The Semi-weekly leader., 1921-11-30
Readjustment of Freight Rates
Fa0ors Interior Points of State
Board of Trade, Cooperating With Hatties-
burg and Natchez, Secures Excel
lent Results.

A meeting of the Board of Trade
: was called at the City Hall Monday
: afternoon to hear a report upon
freight rates by Mr.. ]. M. Wood of
the transportation committee. Mr..
; Wood had just received a letter re-
|; porting downward revision of
freight rates, and the ending of the
discrimination in favor of the larger
river ports, from Mr.. T. S. Jackson
of the Merchants Grocery Company
OF Hattiesburg, who has been repre-
senting the interests of Hattiesburg,
Laurel and Brookhaven before the In
terstate Commerce Commission in
Washington and with whom Mr..
Wood has co-operated. Interior towns
have been at great disadvantage
heretofore as they had to pay high
er freight rates than river ports.
Mr.. Wood highly commended the
work done by Mr.. Jackson, and re-
ferred to similar efforts made upon
behalf OF the state capital by the
late w. D. Hannah.
After Mr.. Wood had read Mr..
Jackson's report, there was a motion
that it be received and approved and
a letter of thanks written to Mr..
Jackson.
An informal discussion of the need
for traffic man to look after the
freight rates was held. and it was
suggested that Brookhaven express
willingness to cooperate with Hat
tlesburg and Laurel upon an equita-
BILE basis in securing such service.
A letter from the Natchez Cham
ber of Commerce expressing appre-
citation of Brookhaven's cooperation
in the recent Cotton Carnival was
read.
A reference to the Lone Star Trail
In this letter brought out the re-
mark by a member present that it
would be difficult to be neighborly
with Natchez until some badly need
ed bridges were constructed in
FRANKLIN county. There is said to
be great need of one over the Ho-
mochitto.
Mr.. L. H. Bowen presided over the
meeting, which was a small one. The
qualification of those attending, at
the more favorable freight rates will
be shared however, by readers of
the letter reporting it,
Hattiesburg, Miss, Nov. rs, 1921
Mr.. J. NJ. Wood,
Chairman Traffic Committee.
Dear Mr.. Wood:-
On Nov. Is, 1921, the Interstate
commerce Commission rendered their
decision in Docket 1903, rates to,
from and between points south of the
Ohio River including the Mississippi
Valley.
Ii you will remember, about two
years. ago the Interstate Commerce
Commission ordered the railroads to
readJust freight rates throughout
the Mississippi Valley Territory to
conform to fourth section orders:
that is, the rates should be adjust
ed whereby no railroad would be al
lowed to charge more for a short
haul than for long haul over the
same hne and in the same direction.
After great many conferences be-
tween the railroads and shippers
grouping or basing points were a.
greed to south of st. Louis as fol-
lows; New Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile.
Baton Rouge, to be known as the
New Orleans Group; Natchez, Brook
maven, Hattiesburg, Laurel as the
Natchez Group; Vicksburg, Jackson,
| Newton, Meridian as the Vicksburg
Group; Greenville, and points east as
the Greenville Group; Helena and
points east as the Helena Group; and
Memphis, Cairo, and St. Louis. Rail-
roads made their report submitting
readjustment of rates which con-
formed to fourth section order, but
shippers throughout the valley OBJ
| Jected to the measure of the rate it's
elf as being entirely too high. Tes-
timony was submitted by railroads
and shippers and the case was ar
\ gued before the Commission begin
ming July 22nd, 1921.
II @'N"b IAAo 4SPSA vi I10
states very clearly that the railroads
have failed to justify rates as propos-
ed by them and rates which are
now under suspension. This decis-
ion removes entirely discrimination
that has existed heretofore in favor
of river and gulf points and makes
decided Incl eases at all depressed
points, with one or two exceptions
and a general decrease at what are
known at interior junction points, OF
which the Natchez Group is SO class
ed. Of course, this decision includes
some class rates and all commodity
rates which are so varied and so ex-
tensive that l cannot mention them
in this report but, as illustrative
of the new rates that will be effect.
i've Jan. Is, 1922, we will take the
grain rates from St. Louis to New
Orleans and the different basing
points. The peresent rate to New
Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile, Natchez
and Baton Rouge is 231ac; the rail.
roads proposed 3S1ac; the Commits.
sion prescribed ! 311sc; increasing
these points Sc per cwt. The present
rate to Hattiesburg, Laurel and
Brookhaven is S61zc; the railroads