The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-23

vision at any time) and published the same with this report. It must not be forgotten. however. that there are excep- changes are constantly being made. but we have endeavored, and will continue to endeavor, to carefully supervise every change made in these tariff sheets and Improved Depot Facilities. The law also imposes upon us the duty of supervising and ordering the building and maintaining of depots, and of hearing and deciding complaints which may come before us upon any question affecting the railroads in this State. We have not in- cluded in this report any matter upon W hich we have had occasion to pass since June 30th. except the distance tariffs and classifications above referred to, and the demurrage rules as amended. and ap- proved by us but we have settled many questions pertaining to the depots, and the railroads under our direction have in and built new ones and shown most commendable spirit in cooperating with us in our efforts to insure the comfort and convenience of the travelling public. We are glad to report also that several new railroads have been built within the last year and several are now under course of construction, but this will be shown under the proper table in this re- port.
 We have. embraced in this report the following data:
 First-Rules of practice governing the filing and hearing of complaints before swerS.
 second-Rules governing the erection and maintenance of depots.
 Third-General rules governing trans fir.
 Fourth-General rules governing trans- portation of freight within the State.
 Fifth-Alabama Car Services rules as amended and approved by us.
 Sixth-Approved Southern Classification with exception sheets of all the railroads in Alabama.
 Seventh-Approved distance tariffs of every railroad in Alabama. with notes as to any change in the tariff of such road. Eighth-A table sho wing the amount of dividends declared by the several rail- roads.
 Ninth-A statement of the mileage of the railroads within the State.
 Tenth-Mileage of new roads built. be- ing built. by what system and name of
 Eleventh-Gross earnings operating ex- penses and net earnings of each railroad in Alabama.
 It is our hope and purpose to improve this report each year and to bring about a more systematic state of affairs in the manner of revisino and supervising the work imposed upon us by law. but 1t takes labor and time to perfect any sys- tenn, and especially one covering so broad field as that embraced in the duties of this commission.
 The Tariff on Coal.
 We have not included in this report the tariff on coal for the reason that 1t Is contained in a separate sheet, is very lengthy and expensive to print. We have. however. made many reductions in the coal tariff and there Is now a lower rste on coal in Alabama than ever before, and many thousands of dollars have been saved to the people in this one item alone.
 In concluding this report we wish to add that Alabama is not. as supposed by many, the victim of a high and oppres- sive local tariff, but careful comparison of the tariffs of railroads in adjoining States shows that we are on a parity with the most of them. We find that as to certain classes in Alabama covering grain and hay and some of the other ne cessities of life, that our tariff Is some what higher than in some of the adjoin- ing States. We have been, and are now, exceedingly anxious to secure some re- duction in these particular classes, but, under the existing conditions, we have not been able to make these reductions; but we hope that, in the near future. the increasing prosperity of the times and the condition of the railroads will justify us in reducing to some extent the tarin on tle particular classes above enumerated.
 Respectfully submitted,
 John V Smith. President.