The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-16
BUNN LOOKS UPON TRAFFIC DECISION AS BIG VICTORY
Only Disadvantage Is Time Required to Put Rates in Effect Others Some
 what Disappointed

AS I take the decision of the in- terstate commerce commission re specting division of through rates be- tween the rail carriers and the War rior barge line, the Warrior trans FGrtation service is now in position to begin to have fair division Of through rates declared in short or der" said o. l.. Bum, general man ager of the Birmingham Traffic As sociation,
 "The commission seems to have clearly laid down the principle that the existing divisions are unfair and unreasonable. The principle being established. all we have to do is take the present rail through rates as basis and go to the rail carriers with our demand for what we consider fair division of said rates. That is a simple matter. The chances are that many divisions will be arranged on the spot. Where agreement Is impossible, we can go straight to the commission with definite cases and 1t will not take long to have decision entered.
 "The public should not take 1t amiss that the commission did not de- clare what the fair division of rates
  of the commissoin in such matters to hand down the principle as a working basis and have the parties to the question get together and thrash out the details. They do this in the case of two and more rail carriers when they have divergent views as to divisions of joint rates. The commission is treating us the same as It would rail carriers under the same conditions.
 Barge Lines Advantage
 Tt should be borne in m1nd that when we come to the joint confer ences with the. rail carriers, we will have the advantage through the de- cision of the commission that the present divisions of the through rates are unfair The railroads are under formal notice that the barge line is entitled to a greater proportion of the through rates under the com missions mandate, and they will come to the conference knowing that trey must give in or be forced into line by summary order of the com- mission.
 "The biggest job and that coming nearest to involving delay will be Tn getting the representatives of the rail and barge line interests ap- pointed and into conference. The high officials of the rail lines will neces sarily desire to participate in a mat ter of such importance and there may be delay in getting them and the barge line representatives together. But the question involved is simple and details should be whipped out in short order
 "To me it looks like a complete victory far tba bnrpse linnn
 Delay Is FOrecasted
 Other traffic men were not as op- timistic as MT. Bum and were prone to criticise the commission for fail ure to hand down a decision order ing specific rate divisions. One of these said rThe commission has had the case since September 16, 1920, two and a half years. Moreover. it had the findings of Examiner Woodruff of the commi ssion, who decided in favor of the barge line and trans mitted his finding together with the special data to the commission. The commission seems to have side stepped this exact data and to have contented itself with general declaration, under which we will be subject to great delay in getting our fair proportion of the through rates"
 Traffic men seem to agree that the barge line has won a substantial victory in the laying down of prin- ciple, the difference of opinion being principally with regard to the time that will be required to get the spe- cific divisions eontended for.