The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-23
Some IncOnbenienceS
Of the Wen Rate Lab

1t is pointed out by the traffic officers
that some of the inconveniences caused by
the Hepburn law regulating the railroads
are beginning to be felt by shippers in
Alabama. On two or three occasions late
ly people have complained of certain
drastic provisions.
Naturally the cutting off of large
number of passes caused mutterings, but
there are other things which are caus-
ing even more unfavorable comment.
People from a number Of small towns
in the state desired to come to Birming-
ham to hear Bryan speak Friday, and in
order to do so they had to catch some
one of the fast trains. These trains do
not stop at small towns as a rule, and
when application was made to the rail-
roads to stop the trains on this occasion
they were unable to comply with the re-
quest, although they desired to do so.
Their attorneys held that if the train
was stopped once that it would have to
be stopped all the time. The railroad men
say that this is not practicable on the
fast trains, and therefore had to decline
to stop the trains.
Had the trains been stopped for the
people wishing to come to hear Bryan the
railroads would have been forced to stop
the trains at those stations whenever de-
mand was made. otherwise it would have
been discriminating.
The theatrical companies complain Be
fore the law went into effect it was pos
sble to get trains held for half an hour
or possibly an hour in order to allow the
G,.fr form NOR
Dress pack up and catch the cars. This
has been held to be a violation of the
Hepburn act and trains are no longer
held for theatrical companies. This neces-
states the extra expense of special trains
sometimes, and at other times the COM
panies have to change their routing.
One of the large furnace companies is
said to have been seriously handicapped
recently by the new law. The company
had a large amount of coke at its plant
In one state. The murnace at that place
was shut down for repairs, but the coke
ovens continued in operation. The COM
pany applied for rate on that coke to
one of It's other furnaces In Alabama,
and the railroads could not make the rate
under thirty days. so the coke is stiIl
lying idle and the company is greatly
Inconvenience as a result. The rate had
to be published thirty days before it could
be effective.
1t is said that the interstate commerce
commission is in trouble in regard to the
tariffs which are being filed by the rail-
roads 1t is said that over $50 tons Of
printed matter, tariffs, have been filed
with the commission, and that SO far 1t
has been unable to even find CLERKS
enough to handle it. much less classify
It and arrange 1t so that it can be dl-
gested and approved. The commission has
to pass on all tariffs. The members of
the commission state that they have no
idea how long it will be before they can
get these tons of tariff acted on. 1t Will
probably be months, possibly several
years.
The cotton shippers are worrying over
the expectation of cotton. They are UNI
able to get any rates quoted them fur
ther than the port of export, and this does
not include the interocean tariffs, which
are constantly changing In order to ship
cotton from Birmingham to Liverpool
the shipper has to secure the rate to the
port of export and trust to luck to get d
reasonable rate from that port to Liv-
erpool The railroads and the steamship
companies are absolutely unable to post
rates under thirty days, and by the end Of