The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-27
RAILROAD WORLD.


 M M. Richey, division superintendent of the Southern Railway, Is in Mississippi on an inspection trip. He will probably be away from the city two or three days.
 J. w. Richardson, chief clerk to Sup erintendent Richey. of the Southern, has returned from the north after an ap- sence of ten days. MT. Richardson Vis- ited Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Paul, and remarked yesterday that the amount of bushes being done by the railroads continued to be immense.
 l.. M. Hill, superintendent of the dining car service of the Louisville and Nash vile. was in Birmingham yesterday.
 Sid Jones, district passenger agent of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, is handling the Elizabeth Kennedy con- pany's special car and will transfer it to Montgomery and other southern points on his division.
 w. F. Greaves. general freight agent for the Big Four, has returned to his office in the Woodward building after being absent for two weeks.
 Sam c. Porter. travelling freight agent for the Big Four. has returned to head quarters in Birmingham.
 The Memphis Commercial Appeal:
 ''The South unquestionably has the best of it." said President Fish, of the Illinois Central, to a Commercial Appeal reporter, before leaving the city yesterday evening.
 'The high prices the farmers are receiv- ing for their cotton and cotton seed, and the additional fact that they have no corn to buy this season makes the con dition of the Southern planter enviable.
 Recently I have travelled over a num- Der of states, going as far west as Cali fornia, but I am impressed by the fact that the south has the advantage of it's sister states this year on the value of Its products. This is not speculation, but facts. l know whereof I speak, and am frank to say that the conditioo of the farmers of the south this yesr is far better than that of the farmers Of other States. Hence. I do not see why the southern farmers should not realize high degree of prosperity, and, of course, as the farmers prosper, the merchants are benefited"
 Tt may not be generally known" con tinued President Fish, but it is true, nevertheless, that l am farmer, and my interests are far apart. am a farm CT In New York, and, as Is well known to the people of this section. am interested in a plantation in Mississippi. This fact, I think, entities me to discuss, in a limit ed way at least farming conditions as I have had occasion to observe them with in the past six weeks
 President Fish stated that the south should continue prosperous as long as the farmers received high prices for their products, and from present indications prices would not be lowered. This fact he attributed to the short crops raised in other sections of the country
 Speaking of the reign of prosperity and the likelihood of it's continuation, Presi- dent Fish said: "The few crashes that have occurred in the north will not affect the south, for the reasons before stated, 
 ting for their products and the ability to live well and keep their stock without the expense of buying feedstuff. That Wall street should have fiurries was not unexpected in view of the amount of over speculation and investments, but the south is in nowise affected by the trou- bles that recently have overtaken Wall street manipulatiors. Of course, I can not foretell what the future may have in store for the country generally, but see no cause at this time for the south to feel in any mood other than that of cheer fitness and hopefulness. The presidential election may affect hings, but to what extent cannot say"i
 The be-Democratl says:
 "The railways are about to present a united front to the labor unions. Already there is a move on fopt to reduce the pay rolls by 10 per cenS Such was the statement made today bs an executive of q leading western line. The plan at pres ent does not contemplated reduction in wages. it was said, but the working force is t, be reduced in every possible way.
 That an agreement has been entered into by the big railway systems was not denied. While there is no formal associa- ton. the undertaking is said to be definite