The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-19
CORDOVA FREIGHT FARLEY RESULTS
 ARE INELIGIBLE
Frisco Road and Local Ship ping Interests Explain Views, But No Ground
 Given By Either Side

cNCNs sdtu Il. DcbdruG- leben, manager of Warrior river transportation. after going over the Cordova terminal contract proposed by the Frisco railroad yesterday afternoon.
 eve will specify our objections point by point and submit them to the Frisco officials. For the present we are as far apart as it is possible to be.
 "i will accept no contract for Cordova terminals which Is not on par with the most favorable con- tracts made by the Frisco with
 other railroads" said Theodore
 Brent general manager of the
 Mississippi-Warrior transportation
 system.
 "f we have to so to the inter
 state commerce commission, we are
 ready,s he declared.
 Following MT. Brent's statement of the position of the river interests with regard to the interchange of freight at Cordova. which came after the state- ment of the Friscos position by the roads vice-president, A. Hilton. Mir Brent agreed to go over the proposed contract with the Frisco officials pres ent and point out his objections as in- spection of the contract might develop
 EXAMINED CONTRACT
 Industrial Agent Green of the Frisco. who was with MT. Hilton, had a copy of the conttict with him and he and Mr. Brent and Mir. DeBardeleben went over the contract later in the evening.
 The auditorium of the Chamber of Commerce was filled with the leading business men when w. D. Nesbitt ex- plained the mooted point at Cordova and introduced Vice-President Hilton. who had come to Birmingham to ex plain the roads position.
 MT. Hilton virtually repeated what President Kuhn had previously stated. namely, that the road intended chars ing for any service extended after plac- ing cars on the port tracks at point of intersection with those of the railroad
 Mir. Hilton deplored the publicity
 that had been extended the Cordova
 matter and suggested that affairs
 like that could be better handled
 in conferences between the railroad officials one side and the river
 managers on the other.
 MT. Brent. in opening his remarks, declared that the public was entitled to know everything regarding the river He said river transportation was a public enterprise; owned by the people and maintained by taxation. What af fects Cordoya would affect the entire river system.
 He declared that the position of the Frisco, in seeking to change the system of freight interchange at Cordova had produced crisis, information of which belonged to the people as their right.
 WOULD KILL IT
 MT. Hilton called attention to the fact that the matter of rates was not under consideration. MT. Brent pointed out that the proposed change in freight handling at Cordova would not affect rates, but that if the r1ver end of the service became heavily taxed by extra charges paid the railroad end for switching service, river transportation might we'll quit.
 Judge B. M. Allen asked if the Frisco did not place cars at coal mines and industrial yards and go in and get the empties or loads, as the case might be. without additional charge, MT. Hilton said there was a variety of contracts for such service.
 After explaining that the government had become a common carrier by ac- quiring the connecting river rails at Cordova, MT. Hilton said: The Frisco will not, cannot assume liability for traffic after it has left our own lines"
 MT. Brent in course of his remarks declared that the Frisco had broken | contract" with MT. DeBardeleben after the latter had built tipple at Cordova l
  raising its rates. on coal from | nearby mines.
 BONG DELAY
 MT Brent dwelt for some time on | the long delay encountered in getting business at Cordova. He de- clared that negotiations had been opened more than year ago. He then vent over the recent conferences with | Frisco officials regarding the Cordova contract. He said he and MT. DeBar-l leleben late in July had a thorough with these officials as 10 the nature of the contract, but when ne went to St, Louis ten days later he found that the whole plan had been changed.
 MT. Brent declared that the port racks, which are the point of conten- ton, were not built by the river in- -erests because they wished to do so. put because that was the only way hey had of getting them. Now, river point may force a nearby carrier to with the river side by laying it's own tracks thither, but this is lnder a law adopted after the Cordova racks Were laid.
 He also called attention to the prac- ice of railroads in going far on to the tracks of other railroads for inter- change of traffic and thought the practice should extend to river termi- aals. He believed the Cordova ques- ion was vital and pivotal, and fof hat reason he closed by saying to Mir. Hilton:
 TT will not accept contract that is not as favorable to the port of Cordova IS the most favorable contract made ,y the Frisco with other railroads"
 At the close of MT. Brent's remarks Mr. Hilton expressed his approval of aking the case before the interstate commerce commission. The meeting .losed with no apparent give on either tide.