The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-28
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
About Lumber Rates.


 We notice in your Sundays issue, under the head of "In Hotel Lobbies." an in- terview with MT. D. A. Vaughan of Mont somery with reference to freight rates on lumber in Alabama. In this article MT. Vaughan is made to say that freight rates on lumber are higher now than they were before the recent legislation became effec- tive. I am confident that MT. Vaughan has been nlisquoted and 1t occurred to me that you would be glad to correct so gross an error.
 The facts are that rates have been ma terially lowered and numerous wholesale dealers who have been doing an intra- state business, buying f. o. b. mill and making delivered prices will be able to collect considerable over-charge claims against the Louisville and Nashville if the rates which are now in process of being tested are finally determined to be non-confiscatory.
 In the first place. under the law com monly referred to as the Conner law, the old rates were made the maximum SO that where the mileage rates now In effect figure in excess of the old rates, the old rates and not the new rates apply. For instance. Foley, Ala, located on the Louisville and Nashville, Is 201.4 miles dis tance from Birmingham, and under the present mileage tariff figures a rate of s 1-3c per hundred weight on lumber. The old rate, however from Foley to Bir- mingham was Sc, so that this rate of Sc still applies. Take, again, Chapman. Ala, 1Nb iS mil qta ir- lningham which, under the old law, car ried rate of Sc to Birmingham. The present rate from Chapman to Birming- ham is 71zc, so that as stated above, where the present mileage rate figures in excess of the old rate, the old rate still applies, but where the mileage rate fig ures less than the old rate, the new mileage rate applies.
 MT. Vaughan is quoted as saying that points south of Montgomery to Bir- mingham were under the old tariff 511c This is in. error in two, respects. In the first place, points south of Montgomery on the Louisville and Nashville are in group No. ?, and not in group No. l. as referred to in your article, and, as shown above, the old rate from group No. on the Louisville and Nashville south of Montgomery to Birmingham were Sc and, as for that matter most points in group No. ?, which produce lumber which is shipped into the Birmingham market still take an Sc rate and most of these points are too many miles from Blr- mingham to be benefited by the so-caned Conner tariff.
 The old rate from points on the Louis vile and Nashville between Montgomery and Calera to Birmingham were formerly Dc, but at present no two points take the same rate unless. indeed, the mileage is sufficient to make them figure in excess of the old rate, in which event, as stated before, the old rates still apply. Take, as an example. Fillmore, Ala. which is s52 miles from Birmingham. Under the old law Fillmore, as stated, took 5c rate, but under the Conner law the mileage would make it figure 512c, so that 5c still applies On the other hand, Jemison, Ala. is 45 miles from Birmingham and under the old law took a rate of 5c, but under the new law takes rate of 1-6c. Take, again, Pelham, Ala, which is 196 miles from Birmingham. Under the old law the rate from Pelham to Birmingham was 4c, but under the law is 211-12c.
 In conclusion, I might say that this letter Is not written in defense of MT. Conner He Is amply able to take care of himself and, too, I might add that the writer did not vote for MT. Conner in either his race for railroad commissioner or in his race for governor, so that to say the least of 1t. am not prejudiced in his favor. simply dislike to see such gross errors go uncontradicted. Respectfully,
 H. B. WOOD, President Standard Lumber Manufactur-
 ing company.
 Birmingham, July 2S, 1909. .f