The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-16
Discuss the Popular Election of
Railroad Commissioners
NEW CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
Mr.. deFunIak Says That the Louisville
anu Nashville Railroad Has Been
\ Friend to Birmingham.
Rates Equitable.

ing or representa- ttVes from the Board OF
Trade, Grocers' Associations and business
men, held Monday night, were Capt.
Frank White. w. D. Wood. ]. q.
Davis. E. Wilkinson. NJ. Agee, R. e. Col
Inns J. Il. McCary, w. J. Rushton, Jr.,
II. II. Sinnige, T. H. Johnston, j. Fl.
Leath. William Redd. sibley King, NJ. c.
Reynolds and others.
The principal speakers were Capt. b.
s. White. J. H. Leath, H. H. sinnige and
p. Wilkinson.
The following are the members Of the
state campaign committee formed for the
purpose of forwarding the election of the
railroad commission by popular vote:
Capt FL ank S. White, chairman.
| FIRST Dstrict-W. A. Carter of Clarke.
Second District-Chester Luttrell of
Brewton. Charles Henderson of Pike.
Third DESTRUCTIVE. H. Malone of Dothan.
Fourth District-Mr. McElroy of ITALIA
dega. Mr.. Sprowell Of Admission. Sixth
Dietriot-R. A. White OF Newberne.
Seventh District-R. B. Kyle of Gadsden.
Eighth District-R- E. Pettus of Hunts
vile, A. D. Bellamy of Florence. Ninth
6istrict-Judge w. il. Tayloe OF Union
town, E. Wilkinson, H. w. Beck and
Sibley King of Jefferson.
1t is stated that a meeting of the state
campaign committee will BE- called at an
early date for the purpose OF considering
further and more perfect organization.
and to outline more fully the line of
campaign in the coming election.
Captain White Talks.
campaign against the present method of
selecting the Alabama Railroad Com
mission, and chairman of the state cam
paign committee organized to carry on
this contest, when seen yesterday after
noon in his office. expressed himself as
confident of success.
Il feel positive" said Captain White,
that we shall win in our contention for
the election instead Of appointment of
the Railroad Commission. This is a ques-
tion In which every citizen of Alabama
is, and should be, vitality interested. 1t
is a measure that appeals directly to
every resident of the state. and it is for
US to decide now whether we, the people,
are to rule in Alabama, whether ].
Pierpont Morgan is to work out our des-
|
tie to a finish. As L stated before, / feel
confident of success in the coming cleo
ton. but If we fail. we shall take up the
\ fight with renewed vigor and determine
ton. until in the course of time, our eff
forts will be rewarded with success. We
have besides a central state campaign
committee committees in every Con-
gressional district in the state. These
district committees are organizing sub
committees. The issue will be kept act
| lively before the people, and every can
didate for the Legislature will be re-
quired to take his stand on one side or
the other. The line is clearly and dis
tinctly drawn, and every candidate must
| take his position / expect to make many
speeches throughout the state later, and
we shall have other speakers who will
present this question to the voters of the
state
| Mr.. deFuniak's Views.
! General Agent Z. A deFuniak of the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad, when
asked last night regarding the present
move to elect the railroad commission in
Alabama. and regarding the action of the
joint conference between the different
commercial associations Monday night
| looking to the furtherance of this agita-
ton throughout the state, said:
IT can hardly see what 1t is those fav-
cring this movement desire You UNDER
sta nd that this is a matter in which my
department has no concern, as it is a
subject solely for the legal department to
handle, and l therefore look at the mat
ter with the same eyes that an outsider
! would. But it does seem to me that those
advocating this change of system have
not properly studied the question, or else.
| for the time being, are led astray by the
enthusiasm of a few of the leaders of
| the movement. In the first place. rail-
roed commission selected after the man
ner desired by these leaders, empowered
by thu necessary legislation to fix
freight rates would only have the au-
thority to name a rate on commodities
shipped from one point II. Alabama to
another Joint In Alabema- 1t has always
been the policy of the Louisville and
| Ne shville Railroad to favor distributing
points. Ely distributing points l mean a
POINT where gccds are concentrated and
reshipped within the territtry allotted to
/
this particular Point.
! For instance, we will imagine a ship
| ment of flour from Louisville, KY, to
! Birmingham, Ala, and we will say the
| rate is 40 cents a hundred. And then
| we will suppose shipment of flour from
| Louisville to Cullman, and we will make
| the rate 60 cents a hundred. To a person
! first looking at the matter, it might seem
a little unjust to ship goods through
| Cullman to a point beyond at lower
rate than this same consignment could
be delivered at Cullman But this is done
| to put the Birmingham dealer on a parity
with the Louisville dealer. The Birming-
ham shipper sells his flour in Cullman
adds the 40 cents rate from Louisville to
| Birmingham and the 20 cent rate from
Birmingham to Cullman, making a total
of 50 cents a hundred. the same rate that
the Cullman merchant would pay if
shipped direct from Louisville. And this
rate of 60 cents from Louisville an Ala
bama railroad commission would have no
power to change, for this is a matter that
would come soley under the Interstate
commerce law.
Power of Commission,
but an Alabama railroad commission
would have the power to say to the
Birmin sham shipper thar yen 81 al. not
Charge more than 10 cents per hundred
to Cullman. making the rate from Louis
Vile so cents instead of 60 cents per hun
in the least. for It would be the natural