The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-03-18
LOCAL DELEGATION
TO SEEK FREIGHT
RATE ADJUSTMENT
Through Rate BY Rail and
Water Sought To Enable
Local Shippers to Com
pete With Coast Cities

Through prohibitive freight rates to tins
Pacific coast put into effect by the United
States railroad administration last sum-
mer it is stated that Birmingham cast
iron pipe companies have temporarily lose
one of their best markets. A large per
cent of the cast iron pipe made in TINS
district for years past has gone to that
territory, and since the largely increased
freight rates went into effect shipmehts
to the coast have almost entirely ceased
With the opening of the Warrior river
to commercial navigation and the estap-
lishment of through rail and water rates
t., and from Birmingham by way OF the
Warrior river the greater part OF this
business can be regained at once, IL Is
believed.
A Birmingham delegation, on which VIII
be James r. McWane, chairman of the
Warrior river development committee; "
L. Bum, secretary Of the Birmingham
Traffic association. and other local pusl-
ness men. will be in Washington Thurs
, day to take this matter UP with the rail-
road administration They will ask the
publication of through rate by raii ana
water at q ullltItHtidi WV ~ N''
rate that will make the former attractive
| to shippers and make it possible for BIZ
mingham made products to compete IN
the markets of coast cities both east and
west. and in foreign countries. with the
| products of other cities.
Cooperating with this delegation Will
| be Charles +. Wood vice president OF
the Warrant Warehouse company who
| has recently opened branch office or
| that company in the Fonda building IN
Washington Mr. Wood is an engineer OF
distinction, having been consulting ehsi-
neer for a number of corporations In the
past and is familiar with river develop
ment and transportation.
"Mr Wood opened this office in wash
ington," W. d. Nesbitt, president OF the
Warrant Warehouse company, stated yes
| terday, "for the purpose of getting III
| touch with the government departments
and to watch the development or tonnage
| to and through the ports of Mobile ana
Birmingham. He is actively co-operatiiis
with the Warrior development commit
tee and all other interests in providing
not only tonnage for transportation units
but transportation avenues themselves
| uhere thew do not exist, and where op
erations would provide means or deVeI-
| oping markets for our products, or ave
nues through which interchange Oh ousi-
ness might be effected.
Mr.. Wood has recently mailed letters 10
the Chambers of Commerce ana o'ner
commercial and Industrial podles III 'ne
Pacific coast cities asking their cooper
alton in building up business between the
coast and Birmingham and the territory
adjacent to the Warrior river.
In his letters Mr.. Wood requested IN
formation as to the tonnage shipped IRON
each of the cites and the districts served
by them to or through the southern ports
and what proportion Of 1t would De aVali'
ah,a FOR ahipment by steamers by way
~ the Pacific ocean and the Panama
lcanal and the gulf coast region.
He also suggests that arrangements %
rade for the cooperative handling OF
the products of the two sections WHEREBY
the volume of trade between them may
be greatly increased.