The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-23

Hon. Jotn " Smith, President of the Alabama Railroad Commission, yesterday filed with the State Executive Depart ment the annual report of the commits sion as provided by law. The report Is for the year ending June 30. 1901. Il covers $50 printed pages. but 1t is ac- companied by a review of the work o1 the commission in more concrete form
 MT. Smith reports, for example, thai the commission has made many reduc' tions in the tarin on coal and that there is now a lower rate on coal in Alabama than ever before. He points out that the commission has caused many im- provements in depot accommodations and has adjusted numerous controversies.
 The report shows that for the year end ing June 30, 1901, the total gross earnings of all railroads in Alabama were 2h 773, ,22O.26. The operating expenses oi these railroads were $16,o7s. .0S, leaving the net earnings of the railroads 5, ,696, 3S2.18.
 Figured by the mileage the average gross earnings per mile Of Alabama railroads for the same period were $4,- 353. "A. The operating expenses per mile of these railroads were 8. .1sS.o5, leaving the net earnings per mile a, "A
 The report shows that the total mile age of main line tracks in Alabama is 4,l4b44 The total mileage of double track Is 10o6 and the total mileage of sidings Is s45.5S. This makes the total railroad mileage in Alabama 5.0ol.oS:
 During the year ending June 50, 1901, 15l.77 miles of new railroad tracks were built.
 MT. Smith Reviews Report.
 The review of the report submitted to Governor Jelks by President Smith IS as follows:
 Office of the Railroad Commission of the
 State of Alamaba.
 Montgomery, Ala, Oct 1o 1901. To His Excellency. William D. Jelks.
 Governor of Alabama.
 Sir:-Sectidn 3503 of the Code of Alaba- ma requires that the Railroad Commis- sioners through their President, shall, before the 10th daw of October annually. make to the Governor a report of their acts and doings for the year ending on the SOth day of June next preceding. set ting forth such facts ns will disclose the actual workings of the railroad sys- tenn in this State, and making such sug- gestions as to the general railroad policy of the State as may to them seem appro- priate; and such recommendations Tor further legislation as they may deem necessary and advisable for the interests of the State.'
 kn making this annual report 1t is proper to state that we have no recom- mendatjonS as to legislation. There will be no meeting of the Legislature for some time to come and should we make any recommendations, 1t would be more pr )per tc submit them in our next an Eual "eport.
 As % what is meant by making a report of our acts and doings' has caused us some concern, and especially so in view of the fact that we have concluded to depart from the precedent heretofore established with reference to what these annual reports should con- tain.
 It is propjer to state also that some of the work done by this commission, which will be embraced in this report, has been done since the 3Oth day of June, but as it is important that the present report should contain this data, we included it in order that the work of the commits Sinn nav he fuIlV set mt