The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-24
 Are After Just Freight Rates. COMPANY 10 BE FORMED Four Beats Will Be Run By the Local Company. Jt is seia That . Meeting VIII Be Called in the Next Few Days t0 Act on the
 - Matter.
COMPANY TO BE FORMED

Tired of alleged broken promises and procrastination on the part or reH- roads, the merchants of Montgomery have taken the freight rate situstion ' into their own hands and. VIII ope,ss ,s,s . line of fast steamboats from tni1 city to the Cuff and from Mobile to the North Atlantic ports.
 The declaration of transportation ih- dependence was drawn up at meet ing of the wholesale trade committee of the Commercial Club, at It's last ex- ecutive session. No hint of what was on foot was given out until the ma 1ority of the merchants of the city nad been consulted. The members Of the committee interviewed the leading rner- chants of the city and the smaller snip pers and receivers of freight ana rouho them, to a man, heartily in favor or the new enterprise.
 The formation of the company IS al, that remains to be done. the capits' tstock has been volunteered ana the merchants are ready with their cnechs.
 For years the merchants Of this city say they have bsen begging and pieea- Iinr for fair rates so they could com pete, actually begging to compete, III Itheir own immediate territory: les IterdAy 1t was learned that -Mopie can .undersen local merchants Tn cer.a.. merchandise as close to Montgomery as lMc(yehee's Switch, ten miles from the city. It was learned also that Mont lromery merchant cannot buy hour dl- rect to Montgomery as cheap as t can be sent from the factory down 70 Mo- bile and back as far as Greenvilie. few miles south Of this city Fnese two are but jot of the grea. st tfnation that has been going on asaihs' the city since time imnemoriai.
 The merchants who were seen yes, serday said that the time for talk had zone by and that the movement was not a threat to try to bring the rail roads to act fairly with this ctty. put that they were done with raiiroads anu would not take the matter under ao- visement again. We have been pam" ,booxled and fooled too often, they said. and are now going out to dig TOT ourselves The four boats that VII begin operation on the river VIII not hurt the trade of the other lines, Tor the entire field of operation will De placed in the hands of the boats.
 The scheme is for at least seven boats a week, possibly more. Four will be run by the local company. the Birmingham and Gulf Company will loperate at least two week ana tne kother independent boats will be given Ia fair show with the rest.
 The chief of the local U. s. Engi- ineering Department was seen yester-
 
 for the Alabama River, and which ne believed Congress would grant. is s1O0,- 900. This amount can be expended ex- tclusively on maintenance and improve msnt, for the department has conn piete working force of the river now
 The new dredge, Senator Pettus.
 was completed yesterday and is ready for work. The boilers and engines have been tested and the boat is all that was expected of her. The steam, shovel 'sNo. g." the General Twining, the senator Pettus'' and the dynamite launch, with the fleet of barges added. gives the Alabama River a complete working machine for keeping the river in tip top condition. The river Is now giving the boats q four foot channel at extreme low water, and extreme low water only lasts but a few weeks each year and does not materially interfere with navigation. The average work 8ng depth of the river is about nine feet, enough and to spare for fast Schedules and no delays.
 Added impetus was given to the in terest of local mercAants by the ap- proval of the wharf bond issue and the plans of the council to float the bonds at once. That the city council will give the boats. or at least one of the companies, the lease of the wharf foi a consideration that will pay the i'm terest on the bonds and retire them in ten years seems a foregone con. iclusion. 1t will be stipulated in the contract. of course, if the plan Is car