The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-18
FREIGHT RATE STILL HELD UP No Decision in Mont
 gomery Complaint, RECORDS ARE VOLUMIN0US Interstate Commerce Commission
 Takes No Action. However, from Recent Letter of Ex- aminer, Hope Is Held Out That
 Ruling soon Will Be
BY ALTERED '. sTOFER.

Washington, Sept. 17.-(Special J. The celebrated complaint of the Mont gomery Freight Bureau against the Louisville and Nashville the Mobile and Ohio. the Southern, the Illinois Central and number of other railroad com panies has never yet been decided by the Interstate Commerce Commission Commissioner Clark was assigned to the task of writing the opinion, but he Is slow in putting the finishing touches on 1t, and no one who win take the trouble to look into the voluminous record could blame him for taking lots of time
 sel of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company addressed an inquiry to the Commission to find out what, if anything. had been done in this mat ter. One of the chief examiners of the Commission replied to him and that Is the last note of record that has been made In the case. Here is what the examiner said to the corporation attor- ney:
 No decision has been reached in the case, and I understand that the delay Is on account of negotiations that are pending between complainant and some of the Southern lines relative to ap adjustment that would be agreeable to all."
 Filed I've Years Ago.
 The complaint of the Montgomery Freight Bureau in this instance was first filed with the commission on April ?, 1907. It made printed pamphlet of sixty pages with maps and diagrams besides.
 On April 2s. 1908. a hearing was had at Montgomery, Commissioners Clements and Clark going to the Ala bama capital to conduct the same. The testimony taken then makes in the re- cord of the case 402 typewritten pages.
 On October 21, 1908. it was finally argued here before the Commission. As will be recalled, Col. W. A. Gunter and Horace Stringfellow of Montgom- cry, appeared as the attorneys for the freight bureau. Judge Edward Baxter of Nashville, and w. G. Dearing of Louisville, represented the railway companies, and a special attorney Of the Southern Railway Company. who is located in Washington, was also op hand to assist in the contentious that arose. The late w. F. Vandiver of Montgomery, who took such a keep interest in things that concerned the bureau, of which he was one of the foremost promoters, was here and was asked number of questions during the arguments by the commissioners. H. S. Kealhofer, the manager of the
 
 was called upon when certain points had to be made clear, and altogether it was warmly contested fight at that stage of the procedings. Two Feet of Records. The record in this case is almost two feet thick. Following the arguments of last October the attorneys on both sides also filed long printed briefs, and at the request of the Commission, MT. KeaIhofer, after conference with some of the officials of the Southern Railway in this city, submitted a mass of tables and classifications bearing upon the matters in dispute. It Is one of the most comprehensive and inter- esting records that has ever been filed with the Commission since that body was created by act of Congress.
 In a nutshell, the complaint Is that the railroad companies named estab- ltshed freight rates that are unfair to Montgomery and in favor of Mobile and Pensacola at the expense of the com mercial interests of Montgomery.
 What Is known as the Spokane case out in the Far West has been a very knotty problem also for the commis- sioners to dispose of. A decision in that was rendered some time ago. but 1t has been reopened and there Is no telling how long this latest controversy will last.
 Few cases have been held up as long as that of the Montgomery Freight Bureau. From what the chief exami- ner has written the Chicago attorney it would seem however, as if there is a prospect of reaching an adjustment before many more weeks roll by.