The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-17
CITIES CLAIMING
D|SCR|M|N 4 7 10 N
ON COAL HAU[AGE
Tuscaloosa And Florence Men
Testify That Birmingham
Has Advantage

mines located IN the blEinlIlSiiftIl ui.'
trict to Birmingham are lower than
rates on the coal located in the dis
, tricts about other cities of Aiabana
from the mines to the cities, and
therefore are discriminatory against
other cities of the state In favor oil
birmingham, was the general SUI
stance of testimony given before ses-
sons of the Alabama pubic service
commission, which were held rom II
O'Clock in the morning till c'c!cck IN
the afternoon, and again from 70
O'Clock in the afternoon cdnesday
in the auditorium of the Champer Oh
Commerce building.
Members OF the public service COM
mission came to Birmingham for the
hearings following the conclusion of
hearings at Mont somery Monday and
Tuesday. Hearings for the first four
days of the week were all on the same
general subject of revision OF coal
and coke freight rates in Alabama.
The meetings Wednesday were pre-
sided over by A. G. Patterson, Albany
and Decatur, Ala, president of the
public service commission. Frank b.
Morgan and Fitzhugh Lee, associate
Rate Expert j. II. Aldrich, formerly
of Dothan, who is attached to the
commission. Representatives from
various interested organizations in
Alabama cities were in attendance.
The main theme of discussion at
the afternoon session was whether
the coming system of freight rates on
coal and coke by the carload from
Alabama mines to points in Alabama
or the mileage system of rates would
serve the best interests of the vari-
out organizations involved.
TuschIoo Cites Case.
w. w. Seay, traffic manager of the
Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce, oc-
cupied the floor of the meeting for
the most of the time at the afternoon
session, and went into detailed ac-
count of the issues involved in the
hearing. Hr. Seay spent some time In
explaining how rates in districts ad-
jacent to other cities of the state
were higher than those in force in
| the territory surrounding Birming-
| ham
| Mr.. Seay showed where the freight
| rate OH coal and coke from mines in
the Birmingham district to Birming-
| ham was - cents. While the rate for
the same distance haul from mines
in the Tuscaloosa district to Tusca-
| loosa was S1.35. This was unfair, he
said. considering the fact that the
| hauls were of equal length and the
same conditions surrounded both sit
uations.
A. J. Ribe. manufacturers repre-
! sentative. Birmingham, testified
concerning alleged determinations on
freight rates on lumber supplied by
| him to certain of his customers. He
| proposed and strongly advocated a
| mileage scale of rates on coal and
| lumber to apply in connection with
the group system now in force. Ac-
| cording to Mr.. Ribe's plan, there
would be maximum mileage rate
applying in connection with the
group rates.
| hearing, it was stated at the outset
by PRESIDENT Patterson that aIsur-
ance had been given by S. l.. Yerkes.
representative of the Alabama Min
| Ing institute, that a revision in the
present freight rates could. probably
| be worked out satisfactorily to the
| interests of the Birmingham coal
operators.
Florence Man Heard.
l. r. NJ. Jones, secretary of the
Chamber OF Commerce, Florence
Ala occupied the princ'pal time of
t7the morning session with a victrolic
attack on the coming or grouping
| system of fixing rates on coal and
| coke as is proposed by the rail
roads, and presented comparative
statement of rates proposed by the
! southern railroad from their Group
10 mines. located on the north end
of the Northern Alabama railroad.
MI. Jones pointed out that the
| freight rate from Phil Campbell to
| Florence, distance of 80 miles was
S1.25. while the rate to Birmingham
| from the same point, a distance OF
| 1903 miles, was only .99c when a.
the same time the rate to Decatur,
| a distance of "A miles, was S1.35, and
to Huntsville. distance of % miles.
was S1.50. Lynn, the southern point
of the group. has a freight rate to
Florence of s1.35 for the GO miles.
and .99c for the 70 miles to Biz
mingham, Mr.. Jones said The aver
age distance from all Group Is
points to Florence is As miles, and to
Birmingham SO miles, while the
freight rate per ton mile to Florence
is nearly .03c. and to Birmingham
average distance to Decatur is IS
miles. with rate of s1.a5, while
to Birmingham. a distance of SO
miles. the rate is only .9sc. it was
explained.
Similar conditions prevail in all
of the other group divisions it was
| brought out On account of these
determinations it was argued that
| the group or coming system should
be discarded, and the mileage system
| of paving freight rate on the actual
| number of miles the load Is hauled
| should be substituted. r. l.. Simp-
| son, assistant freight traffic mana
| ger of the Southern railway, declar-
| ed that the mileage system would
work hardship on coal dealers and
| operators, as well as coal receivers.
| The commission is to meet again
at o'clock Thursday morning in
| the Chamber of Commerce auditor
| um and resume hearings 1t is ex-
| pecteG that testimony on the revi-
sion Of coal and coke freight rates
will be finished at the morning ses-
| sion.
Power Company Friday.
- Officials of the Alabama Power
company are to appear before the
commission at it's meeting at 10
o'clock Friday morning in connec-
ton with the petition of the Power
company for authority to construct
transmission line from Huntsville
to Sheffield, and to establish
hydro electric unit at government
lock, No. II, on the Warrior river
near Tuscaloosa. The Alabama
| Power company is to be represented
by Thomas w. Martin, president, ac-
| companied by counsel. Prior rights
| to lock II are claimed by Birming-
ham company, it is said, and it IS
alleged that these rights will be
destroyed if the Power company is
granted permission to make the
projected development.
LIBRARY TO DISPLAY POTTERY
An exhibit of Indian pottery and
baskets, lent to the Little Art Gal
lery by the government. will be
ia 60.