The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-25
Head of Alabama Public Serv- ice Commission Appears Before House Com
 merce Board
By HUGH ". ROBERTS Washington Bureau. Tho Ago-HeraId.
 500 Davidson Building,


 soc Davidson Building.
 Washington, February 2S.-(spe- cial. .)-The foreign and interstate commerce committee of the House this afternoon was informed by A. G. Paterson. president of the Ala bama public utilities commission. that Fit was utterly impracticable for the interstate commerce commission equitably to regulate freight rates in tho several states.
 Mir. Patterson was testifying in favor of the Sweet bill which would give state commissions authority within the borders of the several states. To prove his charges against the interstate commerce commi ssion, MT. Patterson cited the analogous situation which has resulted from the decision of the interstate commerce. commission in the notorious Meridian ease.
 Patterson,s Statement
 Tn part the statement of Mir. Pat terson follows:
 we do not ask Congress- to take a backward step or to depart from any fundamental principle of law. We do ask Congress to recognize  principles. First, to limit the author ity of it's creature, the interstate commerce commission. and secondly, to restrain 1t from destroying rights which under our dual system of gov ernment properly belongs to the states. We do not believe that Con gross, in the transportation act of 1920, intended to authorize the in- terstate commerce commission to ba xuh hf fc A was comprehended In the Shreveport decision. If it was the intent of Congress to go further than this, we must ask Congress to rescind it's &C., tion to that extent.
 Meridian Case
 'The interstate commerce commits sion in exercising power it believes was conferred upon it, has proved that it is impracticable and incon- Sistent that such power be exercised by 1t. In the Meridian rate case, it was not alleged that Alabama intra- state rates were unreasonable. It was not shown that Alabama rates Swere so low as to constitute a burden Non interstate commerce. It was not kshown that the loss of business of (which the Meridian jobbers com plained was not due to other causes tthan slight differences in freight ] rates.
 Tn reply to the contention of Ala bama that the application of the maximum rates prescribed in the order of the interstate commerce commission, and more maladjUst- ments in interstate business than 1t would correct, the commission sug- gested that that such maladjustment of intrastate traffic AS may follow compliance with our order can be hxy Ft5fr . sion or in case of discrimination against intrastate service by us.
 Must Raise Rates
 Tn what manner can the Ala bama commission deal with the situ- ation2 Obviously. in one manner only, namely, by raising the entire basis of intrastate rates up to the level of rates the carriers elect to make effective
 "Tn other words the federal com mission suggests to the Alabama commission that 1t readjust it's en- tire schedule of rates to conform to a scale the carriers are allowed to make effective in a comparatively small section of the state
 At its investigation of this case. the federal commission failed ut terly to visualize the rate situation in Alabama, thereby affording evil dence that it is impracticable for regulatory bodies far removed from the scene of action properly to regu- late freight rates"