The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-28
RATE HEARING
 WILL BEGIN Interstate Commission Sits Here Tomorrow. CLEMENTS AND CLARK COMING Session Will Last for I've Days in
 Federal Court Room. Hish' oneials of Many Lines Are to Be
 Present to Go on wHne-.

 distinguished visitors to Montgomery this week Is the sitting of the Inter state Commerce Comnis ission tomorrow and Thursday to hear the big case of the interstate railroad rates from Ohio and Mississippi river crossings to Montgomery. The outcome of this hearing is fraught with much of i'm portance to this city in the future.
 If the complaint which the Mont gomery Freight Bureau has filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission makes it's intended impression on the representatives of that body. 1t means that the Capital City of sAlabama is to occupy more commanding posi- tion as distributing point. It would mean the advancement of her import ance as compared with Mobile Bir- mingham and Pensacola. Indeed. the aim of the merchants and shippers generally of Montgomery Is to be put on an equality with the shippers of her neighboring points.
 The Interstate Commerce Commis- sion will be represented at this hear ing by Commissioners Judson c. Clem- ents of Georgia and E.. E.. Clark of Iowa. The hearing will be attended by high officials of the several roads which penetrate Ohio. Indiana, Illi- nois. Missouri. Kentucky and Tennes- see and those which enter Montgom- cry. Among the traffic experts will be C. B. Compton, General Trafic Man ager of the Louisville and Nashville; l.. Green. General Freight Agent of the Southern Railway; E. K. Voorhees,, General Freight Agent of the Frisco; and c. P. Bayies, Freight Traffic Man ager of the Cincinnati Southern Rail- road. Probably all these officials will be accompanied by special counsel.
 H. s. Kealhofer, Freight Expert and Manager of the local Freight Bureau. together with Horace Strfngfellow, win appear in behalf of the city's complaint.
 Hearing in Federal Building.
 The hearing will be held In the room of the Federal Circuit Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The first session will begin tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. It Is likely that the room during the hearing will be thronged with delegations from Ala mess men generally are wrapped up in the cases to be heard.
 Commissioners Clements and Clark are expected to reach Montgomery to- morrow morning on the early north bound Louisville and Nashville tram from New Orleans. In the latter city they have been hearing cases involv- Ing interstate railroad rates from New Orleans to Mobile, Montgomery and Pensacola. The hearing in these cases will be concluded today.
 The railroads which are defendants in the flearine fif this city are the EouisviIfe and Nashville, the Mobile and Ohio. Southern Railway. cincin- natl, New Orleans and Texas Pacific, Illinois Central and Nashville. Chat tanooga and St. Louis Railway. The testimony in the case is expected to be quite voluminous as hundreds of interrogatories have been prepared by counsel and experts for the MontgonT cry Freight Bureau to be propounded to the witnesses for the railroads as soon as they appear on the stand.
 The complaint on which the naer chants of Montgomery will rely for a victory over the railroads in securing lower interstate rates Is an elaborate piece of work. It alleges gross dis criminattons against Montgomery in favor of competitive points like Mo- bile and Pensacola. and often in favor of Birmingham, on articles and com modfties shipped for distribution to Alabama towns from the North and North west. One of the main items in the long list of articles Is that of grain of all sorts.
 Rates from West.
 It Is set out in this complaint that the rates from the West and Central West to Montgomery and to Mobile and Birmingham and Pensacola. are con - structed by adding fixed charges or difEerentials from points of origin therein to the rates authorized and regularly issued by the defendant lines from points commonly known as Ohio and Mississippi river crossings, and which include Cincinnati. Louisvflle. Evansville, Padueah. Cairo. St. Louis. East St. Louis, Columbus (Ky)s Bell mont. Mo. Memphis and other points from which the same rates are author ized as are published from said Ohio and Mississippi river crossings"
 It is further alleged that the rates published by the said defendant rail- way companies .. are unreason- able and unjust in their relation to Pensacola, Mobile and Birmingham .. which points are in direct com petition with Montgomery and said several points that should be common territory and served on an equal ba- sis"
 The complaint gives the rates per ton per mile from several points on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Mont Eomery, Mobile and Pensacola as well as Birmingham to show that on i'm portant commodities and articles of merchandise this city Is placed at distinct disadvantage in supplying the consumers of even the neighboring towns.
 WAHr NNA ESS.-