The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-10
Helena-MObile Route Neces- sary to Meet Water Com
 petition, Says deFuniak
BETTER FACILITIES
 AT PORT OF MOBILE
May Have to Improve Conditions and Lower Rates-MObile Gets Half Her Coal Consumption Down
 Warrior River
By l.. s. BETTY

Montgomery, February 9-(Specialo That the heavy shipment of coal from the Birmingham district to Mobile by way of the Warrior river will necessitste the construction by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad company of a low grade road from Helena to Mobile, by way of Selma, in order to meet river competition, was the opinion expressed before the Alabama public service com mission today by Ernest A. deFuniak of Montgomery, general freight agent of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad com pany.
 Mir deFuniak further expressed the opinion that eventually the Louisville and Nashville might be compelled to spend thousands Of dollars at the port of Mo bile in order to provide better facilities for the handling of coal at that place. and that the river competition might force further reduction in coal rates from the Birmingham district to Mobile.
 MT. deFuniak's statement was made in his testimony before the commission in the Montgomery coal rate case, in which a lower rate on coal is sought between Birmingham to Montgomery.
 MAY HAVE TO CUT RATE
 The present rate coal between Bir- mingham and Mobile is $1.10 per ton. This rate was made, according to MT. deFuniak, in order to allow the port of Mobile to compete with ports on the Chesapeake bay and other eastern ports in the handling of coal.
 The general freight agent of the Louis- vile and Nashville railroad declared that his company had for many years realized that sooner or later the Warrior river would be used for transportation pur- poses from the mineral district of Ala hama to the coast.
 There has never been doubt in the minds of officials of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad company that at some time we should have to compete with river transportation" said MT. deFuniak. 'This fact is now assured, and indica- tions are that the river business will rap idly increase"
 MT. deFunak, in reply to a question as to how the Louisville and Nashville would compete with river transporta- tion in the hauling of coal and other heavy commodities from the Birmingham district to Mobile stated that his com pany had under contemplation the immed- fate construction of branch road from Helena, about 15 miles south of Birming- ham, to Selma, at which place the new line would connect with the Myrtlewood branch of the Louisville and Nashville, running from Selma to Mobile
 MORE DIRECT ROUTE
 This new line would be a more direct route to the coast than the main road of fers. In fact, it would cut off about 40 miles, I believe. With this new road in operation, and used mainly for the pur- post of hauling coal and other heavy com modities to the gulf coast, we might then be iE position to decrease the coal rate at Mobile, though, of course, cannot speak on that subject with any degree of cer- tainty. However, it would enable us bet ter to compete with river transportation than on our. main line,'' said MT. de- Funiak.
 MT. deFariak intimated that even with the new road from the Birmingham dis trict to Mobile it would be hard to con- pete with the river business, stating that the mines on the river have every advan- tage over those not so situated in the shipment of coal to the gulf ports.
 Just when the Louisville and Nashville will begin the construction of the road from Helena to Selma, MT. deFuniak did not say It is known that the company has surveyed the proposed route. and it is expected that tiee construction of the road will begin in the near future.
 MT. deFuniak made the startling rev. elation that Mobile is now receiving about one-half of the total coal con- sumption at that place by way of the Warrior The total coal consumption in Mobile for all purposes is about 225,- 900 tons year. Last month there was shipped by the Warrior river $500 tons of coal, according to figures of Mr. deFuniak.
 WATCHING CLOSELY
 The general freight agent of the Louisville and Nashville further de- clared that his road is keeping in touch with every movement of coal to gulf ports by way of the river. He said his has provided a method by which it knows the daily amount of tonnage shipped by the river. Mir. de- 1 Funiak intimated that the transporta- , tion facilities offered by the Warrior river could not possibly be met by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad com | pany and declared his company was In quandary as to the probable out l