The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-13

taken to elect sufs1cieut number Of the
members of the rexr legislature t. pa 8
a law Pc mitt ng the election of the r~il-
road commits sioners by the peoplt, mi
giving them unlimited power IN the reg
ulation of the railroads in the state.
Birmingham Is the & eatest railroad Gen.
ter In the State. and to them Is Birmirg
wonderful development.
A short time since Mr.. D. n. Conner.
tho leader of the egitation, made som :
statements concerning railroad rates and
set forth many reasons why the com
missioners should he el;cted by the peo-
pie and given absolute control over the
railroads. To these charges and allega-
lions Col. J. NJ. Falkner, district attorney
for the Louisville and Nashville railroad
for Alabama. has made NEST exhaus-
tive reply. showing the failacy of M.
Corners argument. 1t has been charged
,and believed by many that the commi =
sioEers were paid by the railroads. Col.
Faikner refers to section 1886 of the Code
Of Alabama, which provides that they
shall be paid as are ether STATE officers
The agitation of this question can only
do harm to the state and Fesult In no
good to the people. The legislature is
to protect the people from oppression by
the railroads and keep them within the
bounds of reason.
The Reaper, Sheffield. Ala.
More rail- Dads end less commission
will be more beneficial to the state.
A thoroughbred Democrat is opposed to
government meddling with private af-
fairs. There are mighty few thorough
breds nowadays.
RAILROAD COMMISSION.
Mr.. DeFuniaks View Upon Election BY
the People.
The Daily Regleter, Mobile, Ala.
General Agent E. A. DeFuniak. Of the
Louis vile and Nashville railroad In dis
cussing the movement to select railroad
commits sioners instead of appointing
them. said to a Birmingham Age-Herald
reporter:
81 can hardly see what 1t is those IA
voring this movement desire. You I'M
derstand that this Is a matter in which
my department has no concern. as it is
subject solely for the legal department
to handle, ard / therefore look at the
matter with the same eyes that an out
slider would. But 1t does seem to me that
those advocating this change of system
have not properly studied the question.
or else for the time being, are lead
astray by the enthusiasm of a few of the
leaders of the movement. In the first
place. a railroad commissiCn selected af-
ter the manner desired by these leaders,
empowered by the necessary legislation
to fix freight rates, would only have the
authority to name a rate on commodities
shipped from one point in Alabama to
another point in Alabama. 1t has always
been the policy of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad to favor distributing
n. IA. %frEc
poin. where goods are concentrated and
reshipped within the territory allotted to
this particular point.
For instance. We will lima CINE a ship
ment of -four from Lou svisville. KY. to
Birmingham, Ala, ani We will say the
rate is 40 cents per hundred. And then
we will sur pose n shipment of flour f'om
Louisville to Cu.ln =, and we will make
the rate 50 cents a bund ed. To person
first looking at the matter it might seem
q little unjust to ship goods throug 4
Cullman to a point beyond at lower
rate than this same consignment couli
be delivered at Culman. But this IL
done to put the Brmi CHAM dealc: on a
parity with the Louisville dealer. The
Birmingham shipper sells his -four in
CulIman adds the 10 cents rate from
Louis lille to Birmneh I'm, and the q
cent rate from Birmingham to Cullman,
making total of 81 cents a hundred, the
same tate that the Cu'lman mere ant
would pay If shipped rect from l. uis-
vile. And this rate Of 60 cents from
Louisville the Alabama Railroad Com
nission would have no power to change.
for this is a matter that would come
solely under the inter; tate commerce law
But an Alabama Railroad Commission
would have the power to say to the Bir-
minsham shipper that you sh1ll not
charge more than 10 cents per hundred
| to Cullman making the rate from Louis
VILE 50 cents instead of &C cents per hun
cred, but this would not remedy matters
in the least. for II would be the natural
sequence for the railro ad company to in
ci esse the rate from Louisville to Bir-
nil CHAM 10 cents, the, eby bringing the
total rate back to 60 cents. 1t would
s IMPLY be cutting it off from one end and
adding 1t to the ether. Railroad rates
are fixed entirely by conditions. The law
of supply and demand govern them to
large extent The present system of
rates has been arrived at by years Of
tguIirg. experiment ami experience. and
| do not believe they could be improved
upor by the election of successful lnM-
me-, who might aspire to the position Of
railroad commissioners"
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
The Hancevlle Hustler. Hancevill4, Ala
The election by popular vote of the
Railroad Comm issionehs In this State
would lie an infringement of the rights
of property and ought to be opposed by
every man who ha- the greater develop
ment of the State at heart. bee Use 1t
would certainly debar the immediate
building of new roads in Alabama. FIR
the simple reason that the owners of any
property will not expand or increase a
business II they are not assured of the
control of their property or business
AMI the furtne- 60 lcedei 'ac tn I /.
the people make the selection it is pos l.
BILE that demasogues and incompetent
ana narrow. unjust men, who would both
excite and pander to pop1lsr p 'ejudce
to the injury of the wise. just manage
ment of Ia l. Dad int est would be
elected.
Tbs is no reflection on the lteil ge e,
of the people. The people do MT
tent to kno + everything.
There are thousands of men who are
mentally Competent who. could not he
section foreman for lack of training and
attention to that line of business 1t l.,
no reflection on his INTEL gence to say
that a man cannot do this or that well
If he has never been trained to the spa
cited business. The people have not been
trained to judge a mans fitness fo- a
Gpe oiffc business pnsiti n.
An tier reason the people are unpre
ptred--(not unfD-to select the Railroad
Commissioners arises from the fact that
PERSONAL and local int as G amDloV thnn