The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-17
RATES ON COTTON
 ID BE ADOPTED
Mississippi Railroad COmmis-
 sion Has Issued Order
HELP FOR COMPRISES
Fight Is Expected Upon New Rates By Railroads, and It Is Said Cot
 ton Will Be Shipped Away From Congresses.

Jackson, Miss. August 16-(Special.)- Railroad Commissioner F. M. Lee spent the day at his headquarters here, and was asked what about the adoption of the schedule of rates on uncompressed cot ton that he had proposed at the last meeting. President Lee is very decided ly of the opinion that the rate is going to be adopted. There is a chance that it may be changed in some instances, but the order will pass virtually as offered.
 President Lee is aware of the fact that strenuous efforts are being made to mud dy the waters; he is confident that the railroads and their friends are as busy as bees in tarbuckets, and that they are stirring up the opposition to the new schedule. Their efforts are to convince the cities and towns that have congresses and that are known as distributing points, that they will be seriously in- jured in the event the proposed rates are put in effect. The railroads seem to be relying on their habit of rebilling cot ton, and refunding to the original shipper the amount he paid on the shipment to the compress town, when that same cot ton is shipped out on an interstate con- tract. It is also told that all the cotton raised in the interior of the state will be shipped to river points, and that the congresses will lose the business. Mir. Lee sees a remedy for all this, and takes no stock in such predictions of business dis aster. All that the railroad have to do is to reduce their rate on interstate bus iness-get them down in the neighbor- hood of the river rates.
 MT. Lee fs confident that the proposed rate is going to be adopted. He thinks Commissioner Scott will vote with him on the proposition in spite of the fact that MT. Scott is a merchant and cotton shipper to some compress town. He does not believe the railroad men can show" MT. Scott where 1t will be to his disad- vantage. or that of his friends and con- situents that a reduction of rates In the manner proposed is going to be an in- crease of rates on account of rebiiiins practices.
 There is little doubt that this case Is destined to run the gauntlet Of all the courts before it Is settled, being the most important, from a business standpoint 
 that has ever come up In this state rom tba railroad commission office.
 The city of Jackson is after some or MT. Rockefeller's money, the driver or one of his delivery wagons who travels this territory selling oil having been ar rested and fined s1oo for doing peddlfns business without license to peddle. The case was appealed. as matter Of course, and the city may lose, but it has deter mined to stop peddling, If possible, says Delinouent Tax Collector W. J. Lgon.
 At the same session of the city court parties who have been peddling water melons here were on trial. Watermelon raisers in this vicinity have no trouble selling melons from house to house. and nothing is thought about that, but these melons were shipped in from the southern part of the state. about Ellisville, by one MT. A. P. Dorsey. He employed men at this end of the line to hawk the melons about the streets and the retail dealers complained.
 The court found that the peddlers were guilty as charged. but declared the H. cense too excessive and the penalty too great, wherefore no fine was assessed.
 The board of trade and the State Fair association held a joint meeting at the office of Mayor Crowder today and named an executive committee of prominent cit izens who are to have charge of the ar rangements for the reception and the en- tertainmsnt of President Taft on the oc- casion of his visit here on November l.
 Two of the most prominent ladies in Kinds county will be buried here to- morrow-Mrs George Lemon of this city and Mrs. John Neal of Clinton.