The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-31
NO ACTION TAKEN
DIRK GOODS MEN RECEIVE RATE
 PROTEST.
Copies of Resolutions Adopted by Na- tiopal Dry Goods Association Are Received, But no Move
 menf in Made.

Wholesale dry goods merchants of Montgomery, members of the National Wholesale Dry Goods Association, yes- terday afternoon received through the ecutfve Committee of the Association, the burden of which was a protest against the movement being az Asted at the present time by many railroad managers for an advance of freight rates as a panacea for the business de- precision. and also that the present wage schedule may be maintained, and that the stock and other liabilities pay a satisfactory return.
 The receipt of the set of resolutions caused discussion yesterday afternoon among the wholesale dry goods mer- chants of the city, but beyond discus sion nothing definite was done, either collectively or individually, by any of the members of the Association.
 It Is said that the railroads in view of the cuts enforced upon other freights by the various railroad commissions of the States, are agitating that rates up- on articles over which the commission have no power be raised to meet this reduction in income, Up to this time there has been no definite movement in Alabama, although Georgia and sur rounding States have been fighting the movement actively for some time past. In fact several cities and towns in
 
 gether in strong protest to the courts upon the subject
 It was said yesterday that there would be no immediate action taken by wholesale dry goods merchants in Mont goEnery upon the resolutions as the members of the National Association preferred to see how the Georgia fight would progfess before taking vigorous steps in this city.
 The resolutions as received in Mont gomery yesterday follows:
 Whereas A general advance In freight rates is being advocated by the managers of many railroads as pam acea for business depression. and to enable them to maintain the present wage schedule and pay satisfactory re- turns on their stock and other liabil- ities we, the Executive Committee of the National Wholesale Dry Goods As- sociation enter our most emphatic pro- test to any such procedure. and urge the Interstate Commerce Commission and all others having authority. to use every means in their power to prevent such increase, believing 1t illogical unjustihable and in no sense warrant ed. The following are some of the req sons for our protest:
 s'First-Since the absorption, amal- Eamation and development of the com- munity of interest idea among the rail- roads, their chief ownership and con trol has passed into a few hands, and competition. except of the most friend- ly sort, has been elimInated, this, to- gether with legislation against the re- bate system has practically amounted to q substantial advance in rates on the bulk of their business, varying &C., cording to commodity.
 ''Second-By means of reclassifica- ton a very general advance has been made in rates during the last few years, and as competition Is eliminated this increases. Occasionally .an item 3s reduced in classification, but this is the exception. and, as a rule, an item Of small tonnage. investigation and comparison will show to what a large extent railroad earnings have been in- creased by this method. In our line