The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-23
Shippers Urged to Use
 Other Lines. FREIGHT BUREAUS CIRCULAR Declared by Railroad Men to Be
 Unfair and Unjust,
District Attorney Jones Denoaaces scheme in vigerou. Terms, Characterisins it as Patent
 Attempt to Boycott Roads
 That Appeal to Courts

The Montgomery Freight Bureau, through It's manager, H. S. Kealhofer. has Issued circular letter to its mem bers urging them to stop shipping freight over tine Louisville and Nash vflle, Central of Georgia and Western of Alabama and furnishing them with a scheme of routes to use in place of the ordinary routing of freight over these lines.
 Officials of the roads attacked by the circular declare that it is boy colt pure and simple and as such they resent it.
 Alabama has perhaps the most strin- gent anti boycott law of any State of the union and therefore has been some talk of this circu1ar being in violation of the anti-boycott law. but the railroad officials say they are not considering it in that light, but as a violation of fairness and justice
 "The circular has a two fold pur- pose" sad George w. Jones. District Attorney of the Louisville and Nash vile. whom reporter interogated ss to the meaning of the circular. Its first purpose is to injure those roads which are resting on their rights in the court. Its second purpose is to break down the case of those roads which have already accepted the rate, when those roads go into court to prove that under the new rates their income has decreased. On the one hand the Louisville and Nashville and the other roads are to be punished. while have accepted the rates are to be so used that their cases now pending In court will be weakened
 From the nature of this confidential circular, can take no other view of 1t than 1t is patent attempt to boy T l. ~lA sefe ing man will agree that the circular is unfair and unjust"
 The circular says in one paragraph:
 T am reliably informed that when ] the final trial comes the railroads at present. protecting the rates tthe rdads which have accepted. the rates1 Twill endeavor to present statements show Ing reductions in their gross net busi- ness, dating from the time said rates began to be used over ther lines In order to overcome the preponderance of the evidence to this extent, 1t might be well for all members of the bureau to consider routing of all their inter state traffic over these lines when ever it is possible to do so without serious inconvenience"
 It Is this paragraph of the letter to which the officials most object It would seem, they say, that the Bureau had no friends among any of the rail
  be done to break down the position of the roads in pending controversies.
 Text of fhe Circular.
 The circular in full follows:
 Montgomery Freight Bureau. H. s.
 Kealhofer. Manager, Montgomery
 Ala. September 10, 1907. Refer
 file No. 10.
 "To Members:
 Louisville and Nashville. Central of Georgia and Western of Alabama are the only lines that have not acceded to the Alabama laws providing Tor a re- duction in freight rates. The other lines within the State are protecting the rates pending their final adjudica- tion by the courts.
 T am reliably informed that when the final trial comes, the railroads at present protecting the rates will en- deavor to present statements showing the reduction In their gross or net bus mess dating from the time said rates began to be used over their lines.
 'In order to overcome the preponder- anee of evidence to this extent. it might be well for all members of the bureau 10 consider routing all of their inter- state trafic over these lines whenever it is possible to do so without serious inconvenience.
 T know personally that number of our members are already favoring the
 
 hut I simply make this suggestion, trusting that other members may see the benefit to be derived by such action and will understand to route their traf- fic accordingly.
 "Tor your guidance, would state that l shipments can be routed as follows:
 From the West, via Mobile and Ohio; 1 or via the Illinois Central and Southern | Railway, In connection vita the Mobile and Ohio.
 and North Eastern and Mobile and l
 .Erom Ohio River points. via South | ern Railway, Cincinnati New Orleans | and Texas Pacific in connection with | the Southern Railway from Chatta- naoga and Mobile and Ohio from Ma plesville; or via Illinois Central and | Mobile and Ohio
 From ohio Indiana. Illinois and | Michigan, care Southern Railway, | Louisville: care Mobile and Ohio. Cairo | or East St. Louis; care Cincinnati. New | Orleans and Texas Pacific. Cincinnati Southern Chattanooga. and Mobile ana Ohio Maplesvilla-
 Prom Pittsburg territory, care Cin- cinnatl. New Orleans and Texas Pacific. Cincinnati, Southern Railway Chatta- nooga, Mobile and Ohio. MaplesVille.
 Carolina territory. via Southern Railway. Mobile and Ohio. Maplesville. | or via Seaboard Air Line or Atlantic Coast Line,
 From Eastern cities: via either Sea board Air Line or Atlantic Coast Line: Southern Railway from Eastern cities generally operates in conection with | the West Point Route, and I do not | understand that the time via Southern Railway, Maplesville on connection with the Mobile and Ohio would be satis- factory.
 'The principal steamship lines from the East would be Old Dominion and | Merchants and Miners Transportation Company, In connection with the Sez- board Air Line or Atlantic Coast Line through Norfolk; the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company via savannah. via Seaboard Air Line or At Iantic Coast Line. The Ocean Steam ship Company works via Savannah in connection with these lines. but Ahip-