The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-05
SOME HOT WORDS
 OVER GRAIN RATES Railroad Commission Hears Rather Warm Arguments COMER GREW VEHEMENT Shook His Finger at Railroad Official and Declared He Would Stand No
 "RuIIyins"-Hearing Post
 poned Until June 16.
COMER GREW VEHEMENT

Montgomery, May 4-(Speeial )-Possi- bly, not in the history of Montgomery have more prominent railroad officials gathered in the city than were here today to represent the various lines in the state, before the railroad commission Tn hearing the complaint of shippers of grain and hay against the various roads. Every road that enters the state had one or more representatives.
 The commission had asked the traffic managers to meet the complainants in order that both sides could be heard. The eomplainants generally asked for the establishment of the Georgia rate which, they assert, is much less than the Ala bama rate. The hearing was had in the hall of the house of representatives and there were about thirty prominent rail- road men present.
 The Various Representatives.
 The Louisville and Nashville railroad was represented by First vice-President Walker L. Hines, c. B. Compton, general traffic manager; F. c. Shepard, general freight agent; J. M. Falkner, district at torney; George w. Jones, assistant dis trict attorney; B. M. Stark, division su- perintendent, and O. P. Bartlett, chief clerk to the general freight agent.
 The Southern railway was represented by Fourth ce-President J. M. Culp, General Traffic Manager T. c. Powell, General Freight Agent E. A. Nell, and Division Freight Agent George R. Brow der of Birmingham.
 For the Atlantic Coast Line were Vice President T. M. Emerson, Traffic Manager H. M. Emerson, General Freight Agent James Mengus and District Attorney A. A. Wiley
 President c. A. Wickersham, General Traffic Manager R. E. Lutz and General Agent G. B. Tyler were present for the Western of Alabama.
 Traffic Manager A. Pope and District Attorney R. E. Steiner appeared for the Seaboard.
 l.. Seviere, traffic manager, was pres- ent for the Alabama Great Southern, and President James G. Moore for the Birmingham Southern.
 For the Mobile and Ohio were J. T. Poe, general traffic manager, J. M. Devy- ven, assistant general freight agent and Charles P. Jackson, general agent.
 For the Frisco system Messrs. Voorhees, and Echols were present.
 There were also number of local agents present.
 The complainants were represented by Frank s. White, B. B. Conner of Bir- mingham; G. T. McEldery of Talladega, and Colonel Henderson of Troy.
 There was full attendance of the com mission, and they gave close attention to the arguments.
 Hearing Begins. The commission disposed of several minor cases before taking up the case of the rates on grain and hay charged in Alabama. President Smith explained that during the past two years, numerous complaints had come before the conn mission of excessive rates on grain and hay and grain products. These complaints had all been merged into one. and 1t was to hear this case that the traffic man agers had been invited to appear before the commission. He said the commission would hear arguments on the question as to whether rates charged on these products were reasonable or not. He in- vited any complainant to appear before the commission.
 B. B. Conner of Birmingham asked to be heard. He said that he mad not come especially to discuss the rates on grain and hay, but that he had numerous pe- titions to submit on freight rates charged in Alabama generally. President Smith said that these petitions were not yet before the commission, and as the traffic managers had only been cited to appear in the grain and hay case, that discus sions would at this meeting be confined to the one case. The complainants were given the opening and close. MT. Conner began his speech by picturing the de- terioration of many farms in Alabama A1.1 -tt. fo.. farms to make prosperous railroads. He then took up reports of the Alabama ana Georgia commissions and compared them in size, and went into discussion of the rates charged in the two states In Geor- gia the railroads, he said, had been classified by the commission, and each class could charge but a single rate. This was right and fair. In Alabama there is no such classification.
 Commissioner Sanders asked MT. Co., mer if he had any statistics showing the comparative tonnage in Georgia and in Alabama MT. Conner said he did and that this was one of the main points for consideration by the commission. The tonnage in Georgia, he said, was greater but the rates one-half those charged in Alabama. He said that the rates on the Western railroad were doubled when the line crossed from Georgia into Alabama at West Point. Give me half the rate now charged in Alabama" said MT. Co., mer, and I will build up the tonnage" MT. Conner spoke on rates generally for about thirty minutes.
 MT. McEldery Speaks.
 G. T. McEldery of Taladega. a large planter and prominent business man. next addressed the commission, and his talk was rather salty. After making com parison of through rates and rates be- tween local towns. he told the railroad men, with considerable feeling, that the people of Alabama had driven the carpet baggers out of the state, though they were backed by federal bayonets. because these carpet-baggers were dsregarding the laws of the state. 'I am here to tell you, gentlemen. that we absolutely know no limit which we will not dare go to have our laws obeyed."
 MT McEldery told the commission that he had been compelled to leave his magni- ficent farm because of excessive rates charged on grain and hay. He told them of an experience in making rates with