The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20

by the investigations of the Interstat Commerce Commission, md the testi 1 irony in recent hearings before the indus | trial Commission has served to thorousn iys awaken the public to the great i'm portance of tfis subject. From this tes timony it became apparent that the mos | potent factor in establishing and man
 taining mcnopolies has been preterentM | or discrfmina ting rates of freight by com
 mon carriers gwen by rebates or otnsr wise.' In brief, the rAilroad monopolte' have made practice and are making
 practice of standing In with the mus ns | more favorable rates of freight than ar | given to the smaller manufacturing con f cerns or to individuals and much sma4ie, rates than the published tariffs of freisn' | rates allow. In this way the raiiroads | help the trusts to undersell and ruin tneh | small competitors This is scandal ol | the first magnitude, and. as ! nave al | ready said, 1t supplies one of the strons' priations for the improvement of our Tn | ternal waterways, "a. F If is reflection on the business judg' | ment and sagacity of the. committee IT l suggest the abandonment of this grea project While this report deals unerauy | with my State, it deals untIstiy with my | district and the Coosa River, wnich IS py | far the most important unoeveiopsa VIZ, = l terway within her borders. l appreciate l the liberal appropriations you nave pro vided for the Warrior River, in the dis | trict of my distinguished colleague Sar. Bankhead, who IS memDer s,'rt. ol oUr. ations made for Alabama, but in penaiI | of Justice. equity and right appeal 70 the members of this House to protect .me
 million and a haS-aiready expenoed on
 the Coosa River, to save my people Iro.. this gross injustice, and to consult the
 hest interests of this whole country ny
 voting for my amendment to keep tnls
 project alive, at least To cut 1t on now
 woi,ld nullify all the work previously done
 and the N, ,5OO,0O0 already spent, which has greatly benefited that section Of the
 country in which the improvement nas
 beon made The section that mas peen
 mostly benefited is on the m norrni run di.tin- %
 gnished colleague (Mr. Burneto, who VIII
 But MT. Chairman, I submit that VI
 the Government is in eEnest aoons ,p 0pens n,
 Alabama the benefits 1t will aHord tncm
 if does seem to me that the proper way
 to do this work is to begin at the moutn
 and work up. and then all the lmprove, ,.',
 ment YOU effect along this river would mo
 an unobstructed outlet to the Guit ana
 would not be blocked by this intervening
 obstruction of seventy-two miles or
 shoals.
 f, time offer an amendment to the pend
 ing bill and ask this House to give us
 an appropriation sufficient to enable us to
 b,Iild lock and dam 20 at Wetumplya Ala.
 which ls just above LOCK is Si; ndw hina in a inc
 course of construction. The Government
 has at Wetumpka ample machinery,
 which has lain there idle for years, to do this work. the developmsnt or wn,eh
 wouM greatly facilitate the transporta. .
 ton Of the products of that section or country. which are unequaled by dhe pro. ducts of any other section of the United States. ,
 marks 1 am in favor of liberal appropri, ations by the Covernment, and | snali vote for this river and harpor pIn nus wahstand.ng the fact that the impioss- ment of the Coosa River has been teni- norar;jy sile-tr acked. hope yet 70 oc sIle to convince the disting'Hshed Chalr- man. Mr. Burton. fer whose IuasHhent ass n fair-minded business man | nave srea. respect, that instead of the Coosa peins inc least meritorious of all the streams in tho country. as he has been uIA.nu enough to say. it Is one or tne most i,,., }, portant and tho most merltoraous, anu i., when the new survey wnlch ns nas aS tn kind enough to give us Is pressv,n'ea ,. eu his committee next session. he VII, as ne | has done for the other streams 1T A.a- M hama, provide a liberal appropt,aliT1nI TI,so sv' | the continued improvement or .ne iutsT- Commerce is an exchange ana lnteI l change of commodities between diHeren' and distant communities. " ater s uas nortafion is one of the cmef meoiunf | as commercial intercourse. When tne | Coosa tRiyer is opened to ,navlgatioh. ,, UT told advantages will acrue 10 me peopi. not only of the district l have me honoi o | to represent. not onlK Of the great o.a.' @ 1 of Aiabama but of the sntire couiiTs ,r, | Az stated in a recent edttorlai or In' | Montgomery Advertiser. one or tne ie"N | Ing Journals in the South'
 | If means. for one thing. the making or MO l hiie A mighty coal entrepot whence coal cou., | pr s,i distrihuted 10 the world and 1t mean' | rnakinr the Coosa a vast artery or commsrs' | through which would flow the rlches, na.ura q z | and artificial of one of the finest secVohs ' 1 the Union ~ , iohaa, l steam vessels laden with the rlches, | nroductions of very tertile. sscltoil cl o v, l o,r State and with the Naluaoie or.s ss, ~ M | coal iron. lime, copper, ana sViu " .,.n,, | Iie siumberfng and undeVelopeo la e.ie.i =, l vide deep beds. will ply the Ma.er ., U ., | the Copsa and Alabama ana sw.ep pao | the thriving cities or hos hons. SSiidars | Cedar Bluff, Center. Riversioe. SnAo .h, | burg, Wetumpka and Montgoei,S ,,, o,os,
 1ues,Sn;i+v to Cedartown. Anniston. TaIla | deoA, Birmingham, Shelby, Taiiassee ,,N ahe | prattville-down by Selma to Mopiie
 .iShsma;s great seaport. the lovely clta by the sea. .,,a,..rs of com
 nerce will carry glad tidings of great U.
 from the people who live Tn tne '.as,, | ragions of North Alabama to those Wn' l dwell on the shores of her southelh I,n,,
 mS ,ben will our waste places bioon
 u1itb a new and radiant ife and smile II inc light of new and brilliant oeS'''S
 fAnplause.)