Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-05-01
TO PUT ALL TOWNS
ON SAME RATE BASIS
Local Stations To Have Same Freight
Rates As Larger Cities
TO BASE RATES ON MILEAGE
Railroads Issue Statement In Regard
To Proposed Revision of Freight
Rates In Georgia.

Atlanta, Ga.-(SpeciaD -Explain-
ing the necessity for the revision of
freight rates in Georgia which the
railroads have proposed and the gene
raj effects of the revision, the fol-
lowing statement, addressed ITO the
People Served by the Railroads in
Georgia. has been issued by Messrs.
E. T. Lamb, president of the Atlanta,
Birmingham and Atlantic Railway !;
R. A. Brand, fourth vice president of
the Atlantic Coast Line; W. A. Win
burn, president of the Central of
Georgia; ]. B. Munson, vice president
of the Georgia Southern and Florida:
c. R. Capps, first vice president of
the Seaboard Air Line, and ]. M.
Culp, vice president of the Southern
Railway:
beginning on June 26, the Rail-
road Commission of Georgia will have
public hearing on the petition of
the Railroads for revision of
freight rates within the state.
"a change in the BASIS underly-
ing the present system of rates,
along the lines proposed by the car
riers, appears inevitable. The car
riers are net unmindful of the more
or less drastic nature of the propos-
ed revision. They also thoroughly
realize that their prosperity depends
upon the prosperity of the communi-
ties they serve. They ask the sup
port of these communities in the eff
fort to bring about this apparently
necessary change with fair regard
for all the interests involved.
Since the beginning of railway
operation in the south there has ex-
listed in that section what is known
as the "Basing Point SYSTEM" under
which rates to certain points called
"Basing Points" are lower than to
other points less distant, even though
the less distant points are interme-
date on the same route. To illus
trate, Atlanta and Cordele are 'Basing
Points" The rates from Atlanta to
Cordele are lower than rates from At
lanta to points between Macon and
Cordele through which passes traffic
from Atlanta to Cordele.
Even when the long and short
haul principle is not involved,
charges are frequently less for a like
distance from basing points to local
stations and between local stations
than between the basing points them
selves.
Only go 5aslng Points.
with approximately 1000 railroad
stations within the state, only about
60 are basing points.
Public discomfort with this system
of charges has been expressed with
increasing force for many years and
is now crystallized into an imperative
demand for revision.
'The basing-point system has been
condemned by the Federal Congress,
by the Railroad Commission of Geor-
gia, and by the authorities of other
states. In July 1911, in its decision
respecting complaint against long
and short haul discrimination, the
Georgia Commission declared that
"the basing- point system is wrong in
principle"
obviously, therefore, the basing-
point system cannot survive. It's
abolition as to interstate traffic is
rapidly taking place under the 1910
Amendment to the Act to Regulate
Commerce. The most important in.
terstate tariffs were revised in con-
formity with the Federal Law effec-
tive January l, 1916, and the dispari-
ties in favor of the basing points
wholly removed or greatly reduced.
This revision was not at the in
stance of the carriers.
THE petition which the carriers
have presented to the Georgia Com
mission, copies Of which will be
furnished on request, represents the
views of the railways with respect
to a fair substitute for the existing
system of rates.
Rates On Mileage Basis.
1T is not possible in this brief
statement to set down in detail all of
the proposed rates or any great part
of them, nor to explain in detail basis
upon which they have been made;
however, the following general state
ments are made for information of
the public:
list. The proposed rates are on a
mileage basis. They contain no dis
examinations as between the old
"Basing Points" and other points.
"2d. The proposed rates to the old
"Basing Points" are generally higher
than the present rates, while the pro-
posed rates to the other points are
generally lower than the present
rates. The roads could not make the
rates to all the 1000 stations in
Georgia on the basis of the present
low rates to the 60 'Basing Points"
except at a great sacrifice of reve-
nue. We do not believe that the
Georgia shipping public will ask that
our revenues be depleted, as the CON
tinued development of the Southern
territory is dependent more largely
upon the prosperity of the railroads
than upon any other agency, and I'M