The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-04
SACKS MUST
 BE MARKED N Exception to the General Rule. UPSTATE SHIPPERS LOSE
  High Officials of Carriers Win
 Appear Today.
These wm Argue For . More Eco nomical And simpler Form For valustion Reports And Ae- eounting--Unisorm Rate.
 For Tennessee.

After holding the matter under ad- visement for several months, during which time there was a succession or public hearings, the Alabama Railroad Commission yesterday rendered It's de- eision against the Birmingham Whole sale Grocers' Association who peti- toned that they be allowed to ship meal and flour in unmarked sacks. The railroads consider this as a material victory and had poured out a flood of oratory in opposition to the wishes of the shippers from upstate.
 These shippers claimed that to have to mark every sack with the name Of the destination and consignee in less than carload shipments was an extraor- dinary expense which they should nor be made to bear. They had contended that 1t was sufficient to mark only one sack of q consignment with the know ledge contained in the bill of lading.
 The railroads, on the other hand, maintained that to make such an ex- ception to the general rule prevailing in cases of other shipments was to cause endless confusion and loss to the carriers by misahipments. They held their aggregate claims arising under such losses up against the cost to the shippers for the purpose of showing the balance was in favor of including meal and floar in the general rule of the Commission.
 The Commission did not complete it's work after an aII-day session and at a late hour yesterday afternoon ad- 5ourned until this morning when the remainder of the docket will he clear ed.
 Today q number of high officials of railroads will appear before the Com mission for the purpose of arranging with that body, if possible, for a less expensive valuation sheet for annual reports to the Commission and to sim plify the uniform methods of account. ing required Of tho railroads.
 Mf@h Okflc1aIR Here.
 These officials include, B. M starKs. General Manager of the Louisville and Nashville: c. Fl. Ackert, Vice President and General Manager of the Southern Railway; J. s. B. Thompson. Second Vice President of the Southern Rail- way: ". l. sedde9k Chief Engineer of the Seaboard Air Line. and J. P. Till man and James Weatherly. of counsel for the Seaboard Air Line
 They represent a general complaint of the carriers, 1t is understood against the blanks that have been sent out by Secretary g. P. Kennedy. of the Com mission, for the entertainment of the physical valuations of the property of railroads. their rolling stock. real property and other things provided for by law. The object is to prevent heavy expense entailed by being forced to furnish information just as demanded when if some alterations were made in the form there would be no necessity of extra surveys.
 There will also be a request for simplification of the methods of ac- the Commission.
 The Commission disposed of five peti- tions of the Atlantic Coast Line for the right to close agencies atavarious points in the State. The Coast Line withdrew the petition to close the agency at Naftei and in the four other petitions denial was made. The points petitioned to be closed were TennelIe. Ada. Capps and Shelborn.
 No small part of the hearing Ayester- day was devoted to an effort to arrive at unifrom basis for freight tariffs to apply on the Tennessee River. The idea of the Commission is to initiate its action in the matter of the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers where the steam boats are under an order to observe certain maximum rates.
 Involved in the Tennessee River hear ing are the St. Louis and Tennessee River Packet Company; Tennessee River Navigation Company. Captain J c. Pikes. and the Chattanooga Packet Company.
 At some future date revision of the rules rates and regulations of these freight lines will probably be an- nounced by the Commission as the re- suit of recent inspections of the Ten nessee River and the hearing of yester- day.
 All members of the Commission were present yesterday including Chairman Charles Henderson, Associate w. D. Nesbttt and Associate John A. Lusl It was the first regular session of the Commission in which Mfr. Lusk has sat