The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-04
AVERAGE OF S1O3
 FOR 06 MEMBERS . OF TRAFFIC BUREAU
Large Claim Collections in
 April-Important Freight E Rate Reductions Are E Secured

. Eighty-six of the 800 merchant and manufacturer members of the Bir- mingham Traffic Bureau will receive average of S1oso2 in claims that will be collected for them by the bureau on errors discovered in their expense bills in April.
 Total of errors discovered amounts to ss.s5s. No charge is made for checking expense bills or other ser vice by the Traffic Bureau, the mem bership fee including all fees.
 Among the larger rebates are the following. Wofford Oil company, sesS; N. O. Nelson Manufacturing company, s91S; Cowikee Cotton mills, Avondale mill group, $717' E '. Adams and company produce, Sl,0IS' Warrant Warehouse company TOT selves and customers, SSs6
 Rate Reduction
 During the month the bureau se- cured an order from the interstate commerce commission which reduces class freight rates from Memphis to Birmingham to par with those from Birmingham to Memphis. This means an annual saving of tens or thou- sands of dollars to Birmingham job bers and wholesalers of grain anu grain products and meat and meat products from the west through the gateway of Memphis.
 Western Grain Case
 The bureau also scored victory In +he case of the Western Grain com pany vs Louisville and Nashville The plaintiff was accorded repara- on of $6,00o on oVercharges on ack strap molasses from Mobile and .ew Orleans to Birmingham, and re- uced the rate from AZ cents to 20 nd 25 cents. It also ordered that ates to Birmingham should be 2R cents below those of Nashville. The lower rates mean great annual say ing to all mixed feed producers In Birmingham.
 Wofford oil company was accorded reparation of $500 on gasoline ship ments from Texas and rates were re- vised pending action of the company against carriers filed by the bureau.
 Right of Routing
 The bureau also gained point or great importance to shippers in con- nection with the higher rates on A. G. S., Mobile and Ohio and Southern in the Meridian rate territory. The Bureau asked the public service com mission to order the carriers to ae- cept routing of shippers. The com mission so ruled on the ground that, while not statutory declaration, it was a common law right.
 Under this decision shippers can start a shipment over Alabama Great Southern, Southern and Mobile and shio, routing it to destination over connecting line. The connecting ne will name the through rate, hich will be the old instrastate rate Id lower than the Meridian rate. iis avoids the Meridian rates. The ling applies, for example, on ship mt by Alabama Great Southern
 ,n tuscaloosa to Birmingham via
 hstle and Nashville from Besse-
 z h that case Louisville and
 snte, not being affected by Meri- rau te decision, names the intra-
 us.atetough rate.
 Intrastate Rates
 Of6 of the Birmingham bureau
 ,rth ether Alabama traffic bu-
 rn sesl,shitting lower scale of
 istate rates before the state pub
 ervice commission than the car
 $ are proposing in the plan for
 ision. The. bureau also presented
 a to the commission that the Ala ma Great Southern. the Southern Id Northern Alabama railway be 5nsidered as one road in rate mak- Ing.
 s The bureau has been very active &, the matter of the general investi- ation of class rates in the southeast dered by the interstate commerce Commission and is taking steps to rotect the interest of Alabama as ,%ell as join with other southern