The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-06
LOCAL MERCHANTS UNABLE TO DECIDE
 WHERE THEY STAND
fContrnued srom Page Five,

for a statement about the rate compro- mise, said unhesitatingly that he did not know the first thing about the re- suit.
 "I have not read the official deci- sion,' said MT. Lee, and I cannot. for that reason, pass an absolutely accurate opinion upon what has been done. We are rather large shippers and are deeply interested. I can tell you this All of our travelling men are interested in the de- cision about the slips issued when we were forced to pay 3 cents when the statutory rate was 21a cents per mile. l am informed that we lose that rebate. I have no slips myself but I believe this is a costly proposition to the state and that the men who paid the advanced rate have not been treated fairly by the officials. It may be that the slips will be honored.
 "rhe state rate litigation, I gather, has been very costly to the state. and the most careful steps should be taken by the commissioners to get the best rate possible in the commodities that they at tempt to regulate. I hope the matter comes out well, and that we will profit by the costly maneuvering that has been carried on."
 Henry Gray Pessimistic
 Henry B. Gray, one of the best informed
 
 against the railroads, was very pessmis- tic about the rate result. He did not make any excuses for the commissions . action. MT. Gray said
 "The commission is following in the footsteps of B. B. Conner as to the 2lb- cent rate proposition, as that is what Gov ernor Conner has been fighting for all these years. l am not so sure about the results as to the commodity rates. I am
 informed that the railroad commission has given itself the duty of regulating the commodity rates That is greater task than any set of men in this state mas solved yet to the satisfaction of the rail- roads, Governor Conner and his legisla- ture established the rates The state won every fight. In every court in this state the forces of Governor Conner won out, and this 21a-cent compromise was made after the Louisville and Nashville and associates had been whipped to frazzle. The rebate coupons issued under the g. cent rate were redeemable if the state won. Technically l presume the Louis- vile and Nashville will try to get out of paying the rebate coupons. It seems to me that some one has cost this state over s1, ,00O0o0 on this rebate coupon proposi- tion. l hope the railroad commissioners will have competency enough to regu- late those 1000 commodity rates they are expected to regulate If they do it they will accomplish great deal more than any railroad commission in the history of this country. l am not at all sanguine as to the result. I think the situation is more chaotic than ever. and still believe that it will require the election of Gov ernor Conner to protect the interests of the people in this important matter.'' w. M. Drennen of the Drennen com- pany, when asked about the compromise said that it appeared to him off hand that the state had won, but after an analysis he found that this only applied to the 21s-cent rate. and that was for ordained as the courts had passed upon that thoroughly.
 Why, it appears to me-" said Mr Dren- nen, that the rebates are lost That is a terrible loss to this state, if my opinion