Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-20
STAHLMAN IN DANGER
OF Losing His Position as Commissioner.
Work Against Him Being Done
IN the 1uiaf

VIEW UTht June ld.-lHe MOinAii5
Journal prints the following: The sub
committe on rules and agreements APP
pointed by the Southern Railway and
Steamship association adjourned yester-
day, having completed its work on the
new agreement. 1t will report to the
general convention of the association
this morning. Since last Wednesday the
committee has been at work talking
over the changes in the agreement
which the southern lines propose to put
into effect August /. The other members
of the association have been patiently
waiting for the report, for on 1T rests the
main work of the convention. The
agreement of last year, which several
lines. notably the Seaboard Air Line, did
not sign. has been worked over, changing
some sections leaving others as they
were and taking no action on few,
which will be left for the convention.
This agreement will be presented to-
day for the convention to ratify and
change as it will, or reject entirely. Then
the signatures of the various lines rep
resentatives win be asked Indications
point to trouble when this point is
reached, for very few of the sections of
the agreement have been unanimously
adopted in the committee. The lines That
have received the worst of it are bound to-
object, and several have made themselves
1.-The Seaboard Air Line in particular
has renewed its objections of last years
agreement, when it refused to sign the
agreement. This year that line is more
strongly opposed to Commissioner 70. b.
Stahlman than ever before, and its repre-
sentatives have been quietly ordered not
to vote for him and to induce other lines
not to. Considerable quiet work has
been done and as a result one representa-
tive declared yesterday that Stahlman
would not be reelected. 1t is understood
that he is slated fer reelection, and If
elected the Seaboard Air Line will posi-
lively refuse to come into the association.
When the question of officers came up in
the committee Vice-President st. John
of the Seaboard Air Line was asked howl
his people were disposed along that line.
st. John replied that the Seaboard Air
Line was not committing itself at that
stage of the proceedings
"All this may result in Stahlman's de-
feat, for the Seaboard Air Line is badly
wanted 1t can make things hot for it's
competitors, and being an outsider can
practically render null and void any
agreement signed by the roads which are
near 1t. If agreement is reached by the
convention, then a rate committee will
be appointed 1t may be three months
yet before the new rates can be arrivd
at. No matter what the outcome, every
one agreed that today's meeting will be a,
hot one, with the conflicting interests of
a dozen lines at stake"
Women increase their fund of pin
money by using the most economical bak-
Ing. powder, DIR. Prices.
THE BAGGAGEMAN EXPLAINS.
lie Declares That No Trunks Are Smashed
on the Railroad.
Detroit Free Press.
"How do so many trunks get broken?"
repeated the baggage man, as his face
took on an anxious and weary look.
well. that's a question which has puz-
zled me for good many years. and I'd
give a good deal for a satisfactory an
swer"
~rbe baggage-smasher doesn't have
anything to do with it, of course?" was
sarcastically queried.
mot at all, sir. That's where the pub
lie does him rank injustice. In the old
days they have smashed up trunk oc-
casionally but in these modern times
trunks are handled like glassware. I've
been on the road for seven years, and
during all that time 1 have not even
ripped the handle off a trunk"
But trunks come off your car all
smashed up"
Yes, sometimes, and I've had people
complain of me and try to get me dis
charged. They were laboring under a
misapprehcnsion, however. In seven
cases out of ten the trunk is damaged
before it leaves home. People never send
trunk to the shop until the last min
ute"
rs the motion of the train hard on
trunks?"
VERY hard, sir 1t jars the nails and
screws loose, and the first thing you
~. h., ,t,,Iy ral IN,
| am blamed for it. We have to stand
trunks on end, you know, to economic
space. While in that position they are
stil more susceptible to the jarring."
at doesn't hurt a trunk to drop it
from the car door to the platform. does
it?"
mot the slightest. On the contrary.
If II is an old trunk the shock will tight
ca ii up as good as new. On my run l
save the public at least $4,000 year for
repairs to the trunks. You have seen
two men seize trunk and fling it on
top the pile on a truck. AT such times
you think you hear the sound of break
ing glass, but you are mistaken. 1t is
the loose lock of the trunk settling into
place and saving the owner at least SO
cents in cash. You have seen a trunk
fall from the top of a load on a transfer
truck haven't you?"
Yes. | have"
1.-The noise was like bursting open a
door. and you probably felt like giving
somebody "A piece of your mind. The
injury was purely imaginary. The fall
simply bolted the casters on and
strengthened the hinges | am sorry the
public labors under the hallucination il
does. as it puts a baggageman in bad
| light. | suppose you sometimes stand
around to see your trunk put on tho
carr"
Yes. | often do
And when you sec it rolled over and
| over. and ended with Il bang, and spur
half way down the car you feel colo
chll?"
Il do"
well. chill no more. Such handling
is really a benefit TO the trunk and
should be an extra charge. Dear me
but | wish the public was more appre'
ciativer'
How would you go to work to dam
age a trunk"
II do not know. I have laid awake
,;obtc and SDeculated and planned and