The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-13
ANTHRACITE COAL FREIGHT RATES ARE
 ORDERED REDUCED
.tContinued From Page One.)

decision said, extending over a long period of years, in granting to their allied coal companies concessions from and offsets against their established tariff rates presents very strong evil dence that the rate on anthracite coal, W nich these carriers established. are excessive Their coal companies ship so per cent of the total production and If a substantial reduction Is made in the tariff rates it's full effect will fall upon but 20 per cent of the tonnage shipped.
 of the great purpose of the act to regulate commerce is to be carried out we must require that such tariff rates on this commodity shall be established as can be maintained on the ship ments of all shippers. The operations of several of these carriers have for many years produced a very large in come for their stockholders. number of these coal companies in which the carriers have invested large sums of money have never paid to the carriers dividends on their stocks. Manifestly the return on such investment accrues to the carriers in extra profits from freight rates charged on the tonnage shipped by the co.i company
 ''The individual coal operator or ship per who must compete with the coal com 
 none of the profits that are in the freight rates. If freight rates have not absorbed more than their fair share of the profits of the coal business. why do these car riers guarantee the bonds of their con- trolled coal companies and why do de- ficits result from the operations of so many of the controlled coal companies?"
 Unfair Discrimination
 Several of the respondent carriers have granted the exclusive use of some of their piers, docks, storage plants, retail delivery trestles and other properties to their allied coal companies at inadequate rental charges and under conditions which constitute substantial discrimination in favor of such coal shippers. The exclu- sive right to operate certain of the car riers public docks and piers also has been gran Id to such coal companies, who in operating such properties. gain information as to the shipments of their competitors, handled over the docks and piers, which section of the act to regulate commerce prohibits shippers from receiv- ing from common carriers.
 "It has often been held that it Is the object of the Elkins act to prevent fav- oritism by any means whatsoever and to place all shippers upon equal terms. We assume the carriers will at once adjust the practices to remove the discrimina- IlOn anu cOHlOTHl Wlfn Ol law"
 Philadelphia August 12.-The decision of the interstate commerce commission in reducing anthracite freight rates is expected to put independent coal pro- ducers on the same footing as companies controlled by the hard coal carrying rail- roads and also is expected ultimately to reduce the price of coal to consumers.
 The independents produce less than 25 per cent of the anthracite coal mined.
 The decision is the second adverse ac- tion in the matter of freight rates on coal announced against the hard coal car rying roads within the last year. Last December the Pennsylvania public serv- ice commission ordered the railroads to reduce their rates 40 cents a ton to Phila- delphia and vicinity. This decision was appealed.
 The interstate commerce commission investigation into coal freight rates was begun in 1913. The committee found what it believed to be viola tions of the interstate commerce laws and the, department of justice was notified. Indictments were found at Trenton, N. J., and in Phila- delphia against several coal railroads for alleged acts of rebating and failing to file certain tariffs.