The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-27

Just exactly as Is done In Alabama.
Section PISS of the Code of Georsfa Is
as follows:
ms. COMMISSIONERS. APPOINT
MENT, TERM AND SALARY.-There
shall be three commissioners appointed
by the Governor with the advice and
consent of the Senate, to carry out the
provisions of this Article, of whom one
shall be of experience in the law, ana
one Of experience in railway business
After the expiration Of the terms or Of
fee of the Commissioners first appoint.
ed, the term of office of successors shall
be elk years; but. at the ftrst appoint
ment one commissioner shall be appoint.
ed for two years. one for four years. and
on for six years The salary OF each
commissioner shall be twenty-five hun
dred dollars: to be paid from the treas
ury of the State
be the differences between the operation
of the railroads in Georgia and Ala
banra, it Is not due to the fact that the
commissions are selected differently
Rates of Transportation Not Lower
in Georgia Than In Alabama.
It win be noticed that In all the COM
murt;cations and statements of Mr.. Conner
and his crowd, that no specific statement
is given showing that the rates In Geor-
eia are lower than the rates for similar
service in Alabama. Only general state
ment4 are made, but no special circum-
stances set out showing what the rate is
on any particular road, and therefore
there 10 no way of specifically answering
these general charges, except to state the
facts which are beyond controversy,
that there are very few roads In Geor-
Rta that have the same rate of freight
Tia. while there IL what Is known as
the STANDARD rates. in Georgia, the so
kogg &c V,Taliad 0nlX
thee reads, the mileage Of which Is un-
important. One road changes the stand
ard tariff plus 10 per cent; three roads
charge the standard tariff plus 20 per
cent, fourteen roads charge the standard
tariff plus 20 per cent, and all other
roads in Georgia charge the. standard
tarifS'' plus 50 per cent. The variations
in the rates on these different roads are
made necessary by the different condi-
tons which govern the traffic OF the
various roads. and 1t IL proper that sucn
conditions should be taken into account
In adjusting the same. .-.- -.
No Discrimination. ae.a
TIE rates Of freight are not the same
on all the roads in Alabama and snouio
not be- Not all the roads are operateo
under the same conditions. and therefore
IL is impcs sible for some of the roads 70
Transient freight at the same rate that
other roads are able to do it. 1T IS A
FACT. THAT THE RATES CHARGED
ny THE L. AND N. r. r. co. ON ITS
LINES IN ALABAMA ARE THE SAME
THAT IT CHARGES ON ITS LINES
IN KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, MIS-
sIssIPPI, AND ALL OTHER STATES
SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER, AND
IT is NOT TRUE THAT GEORGIA OR
ANY OTHER SOUTHERN STATE EN-
JOYS BETTER OR CHEAPER TRANS
PoRTATioN FACILITIES THAN THE
PEOPLE OF ALABAMA.
Alas, Poor Birmingham
Thereais no more prosperous city IN the
southotlrarl Birmingham. There is not a
city or county In the South that mas
made more rapid growth in wealth than
the city of Birmingham and the county
OF Jefferson during the last twenty-five
years. The growth and prosperity In
Alabama is not confined either to Biz
mirgham, or Jefferson county. Taxable
values have Increased in every county
and town through which the railroads
run ia this State.
Rut Notwithstanding this growth and
prosperity on the part of the people there
have been many years when the result
of tho operations OF the railroads nave
not permitted any dividends being PAID 10
their StCcknOlueTS. tut III PCi'ON - -
years prior TO June 1. 1898. no DIVIDENDS
were declared by the L. and N. Railroad
Company, and for a period Of five years
IN to q comparatively short time ago ali
eneuloyes of the L. and N. Railroad were
cor1pelIed to work under a reduction OF
wa.es from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, IN
order to keep that property going, anc
II has only been about two years ana q
half since their wages were restored.
The salaries and wages paid to rail-
road men in Alabama are higher and
greater than in many Of the States. and
there is not q State in the Union of an
eaual number of inhabitants, where the
TRANSFORMATION services are better than In
Alabama. There are now about Zo,UO
men employed by the railroads in this
state. and on the L. e. N. r. r. alone
there are $500 employees in Alabama to
whom is paid out annually three and
half millions of dollars. There Is no
species of property in Alabama that pays
out as great a per centage of Its gross
earnings for the cost of maintenance and
working the property as railroads,
For the year ending June 80. 1907 tine
nor centage of It's gross earnings, paid
ont bv the L. & N. r. r., for the cost
of maintenance and operating the road
amounted to over IS per cent. and just IN
nronortion as the l.. & N. and other ran
roads In Alabama have grown, 80 has
the State grown.
No Complaint Except from Mr. Com
er and Associates.
II is a singular fact that amidst all the