The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-25
CONSUMERS IN. WEST KEEP UP
 LONG BAT TLE.
Expert Economists To Testify
 Before Federal Trade Com
 mission Dec. 10 To Show Injustice Pittsburg Easing BIRMINGHAM'S RATEF FIXED AT $500 PLUS PITTSBURG
Western State Legislatures Gave S55,00O For Fight
 And Secretary Surprised At Alabama's Loss Of Interest

w E. McCollum, assistant secre- tary of the organization known as the Associated States opposing Pitts burg plus, is eager to know whether Alabama has lost interest in the fight for removal of the extra charge placed upon steel consumers by the addition to steel prices of the freight rate from Pittsburg to the point of consumption. This association, writes MT. McCollum in a letter to The Age- Herald lis the outgrowth of the joint 'Pittsburg plus committees of Illinois Iowa, Minnesota and Wis consin whose legislatures appro- priated S55,o0O to assist in the cam paign."
 As yet" he continues, neither the governor nor the attorney general of Alabama has joined the other states in this campaign. We are at loss to know why the state of Alabama has lost interest. At the first hearing before the federal trade commission, the state of Alabama was represented by her attorney general, Hon. J. Q. Smith; the city of Birmingham was represented by Hon. Fred G. Moore, city attorney; the Birmingham Civic association was represented by Hon. F. S. White the Southern associa- tion of rolled steel consumers and the Southern association of steel fla bricators was represented by Attor- ney Elliot Cheatham of Atlanta and Charles L. Harold. secretary.
 Rehearing Granted.
 After the application for com plaint was denied, a rehearing was granted and the south was again rep resented at the hearing before the federal trade commission in 1920. During 1920 the Southern association of rolled steel consumers and the Southern association of steel fabrica- tors disbanded because of lack of funds. The Western association of rolled steel consumers weathered the financial depression and has con tinued the fight against fPittsburg plus.' Some of the members dropped but the organization is now sup ported by about 600 manufacturers who are consumers of rolled steel. The activities of the western associa-
  priations of the four states aggregat- ing $55,000.
 Alabama and other southern states should now be as much interested IT. the elimination of this trade practise as they were in 1919 and 1920. With bama the southern states are giving their moral support to the campaign.
 Tn 1911 some buyers of steel in Tennessee threatened a Buyers strike until Birmingham was made basing point At that time, the freight rate from Pittsburg to Chicago was s3,7S. Manufacturers claimed that northern competition from the Chicago, Pitts burg and intermediate districts made it impossible for them to pay the full Pittsburg plus and compete in any district north of them. It was then that Birmingham was made baslng point, with prices $3 per ton higher freight rates advanced, the Birming- than the Pttsburg base. Later the ham base was increased $2. maxim g the Birmingham base s5 above the Pittsburg base, and has remained at that level ever since regardless of the of the fact that there was 10 per cent reduction in freight rates in July of 1922"
 Plans For Continuance.
 MT. McCollum points out that their organization is to continue the fight with vigor and in commenting upon what has been done and the reason for their action he says: As the main defense of the United States Steel Corporation is that 'Pittsburg plus is the natural result of the law of supply and demand, the first ac- tion of the joint committee of the four states was to investigate the economic phase of the case.
 An economist from the state uni versity of each of the four states to- eether with the attorney of the Wes- sumers, went to Washington to in- terview attorneys and members of the federal trade commission, after which a request was made to postpone re- buttal testimony from August 16 to December 10 to allow timesfor further inves tigation. John R. Commons. Uni versity of Wisconsin, one of the ablest and best known western economists, was retained, and will testify before the federal trade commission at the rebuttal hearing which is scheduled so begin December 10. The estimony H pr. Commons will be supported by r. r. Frank Fetter, Princeton, and pr. William z. Ripley. Harvard. It is fair to assume that the United States Steel corporation will have eminent economists to reply to this economic testimony
 In Birmingham the original contest on the Pittsburg plus was conducted bv the Birmingham Ci-ic association but little has been heard of the sub feet since the civic association be- came part of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
 Headquarters of the Associated States opposing Pittsburg plus are 1905 City Hall Square building, Chi cago.