Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-29
OUR LETTER BOX.
Hon. H. A. Shorter. President Alabama
Railroad Commission, Montgomery
Ala

Hon. H. A. Shorter President Alabama
Railroad Commission, Montgomery,
Ala
Dear Sir: After my statement to you in
writing that the newspaper report of
what l said at the Commercial club was
not correct, l supposed that would be the
end of 1t; but it seems that your august
body thought best to make an example
of any citizen of Alabama who dared to
demand or even in a mild way speak of
the unjust oppression of your masters.
1 did say that Birmingham could not
sell goods to Cullman or Jasper on terms
of equality with its competitors, and
can take the freight rates in your office
and prove 1t, so could you If you wanted
to.
First, it is self-evident that one good
merchant can buy goods as cheap from
first hands as another. Admitting that
the Birmingham merchant can buy as
cheap as his competitor and can handle
his goods at the same cost, then all de-
ponds on the freight rates in and out of
the city, for you must count both ways.
In your attack upon me to prove your
knowledge and my want of 1t, you only
give the rates one way; you did that not
to convince any business man, for they
all know better, but to play to the gal
lery gods.
Business men want the facts, and all
the facts, and they will then be the judge
yours.
The freight rates from ST. Louis, pri-
mary point, to Nashville, Tenn, first
class Is 66 cents per hundred pounds;
from Nashville to Cullman, SO cents,
together they make $1.35 From st.
Louis on flour by the barrel to Memphis
is so cents; from Memphis to Jasper 80
cents, or together, 62 cents. From st.
Louis to Birmingham the rate is 81 cents;
from Birmingham to Jasper 20 cents, or
together "a cents per barrel, or IL cents
per barrel against Birmingham; which
Is a bar to Birmingham merchants.
| cannot give the rates on all classes,
but they are practically the same. As
to the freight on coal tar to Fruithurst,
it Is 8 cents in car lots, but 80 cents in
less than car lots. A barrel of tar that
costs SO in Birmingham and weighs 600
pounds, at 80 cents freight, will cost $2.9
to that place. Do you think that right?
You will say why not ship in car lots;
you know as well as / do that those peo-
pie can not buy in such large quantities,
and the railroads knew that when they
fixed the rate, or they would not have
made the car load rate so much lower.
Look at the local rates to all the small
towns, and you will see why they do not
prosper. 'ifH1
In my remarks at the Commercial club
1 did not attach any blame to the rail-
road commission, as / thought they were
for ornament and not for work, but since
you are so ready and willing to work
suppose you study freight rates awhile
see If you have the power to do some
thing for the people, and IL you have not,
go to the Legislature now in session at
Montgomery. 1t does not belong to the
railroads this time. Ask them to pass
"a just and fair law to all; then you en-
force that law or resign and get out of
the way of progress, and let the people s
governor elected by the people in spite
of the railroads, appoint a commission
who will feel that they belong to the
people and are the servants Of the peo-
pie and not their masters.
Very respectfully yours,
B. F. RODEN