The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-07

recent action of the Steel trust in an nouncing a cut in prices because of trade stagnation resulting from agitation of the tariff.
 There are more than 800 employees in the Atlanta plant and they are fearing a cut in wages if not the laying off of large part of the force. President T. K. Glenn says frankly he doesn't know just what Is going to happen or when, but that the present outlook Is exceedingly dubious.
 The Atlanta plant, along with other in- dependent concerns, was doing fairly well despite the stagnation in trade, until the president of the trust announced price reduction for the protection of the busi- ness of the trust and without regard to it's effect on the outside companies That effect may prove serious before the situ- ation is again restored to normal
 Inquiry About Rates.
 No sooner did Georgians learn that the railroad commission had appointed rate expert than letters making inquiry about rates began to pour in upon the board from every direction.
 These inquiries concern almost every conceivable sort of rate with which Geor- gia shippers are in any way concerned, and they cover rates on numerous prod ucts from Rabund Gap to Seattle and from Waycross to Kalamazoo.
 Rate Expert George F. Montgomery is finding it a hard days work every day just to answer his mail. He is confront ed with a stack of letters almost every morning about a foot high asking for the exact rates here, there and almost any and everywhere.
 It appears that in many communities the shippers won't trust the railroad rep resentatives when it comes to rate in- formation, about anything outside the strictly local tariffs not that the agents are in the habit of knowingly giving the wrong rate, but many of them don't seem to know what they are or how to find them except for well-known points on their own lines. So they are coming 70 the commissions expert with their in- quiries, and he consults the numerous tariffs which are accommodating so rapid ly that it will soon take a special room to hold them, and gives the inquirers what they want.
 A vinegar vanufacturer. for example, called at the office of the commission yesterday and exhibited a memorandum of rates given him to various Georgia points by the agents of four different railroad lines In some instances no two of the quoted rates to the same point were the same. The agents, it appears, or some of them at least, just didn't know. Rate Expert Montgomery set him right and gave him the exact rates to all the points with which he expects to have dealings.
 This is one of several instances of a similar kind which have recently come to the attention of the commission, and the board really needed an expert to take hold of the situation. But for the pres ent the prospects are that his duties will be largely to conduct bureau of informa- tion for the benefit of Georgia shippers.
 Grain Rebiiling Case.
 Much interest in shipping circles cen ters in the forthcoming decision of the interstate commerce commission in the case of w. S. Duncan & Co. and other grain dealers in Atlanta, Macon, Augusta. Albany, Columbus Rome and other cities in the state, against the railroads en- gagged in transporting grain and hay from Mississippi and Ohio river crossings into this territory.
 The final arguments have been made and the commissions decision is expected about April 1, upon the question as to whether Nashville alone of all cities in the southeast shall continue to enjoy the 'reblling" privilege under which, 1t Is enabled to ship grain and hay on the through rates from the river crossings into Georgia and other states, which gives 1t an advantage over the Georgia cities named of SIP to $15 a car In their own territory. Nashville can ship a car of oats to Griffin or Newman 30 or 40 miles out of Atlanta at s15 a car less than can the Atlanta dealers. Rebiling also en- ables Nashville to ship to points beyond Augusta at SIP car less than can the Augusta dealers.
 The Georgia merchants have contended