The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-22
SEEK ID ENJO|N RATES AUTHORIZED
 IN MERIDIAN CASE
Mines on Southern Railway Affected and Raised Over 100 Per Cent-Traffic
 Managers Take Action

The managers of traffic bureaus of Birmingham and other Alabama cities affected by ruling in the cele- brated Meridian rate case, today decided to ask the Alabama public service commission to take steps to enjoin the railroads from putting the new rates into effect.
 Alabama coal mines in groups 2 and are up in arms. 1t being dis covered that rates From these mines to plants involved in the decision Tn the Meridian rate case are raissl more than 100 per cent.
 The ruling of the interstate com mcrce commission in the Meridian rate case which, after several post ponements, is now officially slated to go in effect August l. Is as follows:
 Commissioners Order
 Tt Is ordered, that defendant Southern Railway company, Alabama Great Southern Railroad company and Mobile and Ohio Railroad com pany, be, and they are hereby noti- fled and required to cease and desist, from publishing, demanding. or col lecting for the transportation of property between Meridian, Miss, and points in Alabama on their re- spective lines not more than 200 miles distant from Meridian by way of their respective lines, any higher rates than they contemporaneously maintain and apply on like traffi-e for like distances between Mobile, Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, Demopolis and Tuscaloosa, Ala, on the one hand, and points in Alabama on their respective lines not more than 200 miles distant from Meridian by way of their respective lines, on the other"
 Many Not Affected
 Alabama points more than 200 miles distant are not affected by the ruling.
 Coal mines in Walker county and mines on other than the Southern, Mobile and Ohio and Alabama Great southern, are not affected. Besse- mer and North Birmingham are not affected.
 The Louisville and Nashville, the Central of Georgia, the Seaboard Air Line, the Illinois Central and other roads are not affected by the deci- sion, not having been brought into the Meridian case and, therefore. not bound by the decision. These roads cail go on charging the old and lower rates.
 The Southern, Mobile and Ohio and Alabama Great Southern have the alternative of charging the higher rates in Alabama to bring Alabama up to the rates from Meridian or lowering the rates from Meridian. It was the mixed and confused state of things arising out of the decision that caused the defendant roads to ask for, rehearing, which the in- terstatei commerce commission de- clined to give.
 The new rates will affect the Montevallo, Piper and other mines as follows:
 Mine Rate Raises
 Montevallo: Present rate to Blr- mingham, SSl2 cents; new rate to go In effect August l, $1.75.
 Aldrich: Present rate. same as Montevallo; new rate, $1.SS.
 Piper: Present rate, same as Piper; new rate, $1.75.
 Piper, being also on the Louisville and Nashville. may ship over that line at STA cents, while, if 1t ships over the Southern under the new rates August l, 1t must stand freight rate of s175 Dogwood. Straven. Aldrich and other mines only on the Southern will have no alternative.
 Traffic bureau officials say coal and ore are hit harder than other goods because rates from mines have been heretofore by groups, whereas in the decision in the Meridian rate case the mileage system is adopted
 Fear its Spread
 What the public service commis- sion and traffic bureau officials ap- prehend is. that in case the system laid down in the Meridian rate casa is suffered to stand, other roads will take advantage of the precedent and establish the same rates as the Southern has announced not only in the territory defined in the Merid- ian case, but throughout Alabama. They will seek to put a stop to spread of the new order of things lest the entire intrastate rate fabric fall to the ground
 Attending the conferences of traf- fic secretaries in Birmingham yes- terday were O. L. Bum and Charles E. Jones of this city; Jack Seay, Tus- caloosa traffic bureau, and others. while Nj. Nj. Caskie, MontgomeN C. Cobb, Mobile, and R. NJ. Jones, Gadsden. wired approval 'of the ac- tion being taken in Birming gham DIR. C. B. GLENN WILL