Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-08-08

the state at large are now realizine that there are two many avenues for discrimination involved in the concentration rate and a general de- mand for ts abolition is coming from all over the State. Little Rock included, despite what George Russ Brown may say to the contrary.
 After having heard argument for several hours on the question of putting in a fiat mileage rate on cotton between the various points in the State the Arkansas Railroad Commission announced yesterday af- ternoon that decision would be re- served until the matter could be given more thorough consideration. say the Little Rock Gazette. A large delegation from Pine Bluff was pres sent and Smaller one from Helena, While a number of railroad men at- tended. In addition many peti- tions for and against the proposed change from concentration basis cot- i rates were on file with the commits sion.
 Those representing the Pine Bluff Board of Trade before the Commits sion were: Capt. d Rowland and Ed sion were: Capt. Ed Nowlanl. Ed Rowland Jr., c. E. Philpot, Secre- taary J. L. Caldwell of the Board of Trade, P. P. Byrd, E. c. Howell, w. H Bennett. Those present from the city as representatives of the cotton interests or as speculators, included Secretary George Russ Brown of the Board of Trade, Com- missioner A. R. Bragg of the Mer- chants Freight Bureau, Ad Ham, burg and T. H. Hutchinson.
 For the concentration rate it was argued that any change in rate would bean increase and That this would be at the expense of the pro- ducer. The concentration rate, it was conterded, had been effective for years, and the cotton interests of the state had been built up under it, while the flat rate would be an experiment at best. It was shown that local rates on a concentration basis often mean a free haul from the point of origin to the compress on the condition that the railroad making the rate gets the haul of the cotton from the compress to the ul- innate point of destination. The flat rate agitation was regarded as the outcome of local dispute be- tween Pine Bluff and McGehee, the railroads having refused to haul cotton from southeast Arkansas past McGehee to Pine Bluff for compress ing as had been the custom in pre- vious years, before compress was built at McGehee.
 MT. Caldwell of Pine Bluff was the principal spokesman in behalf of the Hat rate. He contended that the demand was not local one, and that it was not sought to harm the other interests in the state, but that if it were the people of Pine Bluff were entitled to be protected from such action as the railroads contem- 1 plated. He stated that the crop of Southeast Arkansas is financed from
 Pine Bluff, and has been for many years, and that the men who financ- ed the crop naturally expected to handle it but that the railr oa :ef"s: ed to haul past the newly-construct- ed compress at McGehee.
 "Under the circumstances the di- version of cotton to a place like
 McGehee, which has no interest in the crop and which has never had
 an interest in it, merely becauses someone establishes a compress
 would be highly unjust, and l think | even if it is merely local matter
 that the people of Pine Bluff should
 have redress" he said.
 It was also argued that the prin-
 iple of the concentration rate is
 wrong: that it prevents competition
 in rate making and that it places
 the shipper too much in the power
 of the railroad. Another complaint
 made by several shippers was that
 the railroads hold the large sums
 which fall into their hands as re-
 sult of this concentration rate for l 1E