The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-07
SELMA PEOPLE MAKE PROTEST Against Commission Made River Rates. THEY WILL LOSE POINT Thought Schedule Would lnjure
 Business. Railroad Commission Heard Commit tee of selma Business Men, But scheduies w1n Be PromuI-
 gated Tomorrow.

After hearing an extended discussion of the question of what is an equitable tariff of freight charges to apply to steamboat traffic on the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers, the Railroad Com mission adjourned last night at late hour without coming to any con clusion on the matter. v la
 There was a representative delega- tion from Mobile to represent the steamboat interests and a delegation from Selma representing the shipping Interest of that city. Of the naviga- ton companies the following appeared before the commission and gave tes- timony: Col. Winston Jones. Capt. John Quill. Capt. Norman Staples. Capt. H. M. Lindsey. pr. T. P. Tun- stall and Mir. John Gerald.
 The Selma committee was composed of Mayor V. B. Atkins. W. c. Agee and J. B. Ellis.
 The sense of the Selma committee. as best 1t could be gathered. was to resist the commission interfering in the matter of fixing steamboat rates at all. They believe that in the sch ed- ules which have been devised by the commission Selma would not get the advantages that would accrue If things were to be allowed to take their nat ura1 course.
 The Selma committee thought that the steamboat operators should not be tied down to any definite tariff as there are 80 many differences in con- ditions that obtain at various landings and shipping centers that 1t might work injustices unforeseen.
 It is understood. however. that be- fore today shall have ended the com mission will have promulgated the rates in a definite form. Then. If the rates work hardships they can be un- done at some other date. The disposi- tion of the commission has been to make final disposition of the long pending case at this meeting.
 At the opening of the hearing, which began about o'clock yesterday after noon, Chairman Henderson said that the commission had carefully prepared a tentative tariff for the steamboats on the Alabama and Bigoee rivers. Tn this tariff an equitable arrange ment with reference to disputable rates was sought. It was made up by the commission, aFfa sent out to the steam boat owners as well as shippers to be searched for any injustices that may appear therein. It was made to serve as a basis for all parties to get together on and consider what is an equitable scale of rates.
 Tn the form the hearing thus as- sumed, the discussion last night turned
 
 certain commodities and a few classi- fications. MT. Ellis said he understood that the tariff as submitted would be satisfactory to the Selma people pro- vided that certain special rates would be made to Selma shippers in view of their advantages both natural and competitive as a market center. He said he had heard that these special rates would be granted to Selma but they did not appear in the tarin as sent out by the commission.
 Chairman Henderson said that he had made a trip on the Alabama and Bignee rivers and that he had been requested to ask the commission to raise certain rates from the Gulf to the landings where the parties lived. At this statement of the chairman there was ripple of laughter in the audience. The chairman added that the requests of this character had put him much in doubt about the rate problem and he wanted to know the reasons why.
 After discussions pro and con on the rates submitted the commission ad- journed last night, reserving their final decision in the matter.