The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-23
COAL AND COKE RATES REDUCED
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Increase was allowed in Alabama as a temporary measure only, and that the advance was never approved for continuous future application.
 Proof On Railroads.
 AS result, the commission held that whatever might be the rule sn ordinary circumstances. in the pres ent case the burden of proof was upon the railroads to justify both the existing rates and the rates which the carriers proposed in this proceeding It was further found that the carriers had justified neith- CT the existing rates, or the rates proposed by them, as whole.
 On another point involved in the case, the commission referred to what was declared to be the incon- sistency of the railroads, in contend ing in their brief and argument that the Alabama commission had no au- thority to apply what Is called the long and-short-haul rule as con tained in the fourth section of the interstate commerce commission act after the carriers themselves, in their revision of rates proposed in this cause. had petitioned the com mission to "observe. wherever prac- ticable, the long and d-short-haul prin- ciple in connection with the pro- posed revision of rates." The com mission took the position that under the laws of Alabama it has the right to observe any rule which Will con tribute to the establishment Of just and reasonable rates, and therefore if applied the long and short haul principle in making intrastate rates where to do so tends to produce Just and reasonable rates.
 O O O
 Reductions Given.
 Owing to the immense number of
 o1y commission, and to the fact that these rates vary from different mines, 1t is found to be very difficult to estimate the amount of the re- duetion in the new rates. some or the reductions are given as follows To Montgomery, 24 cents per ton, about 15 per cent; to Selma, l7 cents per ton, 10 per cent; Tuscaloosa, from nearby mines, 10 cents; Talladega and Anniston, each around 10 cents per ton: Attalla, Alabama City and Gadsden, from nearby mines, 40 cents per ton; Athens, 30 cents per ton; Florence, Sheffield and Tus. cumbia, Al cents; Huntsville, 10 cents; Dothan, 12 cents. The rates to Atlantic Coast Line stations were reduced, except to points on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, be- tween Montgomery and Georgiana, were reduced, and the rate to opp on that road was also reduced. other reductions were prescribed to loca! stations on the Southern, south of Selma, between Selma and York and between Marion Junction and Akron.
 In the Birmingham district re- adjustments were prescribed that will result in reductions to local points, The commission did not set up the zoning basis around Birming- ham as suggested by it's examiner. No change, was made in rates to Mobile.
 Local rates effecting a number oi north Alabama stations were in- creased from miAlmum of 6S cents to 79 cents minimum.
 Roads Use Much Coal.
 The opinion of the commission dis closes that the railroads themselves are the largest customers of Ala bama's coal mines. of an average production of 1S,O00,000 tons per year, about on ahegflea3lETASHRR about one-half goes to the iron furnaces and steel mills, a large amount of this tonnage being pro- duced by the people who use 1t, the opinion stated. Of the remainder. about one-half is used by the rail- roads, so that only about one-fourth of the coal produced in Alabama en- ters into general commercial chan nels. The development of hydro electric power and increased use of fuel oil, have decreased the con- sumption of coal in this state ma terially in recent years, according to the opinion.
 Carriers were given to March 1 to prepare and apply tariffs containing the new rates.