The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-04-04
COMMISSION HELD MEETING.
Confer With Citizens Regarding Re
moval of Express Office.

lima railroad commission visited
Bamberg and held conference with
the citizens regarding the petition to
enforce the order issued by the COM
mission two years ago requiring the
removal of the Office of the Southern
Express company from the depot to
some location in the business section
of town. The whole commission,
composed of Messrs. John c. Rich
ards, chairman, D. w. Shealey and
James Cansler, were present, as also
was Mr.. Parks, representing the ex-
press company. The meeting was
held in the office of H: M. Graham,
Esq, Thursday morning, and quite a
few of the patrons of the express Of
fee were ir attendance upon the con-
ference.
The chairman stated the status of
the matter regarding the previous
hearings held by the commission,
stating that in 1915 the commission
was presented with petition to
make the change, and that later an
other petition was presented, signed
by perhaps a majority of the bust
ness men of the town, requesting
that no change be made, and in &C
cordance with this petition, no fur
Their action had been taken by the
commission. It was explained by
some of the citizens that the matter
was virtually withdrawn at that time
because of personal reasons, and not
because the change was not needed.
Various citizens were called upon
to state their complaints in the mat
ter. One patron Stated that neither
the freight depot nor the passenger
ticket office was suitable for this pur-
pose. inasmuch as the railroad en-
ployees have too much to do, and
cannot possibly give the proper at
tentioff to the express business. One
man, during the past several years,
has had to wait on everybody at the
ticket Office, sell tickets, check bag
gage, receive and dispatch telegrams
and train orders, and attend to the
express business, it being quite i'm
possible for one man to do all this;
consequently something had to be
left undone.
The gist of the wants of the citi-
zens is that removal of the express
Office to some other location is de-
manded, and that the express office
be entirely separated from the rail-
road business, and that, if the town
is entitled to it, which the patrons
seemed to think it is, that free de-
livery of express be inaugurated.
It was explained that suitable
quarters may be secured at not ex-
ceeding SIS per month. Mr.. Parks,
on behalf of the express company,
said that the business at Bamberg
did not warrant securing separate
quarters or delivery, and promised
to get the figures from the auditor
for the commission at an early date,
but he did offer to. put in telephone
service, which one gentleman char
acterized as useless, as it. had been
tried, and no one would answer the
phone. Mr.. Parks suggested the re-
moval back to the ticket office and
put in a man who would have moth
ing to do but sell tickets and attend
to the express service, which he
thought would give the city A-No. 1
service, but the proposition was not
at all acceptable to the citizens pres
ent, who were unanimous in demand
ing a separation. from the railroad
entirely.
1t developed at the meeting that
there is but one or two towns in the
State which have to put up with such
accommodations as we have here,
and it was pointed out that Black
vile, smaller than Bamherg, had both
a separate office and delivery ser
vice. 1t was also pointed out that
with the proper service, the busi-
ness of the company would develop
here, which it has never had the
chance to do.
The commission took the matter
under advisement and decision is
expected within the next few days.
The commission was evidently i'm
pressed with Bamberg's lack of facil-