The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-01
COMMERCIAL CLUE MOVES
Rate Experts Followed Each Other
 to Stand.
Railroads Continued to Advance Their Side Throughout Yesterdays Hear ing and Claim Was Made That Montgomery's Trade Terri tory Was Larger Than that of Mobile CT
 Pensacola.

Like Achilles of old. the commercial interests of Mobile jumped at last Into the conflict between Montgomery mer-s chants and Jobbers and the railroads when. in the afternoon session of the second days hearing of the Interstate Commerce Commission yesterday, a pe- tition to intervene in the case was read by President John Craft of Mobile Com- mercial Club. This petition Is in effect Joining of hands with the defendant railroads.
 The Mobile Commercial Club sudden :, ly awoke to the important relationship which the hearing of the Commission now fin progress in Montgomery bears to the commercial importance of the port of Mobile. But the city did not seem to be aroused until the last mo- ment. Now, through her commercial organization, embracing more than 300 members, the Gulf City rushes to the hearing to proclaim that the present adjustment of freight rates to Mont- gomery from the West and Middle West is fair.
 That the arbitration of the Mont- gomery Freight Bureaus complaint af- fects vitally the interests of Mobile eau be readily seen by observing the ptan of defense adopted by the rail- FQAQN QGLtHu8uIs ease. Montgomery merchants and jobbers are crying out for help. claiming that ad- vantageous rates to Mobile and Pensa- cola are serving to stife Montgomeyy's trade even in her contiguous territory. This is alleged to be thu result Of freight determinations in favor of the Gulf cities to the detriment of Mont gomery
 Such an injustice to Montgomery bus mess men, if it can be proven to exist can be corrected In two ways only. By one method, the Interstate Com-i merce Commission could order the Fates from the Mississippi and Ohio River crossings to Montgomery reduced to parity or q proportionate equality with the same rates to Mobile. By the other alternative after minute ex- animation of conditions. this same tri- bunal could order the Mobile rates rais- ed to a parity with Montgomery. When such a menace to her prosperity threat- ems Mobile, 1t Is easy to see why pos sibIy she might have earlier joined the issue with the railroads and attempted by a line of evidence to justify the present rates to Mobile.
 At present Mobile is on a parity with New Orleans in the matter of through rates from the North and West To be pulled down from this position would injure her in her vast plan of compe- tition with the larger Louisiana port for the Cuban and coastwise trade. It was to sustain the present rate adjust ment at Montgomery and Mobile. there fore, that the Commercial Club. through it's president. was yesterday allowed to intervene in the case.
 Commissioner Clements allowed this intervention and also stated to NIT. Craft, of the Mobile Commercial Club. that evidence would be accepted at later date if the intervenor desires to introduce it.
 Much of the hearing at both the morning and afternoon sessions yester- day was devoted by the railroads to their alternative plan of defense against the complaint of the Freight Bureau. Spreading to the view of Commissions ers Clark and Clements numerous charts and maps to Illustrate their point, the tarin experts of the roads went earnestly about their task from the start. And boring over an inter- minable mass of figures these saTne ex- perts read and read until even at times the Commissioners themselves inter- nosed and asked that the things De filed as exhibits. This, of course. meant that the Commission would so about diving into these figures when they have more leisure.
 This alternative plan of defense IA
 
 iustment as one of many like cities Tn the southeastern territory. It was shown that if Montgomery should be given her decrease in the rate ad3usts nent asked it would disturb the 6ens eral rate adjustment for the entire eerS ritory. Such an adjustment has oeen evolved from the consideration of thousand conditions. geographieai eena- petitive and commercial.
 T.. Green. ET&tZH| Trafic Manager of the Southern Rail- way. said that if the new adjustmenk at Montgomery be ordered by the Conn., mission and the same general relations shin of Montgomery to other south- eastern rates from the West were 70 be maintained, 1t would result in sucA vast disturbances that to the Southern alone there would be an annuCs JOSS oA S75O, 900 in revenue.
 Another valuable witness for the de- | fendants was Freight Traffic Manager Cams. of the Seaboard Air Line. who dumped upon Acting Secretary Rowland Philips. of the Commission, raft Of maps and figures emphasizing one point ha insisted upon. This was that Mont srornarv can under her existing ratca from the cities complained of serve by | tobbing a larger territory than can Nobile and Pensacola without inter- l ference by rail rates alone.
 The Commission did not quite com n,ete the hearing yesterday afternoon at a quarter after o'clock, when ad- | iournment was taken until 10 o'clock | this morning. Probably a half hour l will finish the task this morning at | the opening. This will likely be the nlacinR of H. s. Kealhofer, Manager | of the Freight Bureau, on the stand for rebuttal testimony. Concluding which the Commission will call th@ l New Orleans-Mobile rate case whicN was continued from New Orleans TuesE day to Montgomery. This is q protest against the Louisville and Nashvill& & | continuing an advance of rates betwee4 New Orleans and Mobile put Into ef{ feet last August John A Smith. aE expert of New Orleans. will be herd