The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-14
RATES ON THE RIVER
sTEAMBOATs WANT TO INcREASE
 FREIGHT TARIFF.
Mr. slatter is Summoned Before the Alabama Railroad Commissiop to Represent the ship
 = Ders af selma.
Advertiser Bureau.

Advertiser Bureau,
 Selma. January IS.
 Secretary J. T Slater of the Selma Freight Bureau. received q letter today from the Railroad Commission asking him to appear before that body and cite. in the interest of the Selma mef- chants. why the steamboats freight rates should not be raised.
 If the merchants of the city have any cause or complaint against the steamboats advancing their freight rates they will no doubt during the next few days inform Mir. Slater so that when he appears before the Rail- road Commission he will have all of the data necessary to protest against the raise.
 In speaking of the proposed increase in rates petitioned by the steamboats to the Railroad Commission Mir. Siat- ter said today that recently he had worked in conjunction with the Mont- gomery Freight Bureau and that the two bureaus had compiled list of 800 articles which heretofore have been shipped from Ohio and Mississippi riv- CT points to Mobile and Pensacola cheaper than they would be shipped from these points to either Selma or Montgomery; that these articles could be shipped to either of these Gulf ports and then reshipped to Montgomery or Selma and the freight would be less than if they had been shipped direct.
 Mir. Slater said the list of articles which had been complied by both the Montgomery and Selma Freight Bu- reaus. had been submitted to the Inter state Commerce Commission as well as to the Railroad Commission of Ala bama. Both of these bodies as we'll as the various railroads, he said, had agreed that they were fair and equal and that after weeks of hesitating the railroads had hnaily agreed to them and they would become effective early in February. To conform with the ac- ceptance of these new rates the rail- roads had increased the port rates to Mobile and Pensacola.
 Secretary Slater is enthusiastte over 1 the new rates which will soon Do ip- augurated upon the different railroads from the Mississippi and Ohio river points. In the past car loads of freight from these points would pass through Selma and be reshipped from Mobile and the freight would be less than if the goods had been shipped direct. Interested in Selma. Secretary slater of the Commercial and Industrial Association said this morning that he was receiving nearly every day letters from various manu-
 
 move to the South. Three of these let ters he thinks most favorable of and | hopes to locate the industries In Selma, To get these industries the citizens | of Selma will have to take some stock l in the plants. Each of the three con I cerns which wants to locate in Selma is manufacturing an article which Is 1 growing In use each day and for which ! there Is an ever ready market. | The ffPat 0f fhAaa fs st0uA yaIa 1,f a small block of the stock of the cons l pany is taken by Selmians.
 The second plant which wants to | Slater thinks most favorable of is a chair factory which is located in Penn 1 sylvania. The reason this concern wants to move South is on account oi being in easy reach of the wood. as well as being able to secure labor at cheaper rate than they pay tr l the North. The company will be capi. | talized at about $25.000 and they wani about si2,500' of the stock taken iE 1 Selma.
 | The third concern is a big one ana l is capitalized at nearly $250,OO0. It is l engaged in the manufacturing of casb registers and adding machines. This concern employs quite a number oi l skilled workmen and would prove a big thing for the city if 1t can bs | secured.
 1 The matter of securing these manu. featuring plants will come up at the next meeting of the Commercial anc Industrial Association.
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