The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-30
COMMISSION HEARING
 QTY'S COMPLAINT
tcontinued from Page oae.,

crate against Montgomery to the sx- tent of precluding her merchants and jobbers from competing in that terri tory. Some of the points on the Louis- vile and Nashville are Georgiana, Ev- ergreen, Flomaton, Geneva and River Falls, all of which are practically non- competitive in favor of the port cities. This is territory rapidly developing.
 MT. Kealhofer told of several arti- cies and commodities in the sale of which Montgomery has the disadvan tage under Birmingham. The discrim- nations are not as great as in the cases of Mobile and Pensacola
 Some Corrections Made.
 Since the filing of the complaint the roads have made several corrections of rate differences.
 Answering a question of Comms- sioner Clark the witness expressed the belief that rates from the river cross ings to Montgomery are made without relation to the Southeast or Birmin9- ham, but rather by an agreement of the carriers or some such influence. as the Mobile combination. He did not be- lieve that differentisl basis. is used.
 Mr. Kealhofer said he believed that the merchants and jobbers of this city would be satisfied If they could sue cessfully compete with Mobile and Pensacola at points half way between
 
 W. F. VandNer was next called as a witness for the complainants. He is engaged in jobbing groceries out of Montgomery to points on the Louisville and Nashville and other roads and on the Alabama river. He testified that since 1901 his business has fallen of 50 per cent owing to tho awakening of competitors in Mobile and Pensaco- .-. to the advantages they had by low CT rates. On the Alabama river the business of the Vandiver Grocery Com pany has decreased to such an extent that the representative of the house has withdrawn from that territory. The business in 1901 at these points amounted to $105.0o0 with the Vandi- yer Grocery Company
 The loss of business to the witness has been chiefly on the heavy articles, such as corn, oats. bran and hay. known to grocery dealers as the sta- ples. The result of loss in this class of business has had an influence in de- creaSing the business in lighter com modities.
 Mir. Vandiver gave the illustration that q ton of feed originating at the same point of the West can be sold to Andalusaa merchants 21 a ton cheaper through Mobile than through Mont gomery.
 This ton of feed shipped to Andalu- sia when handled through the Mobile jobbers, is shipped to the Gulf City and then retnaces back to Georgiana for delivery to Andaiusia over the Alabama and Florida division ot the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Mir. Vendiver testiied that he is selling in small volume to Georgiana but that. business is gradually receding towards this city on the Louisville and Nash ville. He said he had no complaints of railroad rates to points east of Montgomery.
 Asked by one of counsel for the rail- roads if an increase In the number of competitive jobbers in the grocery hnA in Montgomery has not influenced his business since 1901 and therefore caused the stated decrease. the witness re- piled that he did not think 1t had been an influential factor.
 Next to be called for the complain ants was John ". Tullis of the Snow-a rullis Hardware Company of Mont gomery. He testified that he is selling . very limited business down as far as Castleberry on the Louisville and Nash ville. but that little of staples in the hardware line are sold farther south of Montgomery than Greenville.
 Called on for illustrations of how his business had been hurt by lower rates to Mobile and Pensacola Mir. Tullis reeited the items of trace chains, fruit jars and cross-cut jars. He said there were several others in his ex- hibit which would be filed. On these articles 1t was shown that the rates to Mobile ana Pensacola were so much lower that the Montgomery house was excluded from competition further south than Fort Deposit in many cases. On trace chains. for instance. the wit ness declared that Mobile Is enjoying a rate of 27 cents while Montgomeryis Is given a rate of 5s cents. or more than a difference of 100 per cent. Similar comparisons were made on the other commodities or staples with rate dif- ferences more or less great.
 Judge Baxter of counsel for the de- fendants. asked Mir. Tullis If these goods could not be bought from Phil- adelphia or other Eastern points iu- stead of from St. Louis. Indianapolis and other cities from which they are