The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-15

chance to get In its work his patients all
died. So it seems was the case with this
king Cure ALL, in the shape of the rail-
road commission of Georgia, with absolute
mandatory powers. My recollection Is, that
the Georgia railroad commission law was
created in 1879. Authentic statistics show
that since that time. at least seventeen rail-
roads, aggregating 3,232 miles have gone
into the hands of receivers, being 80 per
cent. of the present mileage of the railroads
OF Georgia, aggregating 5,44 miles.
In the IL .nds of Receivers
1.-The railroads refer to are: Alabama
Great Southern, "a miles; Marietta and
Nol'.h Georgia (now Atlanta, Knoxville and
Northern), Is; Augusta Southern, S5 Cen
tral railway system, l ,069 miles; Charleston
and Western Carolina, 20 miles; Chatta-
nooga Rome and Columbus (now Chatta-
nooga, Rome and Southern, 1876 miles;
Chattanooga Southern, AZ miles; East and
West, 40 miles: Gainesville, Jefferson and
Southern, IS miles; Savannah, Americus
and Montgomery NOW Georgia and Ala
bama), 376; Hartwell railroad, 10 miles;
Macon and Birmingham, 81 miles; Macon,
Dublin and Savannah, SO miles; Northeast
ern of Georgia, 80 miles; lines composing
present Southern railway system, ST miles;
Blue Ridge and Atlantic (now Tallulah
Falls railroad) 81 miles, total, 1922 miles.
These facts speak for themselves; are
cult to make anybody believe that the mere
manipulation of the stock of these rail-
roads resulted in their going into the hands
OF receivers. and in Changing ownership.
Whether the new ones will survive or not
is question to be determined by the
future.
In the report of the Georgia railroad COM
mission of October IS, 1896, 1t stated 1.-THE
general depression which has prevailed
Over the entire country for the past few
years and which has contributed largely to
the financial distress of the railroads, is
still felt; but it is believed that the first
effects of 1t have passed, and that an era
Oh better times is near at hand. With de-
creased capitalization and the return of
prosperity to the country. there is no rea-
son why the railroads of Georgia should not
prosper under the just and liberal rates al
lowed by the commission. Unfortunately,
there is no law limiting the issue of stocks
and bonds upon railroad properties to a
just and fair valuation and it is feared
that some of the reorganization schemes
have so encountered the properties as to
make it improbable that even under the
most favorable conditions, the fixed charges
entailed by these securities will be met.
Here is an admission that 1t required 'de-
creased capitalizat ton and the return of
prosperity" And even with these two
things and under the most favorable con-
dition the railroad commission had fears
roads would not be met.
Railroad Investment should be Protected
Men who put their money into railroads
are builders they add to the material
wealth of the state, and their investments
should be protected; certainly to the extent
of being allowed to earn a reasonable re-
turn upon their capital invested. 1t was
not the intention in the beginning of the
most earnest advocate for q railroad COM
mission, that the commission should be au-
thorized to absolutely fix the rates to De
charged by the railroad companies, except
to the extent of preventing extortion and
unjust discrimination. l am as much IN
favor of railroads being controlled by law
as any man in Alabama. In fact beheve
the law should be the master of everybody
When they do wrong, they should be pun
ished the same as individuals; they should
not be allowed to build up one place at the
expense of another. They should not be
allowed to be guilty of eXtortion or dis
elimination, but 1t would be entirely a
work of super-erogation to discuss this
question because there Is no serious con-
tention that there is any discrimination or
extorton in Alabama on the part OF any
railroad They are serving the pubic
daily. are handling the products of every
industry in Alabama in as prompt and
efficient manner as any railroads in the
world, and there is no serious complaint
anywhere except on the part OF men VINO
want discrimination in their own favor'
which. of course, would be at the eApehso
| of somebody else.
Word to Mr.. Conner
..Take Mr.. Conner himself He is engaged
| in the mill business al Birmingham He
| has a milling in-transit arrangement with
all the railroads entering Birmingham Dy
which he gets his grain hauled TO that
point is allowed to take it from the car
grind it, re-sack it and send 1t to all points
tl,r ,,ou, tsaf 70 iua
touched 1t before reaching final destination.
He has a taste of discrimination in his cot
ton factory at Birmingham, which is ex-
empt from Taxation for five years, and
having had little taste of discrimination
in his own favor in these things, like Oliver
Twist. he Is crying for more Mr.. Conner S
reference to me in his interview does me
entirely too much honor. / am one of the
htimIblest and plainest citizens of Alabama.
l started life in east Alabama as poor as
the poorest, and have held my own as Well
as any one 1 have never claimed to be
better than my fellow-men. 1 know that
i am no worse. 1t has become my good
fortune to become the district attorney for
Alabama for the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad company, position that no raw
| yer of respectability would despise. In my
| ca pacity as the companys attorney 1t has
| been my pleasure and privilege to appear
before many legislative committees, and to
argue questions arising before the legisla-
! ture, just as / know that Mr.. Conner has
| done on a number of occasions; but chal-
| lenge any man to point out time or place
where ! have ever used argument to
any member or before any committee oil
| the legislature, which, if followed, would
| prevent any member from going back to
| his constituents and saying that in lids
| honest opinion he did the proper thing, and
| acted for the best interests OF mis- people
| Mr.. Conner, In his article, unintentionally
| pays very high compliment to the rail-
road commission, the railroads, the people