The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-12

as an article of freight was greatly re- duced by compression resulting in . proportionate decrease In ocean freight rates. The advantages that were de- rived from compression were soon after recognized by the railroads for the economization of space in their rolling stock. Some of the railroads centers along their lines in the in- terior. and cotton passing such centers in course of transportation to the ports was stopped. unloaded, compressed, re- loaded and shipped to the ports. while the empty cars thus obtained by the reduction of space were retained and used for additional transportation of cotton in its course of movement from point of origin. With the growth of cultivation of cotton new congresses were erected in the interior, not only porations and individuals. through the encouragement of the railroads. The railroads paid the cost of compression at interior points which was ten cents per hundred pounds in Alabama. The custom of the railroads paying the cost of compression still prevails. but the price has been reduced to 1-2 cents per hundred pounds.
 III-Complainant ayers, that the
  one of the defendants, owned several of these interior congresses erected many years ago. They operated these presses until recent years when they were leased. becoming the nucleus around which was formed the Att lantic Compress Company, corpora ton. which is operating through own ership. or lease practically all the com presses in Alabama.
 " .t... .rAt there are three different methods in operation betewen the congresses and railroads in the handling and transpor- tation of cotton.
 First-The handling of local cotton. under which Is understood such cot ton that has its origin in the local market wherever a compress may be located.
 seeond--Cotton which is shipped from points that have no compress on through bills of lad'ing to destination. This cotton en route is stopped at com press points for the purpose of com pression, and is restored to the rail- roads after compression has been fin- ished to continue on its way to desti- nation.
 Third-Cotton which originates, or Is bought at the small interior mar kets. and concentrated at compress TOT luC PuhpOSC OA by shippers, and compression.
 V-Complainant ayers that no such concentration is praeticed at other than compress points. This manner or floating cotton has proven a great economizer of rolling stock, and not only makes possible the movement or the crop, without delay, but greatly facilitates the handling of this great staple by the interior buyer.
 VI-The complainant further ayers that the defendants make the same rate on compressed as on uncompressed cotton, reaerving to themselves the privilege of compression, thereby forc- ing all cotton to be tendered to them for shipment in it's original state. un- compressed, and making said defend- ants parties in the preparation for snip ment of this great product, custom not practIced by said defendants in the transportation of any other commodity. That the defendants deny to tndepeno- ent congresses patronage on equal terms as accorded to congresses oper- ated by the Atlantic Compress Com pany, thus throttling those already In existence whose owners decline to sac- cifice their property by leasing or sell ing at less than it's value to the Att lantic Compress Company, and pre- venting the erection of congresses at points which would prove not only to the advantage and economy of de- fendant5 in transportation. but results to the great disadvantage and Injury of many localities that desire through its contemplating, citizens to place them selves in position to become points of concentration by the erection of com presses.
 VII-Complainant further ayers that the transportation companies In re- fusInE equal privileges to certain towns to erect and operate congresses. concentrate and restrict the markets, thereby ,injurihg the material progress