The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-24
RAILROAD COMMISSION.
Luther H. Maxwells Reply to s. F.
 Keller.
rusealoesa. AIa.. August p. l

A-4GiCE uG&WCH . nNPtJ " OH
 Keller.
 ruscaloo sa, Ala, August 2, 1902. AIr. g. F. Keller. Manager for P. Ciaco-
 pazzi. Birmingham Ala:
 Dear Sir-Your communication of the 18th instant to hand, reading as follows Luther H. Maxwell. Tuscaloosa. Ala: Dear Sir-I notice a communication in The Age-Ierald of this date l have only reed part of same, but enough to write a case that has just come to us in the | freight lire. A car of pears bulk from Cairo, Ga, just received: freight 44c per | 100 pounds to Birmingham. have been quoted a rate of 31c to | Memphis and Nashville from Cairo, Ga, l to Cincinnati and 4Sc per 100 to Cleve- | land, O. We do not want the earth, but only fair play.
 tel day end we could not sell him on ac- count of this excessive freight and the local from here to Tuscaloosa.
 Very truly.
 (Signed) S. F. KELLER,
 Manager for r. Ciacopazzi
 Much as I dislike to reply to what you seem to think an unanswerable letter of facts, still I deem 1t right to set you straight.
 I am glad you state candidly that you had not read one-half of my article be fore you wrote me. for had you done you would have found that the very case you cite is not within the jurisdiction of the Alabama commission, but is Inter state business ove- which they have no control
 This is about a fair sample of com plaints that go up 10 our commission for adjustment.
 Your proper place to put this matter Is before the United States interstate com rnerce commission. Should you submit your case to them. let me surmisc to you what the railrcads would answs- to your complaint.
 First. they would say that Memphis is located upon the Father of Waters the great Mississippi river. surrounded by the Mississippi and Yazoo valley fruit raising sections of Mississippi, also Nils souri and states djcining.
 If the rate of 3ic per 100 was not grant ed Memphis not car would leave GeOr- gla for that city. Secondly Nashville. Tenn, is also on the Cumberland river and we'll fixed fer the fruit sections of territory adJa- cent
 Cincinnati is on the Criio. while Cleve- land is on the great lakes, where local fruit farms of Ohio and adjacent states can supply at extremely low figures.
 l think MT. Judson c. Clements and as- sociates on that commission would justly EdY IHat competition WILL lpCdi hA.ehA hSeS and water competition considered, that the railroads were very kind to the farm CTS of Georgia in naming them rate that would let them in those large mar kets, which but for the rates named no business could be done
 Now if the Warrior canal was running into Birmingham and the railroads were shown that they were losing business, tten you would sec how quick they would come to your assistance. You state one of our merchants called on you rrd you could not sell him on ac- count of these high rates. I have taken the trouble to inquire which of our merchants were in your city on the date mentioned, and the only one I found was enc of our live mer- chents who ''inquires around and never buys at first price quoted.
 He did buy in your city. but rom party wEo was satisfied with little less profit than you.
 Besides the articles bought, new sweet pctatoes and egg plants did not come frcm Georgia. but rom Florida, and fur thermore the freight to this point by the Alabama Great Southern railway did net stand in his way, for it came over that road in the express car having been sent by the purchaser by at least 10 per cent higher -ate than freight.
 If you think that the railroads are go- ing to work for one city to the detriment of others to put money m your pochels, then you are sadly mistaken.
 Would it be right to put into effect to pirmingt am, Ala, the Memphis water rate of s1 oents; then cut local tariff down by half to this or any nearby point rnd open up the well-developed fruit-rais- Ing sections of Georgia on the poor farm CT who vends fruits from door to door ppou all of our streets
 Not lorg ago had a car of 1000 water melons offered us by wire at s90 which is cents apiece.
 Would 1t nave been right to have bought that car and moved 1t here under n half rate and opened up on our local raisers of melons?
 Here is another Eample of letter re- ceived of a friend In your city:
 Birmingham. Ala, August IA. 1902 Dear Luther-You are way wrong. and you misunderstood the situation. We are rood friends of the railroads, but they are not always good friends of ours. Electing the good commissioners by the people won't hurt them Read Age-Her- ald of today and yesterday, and note what Mir. Nesbitt and Mir. London says Also read the editorials in the News and also the Ledger few days ago.
 Dear friend, don't go wrong like that
 Your friend.