
husbandry and diversified farming in Georgia. To
this end, the States best thought and energy have
been devoted; and in recent seasons we have wit
bles and fruits has increased greatly and has led
to the establishment of many canning factories,
The raising of swine and beef cattle has grown
apace and has prepared they way for native pack
ing houses Georgia markets for Georgia products
are becoming more and more adequate Home IN
dustries are beginning to supply the needs for
which heretofore vast tides of money have drifted
to regions faraway. But now, in the face of these
splendid efforts and cheering achievements, come
the railroads with proposal to place staggering
rates on interstate shipments of the very products
nv which these home industries and home markets
are sustained.
Il Is hard 70 understand the policy that prompts
sucb downright antagonism to the States indus
trial and AGRICULTURAL growth. The railroads oper-
ating in Georgia are dependent upon Georgias de-
velopment for their own prosperity. Whatever gain
in revenue they might derive from these extortion-
ate rate advances would be under-balanced thou
sand times by the traffic losses they would suffer
from having discouraged and throttled creative en-
terprise.
They declare that the increases now proposed
are simply for the purpose of harmonizing intra-
state rates with the interstate revision that became
effective last January which revision, they explain
further was simply pursuant to order of the
Interstate Commerce Commission requiring strict
conformance with the provisions of the Long and
Short Haul law. Ingenious this line of argument
appears does alter the allimportant fact that
both in the interstate and ntrastate revision the
railroads increase their rates enormously The pre-
text that they are merely complying with the law
will not bear analysis The law in question was de-
signed to abolish unjust determinations to sad
die commerce and industry with unreasonable
freight charges. Nor should the railroads be per-
mitted to make the interstate revision basis of
added extortions in intrastate rates.
They talk very blandy about the need of char
monious' relations among rates in general; but,
strangely enough it always happens that in the
cess of "harmonizng' the railroads line their own
pockets and empty those of the towns and shippers
concerned. They "harmonized" interstate rates to
Southeastern points by advances ranging from
eight to thirty per cent; and now they propose to
harmonic" interstate rates in Georgia by addi-
tional advances ranging from twenty to hun
dred and forty-seven per cent.
When the interstate revision pending last
winter, the roads solemnly avowed that while the
new schedule would raise the rates to terminal
points and jobbng centers it would lower the rates
to a number of intermediate points and small
towns. Thus they suavely argued the prodigious
increases at terminal points would be compensated
in the aggregate result And some of our smaller
communities in Georgia were guileess enough to be-
leve it, Whatever reductions some intermediate
points might have obtained under the interstate
vision (and such reductions really negligibe)
will be far overbalanced by the increases in the
interstate revision now proposed-sO that the in
terests of all towns big and little alike and all
shippers whether jobbers retailers threaten
ed by the railroads latest scheme of eecting char
monious" rate relations.
The proposed increases to which we called at
tention at the outset only few of those which
the carriers seeking authority to inaugurate.
Besides the intoerable increases fruit and food
stuffs and fresh meats and livestock they intend to
raise their rates anywhere from twenty-five to
hundred and twenty-eight per cent the follow
ing commodities, either in carload less tan car
load lots: brick, cement nails, overalls knit
ting factory products cotton Seed cotonseed hulls
cotton nters, cotton rope cotton piece goods fer
tilizers, pillow handles pillow beams, pillow irons,
woven-wre netting, crackers, lnttered monuments
and sundry others
They have touched with their Midas instinct vir-
tually every stage of our mortal journey from the