The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-24

the special counsel of the commits sion, Ray Rushton. ot, Montgomery. would Immediately following the ad- Ventisement of the railroad as to the effectiveness of maximum rates In stitute injunction proceedings.
 Fight to the Kilt
 Tt is a light to the hilt." said Patterson. There is no justice n certain features of the Meridian case, and the interstate commerce com mission respecting those features, does not take an unequivocal stand. We came to Washington in hope that the Southern Railway company would meet us half way. We were flatly turned down. It is now fight to the finish
 The members of the commission, and a delegation of Birmingham cit- izens, k. A. Porter, president of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. and Q. l.. Buhn, a rate expert feel that they were snubbed by FairGaS Harrison, president of the Southern, MT. Harrison declined to meet them for discussion of the Meridian case, and did not receive them at all until informed that they would discuss only social matters. When receiN ed, MT. Porter invited MT. Harrison to deliver an address before lunch with the Chamber of Commerce. He de- clined, but finally did agree to meet with the directors, informally, the latter part of March.
 Attend Hearing
 Mir. Patterson and Mir. Cooper this afternoon attended the hearing by the House commission on interstate and foreign commerce to argue in favor of the Sweet bill restoring to public utilities commissions of the cfa ri nf ad intrastate rates of which they were deprived by the supreme court in sustaining the decision of the inter- state commerce commission in the Shreveport case.
 The Alabamians spoke for the com missions of all states of the south east Tomorrow morning MT. Pat terson will take the stand and Tn addition to defending the position authority withi ntheir respective states, he will discuss the Meridian case, recently decided by the inter- state commerce commission.
 As result of that decision" said Mir. Patterson tonight, a shipper in Anniston can ship goods to point between Birmingham or Demopolis and the Mississippi line cheaper than shipper in Birmingham can serve that same territory. mere IS no justice in such condition"
 Commissioner Cooper, in speaking of what he regarded as the snubbing of the commission and the citizens of Birmingham. said:
 After we had futilely requested cooperation on the part of Mir. Greene, we called on sidney Prince, formerly of Mobile, one of the attor neys of the Southern. 1 informed Mir. Prince that the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Birming ham was anxious to see Mir Harri- son for the purpose of inviting hum to Birmingham. Mir Prince tele- phoned Mir. Harrison and he agreed to receive us.
 When Porter asked Harrison to deliver a speechv in Birmingham he flatly refused. He said that he had abandoned the pastime of speech making. He also refused the invita- tion to lunch with the chamber. He spoke of the necessity of railroad of ficials attending solely to business and dispensing with social amenities.
 Porter persisted in his effort to get Harrison to Birmingham, and Harrison finally consented to sit with the directors of the chamber informally toward thes end of March"