The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-05
|COMER PLEADS
 FOR NEW LAW Committee Considers Rail- road Measure. MET AT COUNCIL CHAMBER MT. Lusk Met Objections on a
 Favorable Report. Birmingham Man Sharply Criticised Present Railroad Commission
 Law and Answered Questions
 Propounded by Committee.

The House Committee on Commerce and Common Carriers, gave last night in the City Council chamber public hear ing on the Starr bill making the members of the Alabama Railroad Commission elective by the people and giving them amplified powers.
 At the hearing 1t was expected that friends and opponents of the measure would argue 1t pro and con. Only one speaker, however, addressed the commit te. and the hearing was adjourned until Friday night, when it Is hoped that the consideration of the bill will be completed
 Tho committees hearing last night was well attended. The seats outside the circle of desks in the Council Chamber were filled with Senators, Representa- lives. railroad attorneys. State leaders and other interested spectators.
 MT. Conner Principal Speaker.
 The speech of the evening was delivered by B. B. Conner. prominent business man of Birmingham. who is recognized as the leader of the forces that arc fight ing for an elective Railroad Commission
 MT. Conner spoke for two hours. He reviewed at length the arguments and reasons for a railroad commission with amplified powers. He took the position that the decadence of the agricultural counties in Alabama was due to the excessive freight rates charged by tho railroads. The farmer was the man who paid the freight. he declared. and the hope of Governor Jelks as expressed in his inaugural address, that the bright-eyed boys would be sent back to the farm would never be realized because there was nothing on the farms for them and there never would be as long as present railroad conditions in Alabama lasted.
 The meeting was called to order at 7:45 o'clock by Chairman George H. Par ker. who stated that the meeting had been called for the purpose of considering House bill 2l7, and that he was satisfied the members of the committee would be glad to hear arguments for and against the bill.
 Wanted Favorable Report.
 Representative Lusk of Marshall said that the contents of the bill were more or less familiar to the members as copies of it had been distributed and he there- fore moved that the bill be reported fa- vorably without discussion.
 Representative Thach of Limestone pro- tested against the motion. He had come, he said. to hear the contents of the bill read and discussed.
 Representative Callahan of Morgan said to report a bill which had never been read and of which the committee knew little was unheard of and unprecedented He was opposed to any such proceed ings any where and Tn any case
 Representative Joiner of Talladega sug- gested that MT. Lusk so amend his mo- ton as to allow each side an hour for the presentation of tis arguments
 The motion was combated by MT. Thach and MT. Callahan. MT. Callahan said that the motion contemplated the com- mittee's acting upon the bill that night to which he was opposed.
 Mir, Lusks motion was tabled on motion of Mir. Thach.
 Representative Goodwin of Montgomery suggested that the friends and opponents be allowed general latitude in the discus sion. which, if it was extended too long might be stopped by the committee at any time.
 For the benefit of the members the bill was read by Mir Thach, a member of the committee.
 MT. Conner Opens.
 B. B. Conner of Brmingharl opened the discussion for the friends of the bill. He was. he said. friend of the railroads, His farming interests his mill. and mer- cantile interests had brought him into direct contact with railroads, and he felt that he was familiar with freight rates.
 Alabama. he said. was the only State that did not control it's public franchises the only State that left it's people to the mercy of the man who makes the rates He reviewed the railroad legislation en- acted in other States.
 When a railroad" said MT. Conner Crosses the Georgia line and comes into Alabama it raises its rates from 60 to 1OC per cent. That statement has been often denied. but I propose to prove it.
 In support of his statement he read