The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-14
OF
R. R. COMMISSION
AN ANSWER TO T. c. BUSH AND
AN ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF A
CHANGE IN THE PRESENT sYs-
TEN.
To the Editor of The Age-Herald.

To the Editor Of The Age-Herald.
Mr.. T. G. Bush. very able railroad
officer. has in an article recently publish
ed in your paper, very conservatively
presented some of the railroads reasons
for wishing the present status Of the
Alabama railroad commission to remain
unchanged.
In the appeal for Justice and fair play
that he makes in the paragraph which I
quote below, he presents his strongest
argument against any change of condi-
TONS
The paragraph to which I refer is as
follows;
Railroads very naturally resist the
enactment and enforcement of laws that
put their property under control of I'M
experienced and incompetent men, in fact
the owners of such property are inclined
to regard It as one form of confiscation.
No. one denies that railroads and other
corporations derive their existence and
powers from the authority of the people,
and should be under proper and reason
able restraint, but it is hardly right and
fair to offer inducements at one period
to capitalists to invest their money in
railroad property. which practically can
not be moved whatever conditions may
exist and have burdens imposed later
that are onerous and unreasonable"
In this position Mr. Bush is undoubted-
~ right and all fair minded men agree
with him. 1t is serious mistake, how
ever, in efforts to upbuild one property
interest In the state to allow 1t unrestrain-
ed license to work injury to other in
terests, which II not so important In the
individual case. certainly in the aggregate
reach the business of almost every citi-
zen Of the state.
The business men who are advocating
change in the method OF selecting the
railroad commission and an increase in its
powers. do not advocate either men or
measures that will unjustly restrain or
Cypress either the railroads or their citi-
zen patrons but on the contrary, are
working to secure just tribunal, active
in the protection of the rights of all the
people, and clothed with power to adjust
promptly and fairly all questions aris-
those dependent upon them.
There are railroad arrangements both
good and bad. as there are shippers of
both classes otherwise commissions
would not be needed. Were there no
criminals the need of courts would cease.
Since, however, there are criminals, we
must have courts, and since questions re-
garding transportation will arise, we
should have commissions with power to
act; and In both cases we want tribunals,
the best obtainable, vested with power
to correct the evils complained of.
Undo present conditions the railroads
of Alabama act as unit on questions of
rates, service and general transportation
policies, these policies being fixed at
meetingn OF the officers generally held
outside of the state and In accord with
the wishes of one syndicate controlling
nearly every road in the state. whose
chief interest is, Of course the securing
Of large returns upon their money and
water invested in these railroad proper
ties. Where rules, rates and regulations
for the handling of the states traffic
are thus made by practically one interest
whose ownership extends not only over
Alabama, but over nearly every state
east OF the Mississippi, and whose pur-
rose is to make ths greatest revenue pos
sible, is 1t not right that the Individual
shipper in Alabama should have some
tribunal to scrutiuize these policies and
decide whether or not he, powerless to
protect himself, is being justly and fairly
dealt with? Is 1t not human history that
| Tho atrOnU 1ipraafroiped xrtu o1rro-o
the weak; that the combined power of
large corporations does, If unguarded,
obiterate the rights OF the individual?
The policy and actions of the railroads
In tho state effect every citizen of the
state. and both should be justly and
firmly controlled by the people of the
state.
Our present system of control is mani
testify inadequate. I hope it may be i'm
proved; 1t cannot be made worse
AS an instance of conditions existing
from which relief is now impossible I
note the compress situation.
There is invested in Alabama In COM
presses. principally by citizens of the
state, over $1.c0o,oc0.
Interior congresses in the state have
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COMPRISING cotton. a certain part of the
amount charged by the railroads for the
transportation of the cotton. When this
81. 900 900 was invested in compress prop
critics the railroads allowed 10 cents per
100 pounds. or so cents per bale for COM
preston.
A few years ago the railroads reduced
this amount to 81 cents per 100 pounds,
or 421A cents per bale paid to the COM
presses, taking the III cents per bale
from the congresses and adding it to
their own revenues.
The railroads now propose to reduce
the amount paid the congresses to 6
cents per 100 pounds. or 30 cents per bale
and take from them an additional 12h
cents per bale, or a total of 20 cents per
bale below the price paid at the time
these monies were invested In compress
properties. The congresses cannot pos
sibly work for this figure and the action
of the railroads will mean the practical
confiscation of the properties. Taking
the Alabama cotton crop at loo, 900 bales
1t means that the railroads take 20 cents
on each bale. or $4,000 per year which
formerly was distributed through the
state in wages, etc, earned in the opera
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