The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-18
WEEKS PRESENTED WITH REQUEST ID
 DUST MANAGER
Suggestion From Commerce Body for DeBardeleben Re- movaI Is Taken Under
 AdviSement
By Hu0m N. RonERTs

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 Washington Bureou The ARe-Heraid, 300 Davison Building. Washington, July 17.--(Spe-
 cinl.--It was impossible today to
 secure indication of the probable action of John W. Weeks. Secre- tary of War on the suggestion of the interstate commerce conn
 mission that Henry T. DeBarde-
 Ieben of Birmingham be removed
 as manager of the Warrior river
 barge line.
 As the suggestion was brought to the attention of the secretary only today, he was able to plead extenu- ating circumstances for postponement of his decision. The action of the commission, 1t Is made plain, was an echo of the complaint against DeBardeleben brought sometime ago by the Corona Coal Co. The com mission found the charge of the com rany unfounded insofar as q favor itism shown by DeBardeleben for himself was involved It's suggestion tkat DeBardeleben ee removed was based on the presumption that as manager of the barge line, DeBar- deleben was in position to ascertain the secrets of his competitors in the New Orleans bunker coal business. Has Advantage.
 The fact that DeBardelebens mine is on the Warrior river gives him a natural advantage of all-water rates whereas his competitors, whose mines are not exactly on the Warflor' are at the disadvantage of having to pay rail and water rates which arc higher. But the commission does i not justify complaint that this nat f,e e re from improper motive on the part of DeBardeleben'
 "It may be well for the war depart nent to consider whether the em- pIoyment of II. T. DeBardeleben as manager of the barge line, having general oversight not only or us operation, but of It's traffic policies as well, Is consistent with the spil.. of the Interstate commerce act, IT not in violation of its letter The ce emmission says.
 Barge Line Deficit
 up to the present time the parEe line has been operated at aheaVy felt, which has been met out ot tns government treasury. Because or th'S support, it can continue under cir cumstances. which would bring private enterprise 10 financial dis- aster."
 The commission specifically ex- onorated MT. DeBardeIeben from any abuse of his office for the beneiil of his coal company. It said the record before it did not support as- sertions that the DeBardeleben mn" had been preferred in the furnish. ings of barges for the carriage or coal, made by the Corona Coal com pany during the hearing on com plaint by that company that the rates and practices of the barge line unduly prejudiced it.
 Testimony Given
 1t did, however. point out that the DeBardeleben mine on the Warrior furnished most of the all-water coal carried by it. and that in 1920 the E DeBardeleben mine seemed to be the only river bank mine customer of the barge line, which was being op- erated at a considerable expense 10 the government treasury.
 It also pointed out that the ns- Bardeleben mine has no rail connec- tIons and that. as a shipper on all water rates. the DeBardeleben mine gets rates 20 per cent lower than. mines shipping on all-rail or on railroad and water rates, the aii- rail and rail and water rates being the same. It was also pointed out by the protesting Corona company that the barge line publishes rail an l water rates on all commodities. other than coal, which are only 50 per cent of the all-rail rates.
 That peculiar exception against coal enables the DeBardeieben mine to get coal to New Orleans for 20 per cent less than any mine. except some other river bank mine, Of which there was none in 1920. at least none the commission could find, was doing any shipping of coal by river. The advantage in cents per ton. the complaining Corona com pany estimated to range from 30 to 50 cents per ton.