The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-12
CHANCE IN POLICY
 MAY BE OUTCOME OF WARRIOR MEET
Continued From Page one)

thusastic over the program laid out for divisions and I think they were all satisfied"
 Manipulate To Kill.
 Railroads manipulate rates to kill
 off water competition, Mayor R. V.
 Taylor of Mobile told the confer
 ence. He spoke authoritatively be-
 cause he was vice president and gen.
 eral manager of the Mobile and Ohio
 railroad for many years.
 When the water is high and nav igation easy, the rail rates go down, Mayor Taylor said. When the water goes down and the boats tie up, then rail rates soar to offset the losses during the period when water competition is possible, he continued. He cited many instances of discrimi- . | leaving a ridiculously small margin for the barge lines on any freight they may handle.
 Show the railroads you mean business and use your legal and con stitutional powers rightly on this question of rates and they will quick ly come to you and agree to fair division of rates. You do not have to go to the highest recourse, be- cause as soon as they realize they have fight impending they will agree to a fair division" declared MT. Taylor.
 T stand here and declare that In law and equity we, have the right to regulate these rates" was his ern- phatic statement While I believe in fairness to the railroads, I do not believe, that the power which has been given them should be turned into frank to destroy us." The railroads were charged with l short rt-sightedness in the Warrior case l by MT. Taylor, who pointed out that | by building up the Warrior barge | more business for their lines and in | the long run would profit.
 Congressman William B. Bankhead | of Jasper. who followed Mir. Taylor | urged speedy action and assured the | conference that the SiXty-eighth con- | gress will give the Warrior river l barge line an opportunity to demon-
 strate its value and right to exist.
 Urges Firm Dealing.
 | Congressman William B. Oliver
 urged firm dealing with the railroads | in the matter of a fair division of
 rates with the barge. line. in opening
 the meeting. He then suggested that
 the rate experts retire and consider | the plans under which the rate nego- l tiations with the railroads are being conducted. He declared that the basis
 of permanent success depended upon ] a rate schedule fair to the barge I service.
 We have rights and must feel that
 we have rights when we approach the
 railroads with view of reaching an |agreement," MT. Oliver added "Too
 much soft-pedling Is harmful. If it Is
 necessary to go before the interstate
 commerce commission, let us go."
 Separation of the New Orleans
 Mobile line from the Warrior service
 was suggested by MT. Oliver. but
 Colonel Ashburn said this could not
 well be accomplished. He showed that
 the Waprfor line gets its proportion
 ate credit for business
 "The. Warrior river, to my mind. Is
 one reelly wonderful waterway" de- clared Colonel Ashburn. Tt starts at
 a great industrial center and goes to
 a wonderful seaport and is navigable the year round.' ~~-
 He showed that benefits had ac. rued as the result of closing the ports | of Demopolis, Cordova and Tuscaloosa
 by embargo, subject to adjustment of
 the rates between the railroads and
 the barge line. He, pointed 5out that at least an effort should be made to
 see that losses of the line do not ex-
 ceed depreciation of the property. He
 also declared the department is being l cnarSeu WlIH wasting NlOucy ulduo oAi
 the Mississippi by throwing 1t into
 the Warrior.
 Delegation members left for their
 respective homes Monday afternoon
 and night, Commissioner Hartwell
 and Mayor Taylor leaving for Mobile
 late Monday night. Colonel Ashburn
 will leave for Washington at 6:4o
 o'clock Tuesday morning.
 Those Attending Conference. ..,. Delegations attending the confer ence included one from Cordova. com posed >of Dr. B. F. Borden. Dr. J. M. Miller, Pope M. Long, W. M. Earn est. Dr. William Gurganius, J. l..
 Caraway, J. L. Mason and B. l.. Long. Demopolis was represented by Con- gressman John McDuffie, P. c. Cole man, president of the Chamber of Commerce.; l.. L. Steinhart, c. s.
 Partridge and Maj. H. W. Hayden. former resident of Demopolis. now living in New Orleans.
 Frfom Mobile. besides Mayor Tay- Tor and Commissioner Hartwell, came Spencer Talmadge, manager of the Munson Steamship lines; J. E. Wat terman. manager of the Waterman Steamship company; R. A. Christian. member of the state harbor board: R.. G. Cobb, traffic manager of the Mo-