The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-02
CITY DELEGATIONS
 ID PROTEST AGAINST INCREASE IN RATES
Several Cities to Send Bodies to Capital for Hearing Be- fore Railroad Commis-
 sion Monday

Montgomery May 1-fSpecial)- )-Delega- tions from Birmingham, Anniston, Gads- den and other cities in that section of commission next Monday and protest against petitions of railroads for an ad- vance in freight rates on certain com modities The session of the commission next week promises to be one of the most important that body will have held in many months and, unless some of the cases should be postponed, 1t Is proba ble that the commission will consume the sn- tire week in disposing of the lengthy docket.
 In brief, the majority of the petitions to come before the commission next Mon- day relate to an advance in rates One of the cases, that in which all the roads of the state have united, relate to an extension of the time limit of the com missions order, granted several months ago, for an advance of 10 per cent on a large number of commodities hauled in Alabama. The commissions order fixed June 30 as the time limit, and the rail- roads are now asking that this time be extended until business conditions grow
 
 better.
 Birmingham, Gadsden, Anniston and other places in that group of cities are particularly interested in several other petitions of the railroads. One of the most important of these is that of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad com pany for an advance of 10 cents per ton in coal rate from the mines to Brming- ham.
 It will be remembered that this case came before the commission last fall, and resulted in the commissions denial of the carriers petition. The road now has entered another petition, similar in character, but with certain notifications. A large number of persons from Birming- ham will come to Montgomery on Monday and protest against this petition.
 Another case which has aroused con siderable interest in north Alabama is tho petition of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad company for gen. eral advance in rates on the Huntsville division of that line. Cities in that d. vision include, In addition to Huntsville, Gadsden Alabama City, Attalla, At bertville, Bong, Guntersvlle and other places in that part of the state
 Again, delegations will appear before the commission and ask that the rate on coal from Birmingham to special indus tries in Anniston, Talladega and Gadsden be reduced from 70 cents to 50 cents per ton. the original rate enjoyed by those cities
 The commission last fall allowed the railroads to advance the old rates. and now the cities interested will attempt to secure an order from the commission for reduction of the rate.
 On the whole, the session of the com mission next week will be replete with m fn in6i is expected that the meetings will extend throughout the entire week.
 case of considerable interest to the Mobile district is the petition of the Louisville and Nashville. the Mobile and Ohio and the Southern railways for an ad- vance in rate on pig iron from the mines to Mobile from s1.75 to $2.75. This case has been before the commission a large number of times, and was decided some time ago in favor of the Mobile shippers The railroads are now asking that the old rate of s2.75 be restored.