The age-herald., 1899-01-22
LOWER RATES FOR
 GRAIN AND HAY The Railroad Commission Takes
 Up the Matter 4.
 FOR MARKETS WITHIN STATE The Commission Has Received Many Complaints in Regard to Discrimi- nation by the Railroads in Fa-
 vor of ofWestern Producers.
FOR MARKETS WITHIN STATE

For several months past The Herald has urged upon the farmers of Alabama to give more attention to the production of hay and grain than to the growing of cot ton.
 Recently the railroad commission has taken up this matter, and is urging upon the railroads the necessity of giving the farmers of Alabama an especially low rate on grain and hay shipped to city markets within the state. Only a few days ago the railroad commission sent letter to the va- rlous officials of the railroads, urging spe- cial rate on these products, and now the commissioners are anxious that the farmers of the various sections will communicate with them in order that they may know in what sections grain hay can be pro- duced for shipment to markets within the state.
 The commissioners have received every encouragement from the railroad people, and as soon as they hear from the pro- ducers the special rates will go into eff feet. A meeting of the commission was held during the present week, at which President Crook, Ross c. Smith and Colonel Harry E. Jones were present, and the fol- lowing was prepared and sent out to the officials of the roads operating within this state The letter will explain itself:
 "From complaints, both written and yer bal made to us by citizens of Alabama alleging discriminations by Alabama rail- roads against the local hay and grain pro- ducers of Alabama in favor of the deal- CTS in and growers of these commodities Ia, fosal f o,1r duf to call attention to the matter and ask your CO., operation in a satisfactory settlement of the same. We have been earnestly en- gagged, and we hatter ourselves not without progress in an effort to solve the problem of so adjusting the rates on hay and grain as to satisfay the demands of complain ants, and at the same time avoid such reduction in the revenues of the railroads as would entail upon them a loss calculated to impair their efficiency or detract from the admirable service they are now rem dering to both passengers and shippers. In this we are sure we will find in your company, hitherto always prompt to carry out our recommendations, a ready and will ing co-adjutor. Our policy has always been, and is in this instance, to adjust such matters as are embraced in these com paints, if possible, through an eX-parte conference with the railroad companies without resortng to a formal hearing, nec- essarily tedious and irritating to both com painant and respondent.
 "Purusant to this idea, we have deemed it expedent to take the matter up with the several railroad companies in order to secure uniformity and concert of action in making such changes in rates on these commodities within the state as we deem conducive to the interests of both shippers and carriers. From what we conceive to be a fair and dispassionate consideration of all the facts bearing upon, and that must determine the merits of, these com plaints, we cannot avoid the following cou- clusions, to-wit:
 siding at an Alabama local station cannot ship his produce to another local station in the state where it passes over two or more lines of road to reach it's destination, the distance to be fair average, as cheaply as many of the western dealers can reach such station.
 "2 That, owing to the blanket rates made by the railroad companies from local stations north of the state on their respect i've lines to Alabama base points, the Ala bama producer must frequently pay as high rate, if not higher to reach such base points than is charged from such outside points so covered by said blanket rates.
 Ut is proper for us to say that very re- gently we have had before us representa- tives of three important railroad companies whose lines traverse Alabama, on other matters, after the conclusion and disposl- ton of which we made it convenient to discuss with them the subject embraced in the complaints referred to, giving unre- seryedly our views as to the duties of the several railroad companies in reference thereto, and 1t was exceedingly gratifying to us to receive assurances of approval or, and acquiescence in, the plan we suggested for an equitable and satisfactory ad1ust- ment of the question invoyel They readily agreed each for his company to make reasonable maximum rate on grain and hay from Alabama local DO nts to Alabama mar- kets located on their respective lines. The representative of one of these companies operating more than one hundred and fifty miles of main line in the state fixed a maximum of ten cents on hay and eight cents on grain from its local points to Ala bama markets on its line.
 "The commission would be gratifed to have you take this matter up and see If you cannot make some arrangement as above for your line in Alabama, whereby the local producers of such commodities can reach the markets in this state on an equitable basis as compared to the rates from points beyond this state already alluded to. The evident purpose of the people of Alabama Is to diversity their agricultural products, as the only escape from the bankruptcy that must inevitably result from a continu- ation of the almost exclusive production of cotton, and the appeal comes up with dis tressful emphasis and earnestness from all parts of the state for rates on grain and hay that will at least put them on com petitive basis in their own markets with the dealers in and producers of these prod ucts beyond the state.
 '"The commission does not ask that the companies put in such rates to markets not on their own lines, nor does it ask that the rates be made to read between the local ha rlratG hut fror a. cal points to the market, so as to prevent a general reduction that would naturally follow, of the rates from outside points to such local stations, and as also would be the case if your local rates were reduced.
 "Please let us hear from you at the very earliest possible day, and oblige yours truly, JAMES ChOoh,
 "Prest R. R. Comm. of Alabama"
 Puzzler