The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-15
SHORT HAUL HITS INTERIOR CITIES OF SOUTHEAST
Rates Cited To Prove Discrimination For Sea-
 board Points

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Sept. H. Interior cities and towns af such southeastern states as Georgia. the Carolinas, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkan- sas and Mississippi are being discrim- mated against in freight rates by rail roads operating in the southeast, 1t IS revealed an examination of freight rate schedules on file in offices of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
 Taking advantage of technicaiities of the long and short haul rule of the fourth section of the transportation act, the railroads have built up csruc- ture of freight rates which Favor com munities located on the seaboard and water, ,. and discriminate against cit ies and towns of the interior, the com. nieree eUnrElfssf6t fecords show NlldeF this system, the railroads charge more to haul many commodities short dis tance from distributing center to an interior than they charge to haul an identical shipment to a waterway city. IT ese discriminations are made, rail road men say, on the theory of meeting water competition and are permitted by the Interstate Commerce Commission because of present wording of the long and short haul law.
 S43.2O Per Ton Difference.
 A striking example of the discrimin- atory rates imposed by the railroads is shown on the charge for shipping agri- cultural implements from St. Louis to the south. Alexandria, La., is GAP miles from St. Louis and New Orleans is S35 miles over the same line. Yet the farmer at Alexandria must pay the railroads SIG ton to have his imple- ments shipped from St. Louis, while the stevedore at New Orleans gets an iden- tica, shipment at $1280 per ton. In other words, the farmer at Alexandria is charged m excess of $3.2O on every ton of agricultural implements he gets from St. Louis; despite the fact he IS 193 miles nearer the source of supply.
 Spartanburg, S. C., is 63S miles from New Orleans and Norfolk, Va., is 1O93 miles from New Orleans over the same line of railroad tracks. Yet the rail roads charge $11.70 per ton to haul molasses from New Orleans to Spartan burg, while they charge but $9 to carry it the longer distance to Norfolk. Spartnaburg is penalized $2.7O on ev- cry ton of molasses shipped from New Orleans because she happens to be 4O5 miles nearer the source of supply than Norfolk, the commerce commission rec ords show.
 The discrimination against Asheville, N. C., on molasses is even more strlk- ing. Asheville is 737 miles from New Orleans, but the rate per ton on mo- lasses shipped frem New Orleans is $1270, while the rate to Norfolk, 346 miles farther from New Orleans, is $3.70 less.
 Railroads today carry fertilizer from Savannah, Ga., to COrinth, Miss, dis tance of 588 miles, for $6.64 per ton, but they carry it right on through Cor inth and haul it to Memphis, Tenn, CTS miles from Savannah, to fertilize the docks and leyees there,. for $5.29 per ton. Corinth is in the heart of Mississippi's agricultural district, but the farmer there must pay $1.35 more per ton for his fertilizer than the steve dore in Memphis pays, according to the commerce commission records.
 Seek Other Changes.
 In addition to discriminatory rates now in effect railroads operating out of St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis and other manufacturing centers have all application before the commission to make many new discriminations against the interior cities of the southeast by reducing the rates on long list of com modties to cities of the southern coast without granting similar reductions to intermediate points. Rates on which the railroads are seeking to discrmin- ate against the interior cities and towns of the south include such staple com modites as canned goods, cotton-bale ties, dry goods, iron and steel articles, leather goods, millboard, sal soda, saws, shOvels, tinware and wire.
 After fighting more than 30 years against similar discrminatins in favor of Pacific coast cities, people of the western mountain states have united in an effort to secure passage of the GOOding bill by Congress. The bill pass ed the Senate in May by the decisive vote of 54 to g and will be before the House of Representatives when Con- gress convenes in December. The bill will amend the transportation law to make it impossible for the railroads to discriminate against interior cities by flying abnormally low rates to cates To- cated on waterways in order to drive the boats out of business, making up ther losses on that traffic by charging discriminatory and unjustly high rates to cities and towns of the interior coun- try. M