The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-24

From the Ledger.
 The following is a copy of some inter- esting correspondence which has recently passed between MT. E. Wilkinson, repre- senting MT. B. B. Conner. and MT. W. E.. Knox, superintendent of the Alabama Mineral railroad:
 COPY
 FARMERS. MERCHANTS AND LA
 BORERs' ASSOCIATION
 OF ALABAMA.
 Birmingham, Ala. March 3, 1904. MT. W. E. Knox supt. L. x N. R. R.,
 Anniston, Ala:
 Dear Sir-I am advised by friends in Gadsden that you are circulating the re- port that MT. Conner shipped out flour from his mills, billing it as meal, thereby making cents per hundred pounds diff ference in freight.
 I cannot believe that a man of your reputation and in your position would wilfully circulate an erroneous report of this character and therefore conclude that your information is incorrect. I will give you the facts in this case showing that MT. Conner was in no way at fault in the matter and I trust that you will take as much pains to correct this wrong as you have in circulating the report
 In the first place the flour was not billed by MT. Conner, nor shipped by him. l was the man who went to the Louisville and Nashville railroad here and called their attention to the circumstance and know ak of the details.
 
 MT. Conner bought from mill of Ten nessee some flour in bulk which he de- sired to pack in Birmingham unaer his own brand; this Is done py flour jobbers all over the country. To save the expense of buying jute bags in which to have the flour shipped to Birmingham, MT. Conner sent empty meal sacks to the mill in Ten nessee The flour was sold to him at a certain price delivered at Birmingham, and he had no interest in the freight. The miller in Tennessee billed the flour to the railroad as meal and thereby saved himself cents per barrel on the freight. After represented the facts to the rail road company here, they went to MT. Conner who showed them his telegrams purchasing the flour, his invoices showing that the miller in Tennessee got the ben eft of the cents per barrel in freight and told the Louisville and Nashville representative that he owed the miller for car of flour. and if they desired It. would pay them the cents per barrel on all of the shipments and charge it back to the shipper, which he did.
 MT. Conner also took the pains to show the Louisville and Nashville representa- tive in Birmingham the copy of his letter in which he charged back the amount paid the Louisville and Nashville to the ship per, clearly establishing the fact that he reaped no benefit by the false billing whatever, or had any interest in 1t.
 MT Conner is at present out of the city, and being interested in his success, am desirous of stopping this erroneous state ment as quickly as possible. Very truly yours. ,,r>-eo>, - (Signed) D. WlLh,N SoT, ,>i r.0UIsyILLE & NASHVILLE RAIL- ROAD COMPANY, ALABAMA MIN ERAI, DIVISION, OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. Anniston. Ala, March 2l, 1904 MT E Wilkerson, Member Campaign Committee, Birmingham, Ala
 Dear Sir-Your favor of March reach ed me at Anniston on the 1th and mas been carefully noted
 The first paragraph of your letter mis- quotes me l did not say that MT. Conner himself shipped flour from HIS mill, bill ing it as meal, thereby making a diff ference of cents in freight. What did say, was that he bought FLOUR in bulk at Carter's Creek, Tenn, and that HE shipped from his Birmingham mill HIS OWN MEAL SACKS to the mill at Carter's Creek. Tenn, and that these MEAL SACKS were branded as follows: Birmingham Mills,
 ''B B. Conner,
 Brand Jim Dandy
 MEAL Qn very large letters.)
 Birmingham, Ala"
 I further stated that the FLOUR which MT. Conner had bought in bulk at Car ter's Creek, Tenn, was placed in these MEAL SACKS branded as above, and shipped over the Louisville and Nash vile to Birmingham, billed as MEAL at the MEAL rate, and with one exception at the weight usually applied to MEAL, viz, 92 pounds per sack. In the one ex- ception referred to the weight given was equivalent to 96 pounds per sack. In every case, however the weight at which the shipment was billed was less than the weight usually applied to flour, viz, 100 pounds per sack. further stated that the rate on meal from Carter's Creek, Tenn, to Birmingham. Ala, was 4 cents per 100 pounds or 8 cents per barrel lower than on flour, and that, therefore, the rate was cut s cents per barrel by this manipulation, besides an additional cut by reason of the fact that one of these meal sacks filled with flour would