The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-15
ROADS WILL OFFER REVISED SCALE ON
 ALL COMMODITIES
Decision to Voluntarily Offer New Rate Scale Comes as Great Surprise at
 State Capital
By FRED H. GORMLEY Montgomery Bureau, Tho Age-Hsrafd 22t-2 First National Bank Building

Montgomery, October 14.--(Spe- cial. l.)-Alabam will be offered a new scale of rates on every commod- ity moving in this state except cot ton and coal by the railroads when the public service commission meets for the regular session, November '. This announcement was made by the commission late Friday and fol- lows a conference between repre- sentatives of all railroads and all members of the public service conn., mission, President A. c. Patterson and B. H. Cooper and s, P. Gaillard, associate commissioners, which was held in Atlanta, October l2.
 This will be the answer of tho rAii~ roads to the commissions general citation to appear and show why the scale of rates on all commodities moving between points in Alabama should not be reviewed and read 1usted. When the railroads have of fered the scale the commission wtia recess the hearing and will put corps of experts at work on the rates in order to determine what reduc- tons are proposed. Representatives of traffic bureaus and all other per sons interested will be invited to in- spect the proposed scale. When the investigation and inspection have been completed the commission will determine what rates shall be made effective In Alabama.
 At the Atlanta conference the rail- roads were represented by J. M. Dew berry. assistant to the vice president of the Louisville and Nashville rsif- road; D. M. Goodwin, freight traffic manager of the Louisville and Nash vile railroad; Nelson Proctor, com merce counsel of tho Southern, and F. T. Shaw, traffic manager of the Southern.
 Move Surprises Capital
 The decision of the railroads vol- untariiy to offer a new scale of rates applying on all commodities came as a great surprise to Montgomery. 1t had been thought they would resist to the last the movement to obtain reductions Until the scale Is pre- scented and reviewed no one can know just what changes tho railroads will offer.
 Members Of the public service com mission went to Atlanta to attend the meeting of the National Association of Railway and Public Utility Com missioners and the interview was sought by the representatives of the railroads.
 When the investigation of the pro- posed scale has been made the com mission will set a date for a public hearing at which any persons who ob- ject to the proposal may appear and give testimony All rates will be if- volved in the scale except those on cotton and coal. the public service commission having already received testimony for and against changes in the cotton rates. The railroads on October 24 will submit to the Geor- gia commission evidence in support of proposed scale of rates on all com modities and the public service com mission has been informed the same scale will be offered to this state.
 In the preliminary conversations the railroads opposed any change in the present rates on coal and in- formed the comnissio that they did not believe they should be lowered. However, the commission announced that the rates on coal would be com sldered in connection with the rates on other commodities.