The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-15
Birmingham, Ala, Aug. IA, 1902.

Captain Falkner's statements, in a re-
cent address to the citizens, were erron-
eous. The Alabama freight rate on the
l. and N. r. r. on all that a farmer
makes or consumes cotton, hay, corn,
flour, and meat, is 60 per cent more than
the Georgia rate, on the roads operated
by the L. and N. in Georgia. Captain
Falkner stated that Kentucky and Ten
nessee have the same local rates as Ala-
bama, but he failed to state that both
Kentucky and Tennessee have for several
years been fighting just as we are, to
free these States from L. and N. dis
elimination and rule. In Kentucky. only
few years ago, the L. and N. r. r.
organized its employees, and with the ne
groes and the Republicans fought the
Democratic party with all kinds of de-
baucheries and pressure-fought the State
into a state of anarchy, in which Gov
ernor Goebel was assassinated. and arm
ed henchmen placed at every door of the
Capitol to keep out Democratic mem
bers. Certainly such recent history, en-
acted at our door, should be sufficient to
make every citizen stand together In this
prudential move to make the State para
mount, and secure through State control
equal rights in every species OF property
The meeting of the Railroad Traffic
Managers at Birmingham, referred to by
Captain Falkner was the result OF
complaint to the Railroad Commission
by the Commercial Club of Birmingham,
for charging excessive and discriminat-
ing local rates over the State. At that
meeting the charge was made, and not
denied, for it is still true, that the L.
and N. charged 60 per cent, the Southern
and Central 80 to 100 per cent, the Mobile
and Ohio 100 to 40 per cent, and the
Western 10 per cent more than the same
roads and same class roads charged in
Georgia on the necessaries of life. The
Traffic Managers practically admitted
this excessive and discri minating charge
and promised written reply to the club
They not only did not reduce the rate,
but afterwards, by manipulating the
classifications. increased the rate and
consequent freight charges of Alabama,
and this without protest from our Com
mission. which classfications the Com
missioners from our neighboring States
refused to allow in their States; and this
increase was the virtual answer to our
complaint.
/ personally pleaded with Messrs Gra-
ham and Culp. Traffic Managers of the
L. and N. and Southern, for a readjust-
ment of local rates in Alabama for the
necessity and justice of allowing Tennes-
see River points the same nearnesS or
| mileage basing rates as are given the
Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi River
points. They refused / personally took
| these statements to Captain Falkner. at
his office-did it because recognized that
he had great influence with his employer
and probably with our Commission, and
he laughed at 1t. | took 1T to the office
| of the President of the Railroad Commits
| sion and showed the excessive local rate
and the discrimination against Tennessee
River points He said that he had no
power
After these conferences, we abandoned
| the appeal to the Commission on account
of excessive and discriminating charges
not because they were wrong. but because
of the construction of our law and the
lack of sympathy and interest OF our
Commission.
| We then appealed to the Constitutions
Convention for the Georgia Organic and
| Georgia Statute law. They adopted the
| Georgia Organic law, leaving the Statute
| law to the next Legislature, and this Is
| why we call the attention of the people
| to the necessity of electing Legislature
alive to the Importance of giving erect tc
| this provision of the new Constitution
| We estimate the excessive rate ip Ala
| bama over Georgia on same class and
| amount of tonnage at two million dollars
a wear. sufficient for Captain FaIRner'
| employer to make many benefactions and
liberalities, but carrying death to the
| consumer and producer.
deny the statement MADE by Captain
Falkner to the effect that our Railroad
| Commission has sufficient power under
| the present law to wreck every railroad
in Alabama. They have not the power
10 enforce a single rule or order made
bv them. neither Is there any penalty at
tached for the violation of their rules
and orders. They have power only to es-
tablish rate which is prima facie cor
rect, leaving the citizens TO go into court
single-handed against these powerful cor
| porations whenever the orders of the
, commissioners have been violated; where