The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-14
ALABAMA:I()SES
 FIGHT FOLLOWER 1
 PASSENGER FARE
Travellers In State Must Continue To Pay S.6
 Gents Per Mile
-iState Capital : Bs1rean)

las MONTGQMERT Alas May 13.-- [ Iravelers between points in Alabama |; must continue to pay 3.e cents a mile tczthe railroads. TheSFeduction ordered Ehy the public service commission two years ago can not, heanade. The in , .terstate commerce. commission. has cam celled thes order of the Alabama com mission
 The pnblic service commission was advised Tuesday ab0utf noon that it's order had been reversed eby the federal rcommission. Dispatches to newspapers also made the same announcement. No details were given, and the commission < does not know what line of reasoning s was used by the federal board. The dispatch stated that the proposed inter state rate of cents twouid be an un- ] fair discrimination against interstate | icersinerce, in the opini6n of the inter I sfate commerce rginmission.s The or der for a reduction sins the rate was is- sued by the affirmAtiFe. votes of B. H. Cooper and S. F. tsiiflafd, who were Associate members sbf the public serv- ite commission uffil b5anuary; 1923. The order came aaFese months before Sfatle election which put ifto office H. F. Lee and Frdnk PsqMofgans
 A. c. Patterson, president of the com mission at that time and incumbent in the position nows voted against the proposal for a reduction. stating that he believed the reduction should be made but that proper consideration had not been given to 1t and the opportune time for the issuance of the order had not come.
 Fought By Railroads
 When the order was issued the rail roads went into the federal court and obtained temporary injunction pre- venting the enforcement of the order An agreement was made whereby the issue would be carried to the interstate commerce. commission and the case in the federal court was allowed to stand in status quo.
 Evidence was receiyad by an exam iner of the interstate commerce coin mission at a hearing dn Montgomery last year.
 Decision Nd Sarprise
 The decision brought no surprise to the capital. The uniform rate through out the nation now is S.6 cents d mile, the rate charged in Alahama. The pub lie service commission which succeeded the one that issued the order made the fight for the approval of the decision in the belief that the federal board would take notice of the fact that S.6 cents a mile in Alabama is yielding a greater return than the same rate in other states because other states offer communication, school and tourist tickets at a reduced rate which makes a, re- duction in the general revenue obtain able from the fares.
 Evidence was added at the hearing to support the contention and the public service commission was able to show that the average rate when considera- ton is given to communication, school and tourist tickets in the nation is 3.2 cents . mile and that the Scent rate pre- acribed by the Alabama commission would yield q return almost as great as the average.
 President Patterson and Associate Commissioners Lee and Morgan Ines day said they would not be prepared to indicate what further action win be taken until copies of the opinion and decision of the interstate commerce commission are received.