The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-18
Frisco Advances Coal Rates From Sipsey to COrdOva From IS Cents to 30 Cents a Ton
STANDARD OIL CO. IS
 PLANNING PIPE LINE
 FROM CORDOVA HERE
Rate on Oils From River to Birmingham Put High Enough to Offset Ad- vantages of River

The business and industrial interests of the Birmingham district are not to be deterred in their fight to get the benefits of water transportation of- fered by the Warrior by any strangu- lation methods of certain railroads,
 Neither will they sit supineIy by and see the railroads juggIe the rates so as to nulIify the benefits already at hand.
 These facts were made certain yes- terday by men prominent in industrial and business circles, but who, for ob- vious reasons, desired not to be quoted directly on the matter The fight, how ever, is already on. And it is an- nounced with determination that it will continue until the roads now attempt ing to nullify the benefits of the river are brought to terms.
 Two important moves have already been made in this fight The Standard Oil company, after completing ar engagements for shipping it's petroleum products up the Warrior to Cordova for distribution to Birmingham and throughout the state, was completely deprived of the benefits of the water saving by the alleged excessive rates quoted for the rail haul from Cordova to Birmingham.
 PLANNING PIPE LINE
 But the Standard Oil company is able andN ready to fight, and a pipe line is to be built from Cordova to Bir- mingham and the river is still to be used. Arrangements are already under way for the construction of this pipe line, it was stated in industrial circles here yesterday.
 The DeBardeleben Coal and Coke company is also ready for a fight. The case of this company is now in the hands of the federal court and the Frisco railroad will be called on to show why it did not live up to it's alleged agreement with the DeBarde leben company to give the rate of IS cents per ton on coal from Sipsey to Cordova.
 In the complaint which has been filed by the DeBardeleben company, it is set forth that an agreement was entered into by the Frisco in which it contracted to haul the coal of the De- Bardeleben company from Sipsey to Cordova at a rate of IS cents per ton. The DeBardeleben company, on the strength of this agreement, construct ed tipples and loading facilities on the banks of the Warrior at Cordova, built barges and arranged for tow boats.
 L. & N. TAKES A HAND But the real offender. according to the complaint of the DeRardeleben company, is not the Frisco, but the Louisville and Nashville. The allega- tion is made by the coal company that it has proof that the Louisville and Nashville threatened retaliatory meas ures against the Frisco if the 1S-cent rate made for this coal haul to the river, was allowed to remain in force. These threatened retaliatory meas ures, the severance of traffic rela- tions, were effective with the Frisco and the rates for the coal haul were accordingly put up to 30 cents per ton. The DeBardeleben Coal company con tinues to ship coal to the gulf coast, principally to New Orleans, by the Warrior river, but the difference of 12 cents per ton is a big item in the bunker coal trade and with many com panies not so advantageously situated with regard to the river would effect tually drive them from the market
 Concerning the case of the Standard Oll company the allegations are even more startling. It is set forth that the rate quoted by the Frisco for handling the petroleum products of this company from Cordova on the Warrior to Birmingham, a distance of less than 40 miles, is S1a cents per ton per mile. This rate is declared to be just six times the rate charged from any other inland point where re- finery is located. It is pointed out that that the rate is six times that from Baton Rouge, which, of course. would have to be hauled the entire distance by rail. MEETING THE ISSUE The Standard Oil compahy had planned to handle it's oil products for this section of the south to Cordova by water to erect a number of large storage tanks there and have that as the distributing point for Alabama and surrounding ter ritory. The alleged excessive rate quoted by the Frisco for this hauld would, it is said, deprive the company of the benefits of the saving by water transportation up the river to Cordova. Not to be deprived of the benefits however, it is announced in industrtrial circles that the Standard Oil is already arranging for the construc- ton of it's own pipe line from Cordova to Birmingham.
 STEAMSHIP LINES
 Another case which has just come to light in reference to the use of the river is the fact that some of the coastwise steamship companies are susceptible to the