The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-27


bama, Mobile and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Company, Central of, Georgia Railway
Compsny and Southern Railway Conf
pany with respect to the adjustment OF
local Height rates en- the several lines
In the State Of Alabama A very full
and patient hearing was given TO the
complaints. as well as to the answer OF
the several railroads by the Commercial
Club, and a decision was reached by said
body to the effect that the showing
made by the several railroads was en-
tirely satisfactory, and that no just cause
Of complaint existed. The statement of
these traffic managers was put in print
and circulated generally among the bust
ness men of the State of Alabama.
Same Matter Before Constitutional
Convention and Hepudiated
by It.
Afterws rds when the Constitutional
ConveI ton was about to convene, peti-
tioRs were sent out from Birmingham
and industrtously circulated throughout
the State, asking that they be signed and
sent to the Constitutional Convention,
praying that the Railroad Commission
be made IA constitutional office, with
power to make freight rates and that The
Commission might he made elective, etc.
tutional Convention. and attorneys rep
resenting Mr.. Conner and his associates
argued the matter very thoroughly be-
fore a committee Of the Constitutional
Ccny ention, and individual members, but
the convention in its wisdom did not see
1t as Mr.. Conner did, and did not take
the action prayed for, and now the fight
Is to be again renewed in the present
campaign.
Same Matter Before State CONNER
cial and Industrial Association
at Gadsden and Repudiated by
a Vote of Two to One.
Not content with waging this warfare
before every Legislature for the past
twelve years, before the Constitutional
Convention. and before numerous local
organizations throughout the State,
Messrs. Conner, White, and others made a
strenuous effort to induce the CONNER
cial organizations of the State, in con-
vention assembled at Gadsden, on July
9th and 10th instant, to pass a resolution
on this same thread-bare subject. The
State organization, however, repudiated
the efforts of these patriotic ~ gentle
men by vote of 26 to Is.
Notwithstanding the fact that this fight
has been waged for so many years by
these geneltmen and has recently been
renewed with much vigor believing that
these gentlemen, If left alone, would vio-
late every pledge of the Democratic par
ty heretofore made, unless the attention
of the people was again called to their
| action, as a trusted agent of the Louis
vile and Nashville Railroad Company,
and representing an investment of many
millions Of dollars, l could not do other
| wise than accept the gauge of battle
rendered. and appeal to the people for
protection. This have done, and have
no apology to make therefor.
Commissioners are Not Paid by
Railroads.
Notwithstanding this action, these gen.
| tlemen have had the temerity- to accuse
ME of declaring political warfare upon
| the patrons of the oompany"-the. mer-
| chants manufacturers and farmers of
Alabama. But this is not all--thoy have
industriously tried to CREATE THE M
| PRESTON AMONG THE PEOPLE OF
| ALABAMA THAT THE RAILROAD
| COMMISSIONERS WERE IN THE PAY
OF THE SEVERAL RAILROADS of the
State. and this in the face of Section
1856 of the Code of Alabama, which is as
| follows, towit:
34S6.-Salaries; Clerk and His Salary;
| Expenses.-The President of such Com
| mission shall receive a salary of thirty
| five hundrd dollars per annum, and the
| associate commissioners shall each re-
ceive a salary of three Thousand dollars
| per annum; and they may employ clerk
at a salary not exceeding fifteen hundred
dollars per annum: such salaries to be
paid as the salaries OF State officers are
paid. All money paid out under the pro-
visions of this chapter, including such
sum as may be necessary to procure Of
| fee furniture and stationery, and to
on warrants drawn by the auditor on the
| treasurer; but such office expenses shall
not exceed five hundred dollars per an
mum.
Yet notwithstanding this statute which
has been in existence since the Commits
sion was created, some people have been
made to believe that at the end of each
month the Commiss oners would go to
| the several railroads and draw their sal
aries, just as the employees of the rail-
roads do, and that they are, in fact, the
employees of the railroads. and not State
officers,
1t is a fact that under Section 34S9 of
| the Code every person or corpora ton
| operating a railroad in this State must
annually. at the time of returning its
| property for taxation, make a return Of
| the gross earnings of such railroad dur
| ing the preceding year, in this State, and
| the State Auditor must then ascertain
| what percentage of the aggregate of
| gross earnings thus returned or assessed
| will be sufficient to pay the expense of
| the Railroad Commission authorized by
| law, and assess a LICENSE TAX against
every railroad for the amount of such
percentage of its gross earnings; and the
person or corporation operating any such
| railroad shall pay the tax so assessed
against it to the State Treasurer on or
before the first day of June of each year.
| 1t is further provided in said Section
34s9 that upon the production of the
| State Treasurer's receipt for such TAX,
| and satisfactory evidence that the per-
son or corporation paying the same Is
prepared to transport freight and pas
sengers with reasonable safety over such
| railroad. the Auditor shall issue to such
| person or corporation a license to ope-
rate such railroad for one year; and any
person or corporation, operating a railroad
| in this State without such license. shall
forfeit one hundred dollars for each day
while so engaged, one-half to any person
suing for the same and the other half to
| the State"
| It will thus be seen that there is a
license tax imposed upon the railroads,
payable to the State Treasurer. as other
licenses and taxes are paid. These gem
tlemen will hardly contend that If the
railroads would be relieved of the pay
ment of license tax for doing business
| in Alabama
When men have a just cause. it is not
usual for them tc resort to such methods
| as this. The facts are that the railroads
have submitted to and obeyed the de-
cisiors of the Railroad Commission of
Alabama, Just as they have submitted to
| - aka,,ad the decisions Of the courts