The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-23

bv the odd Fellows and knights of Pyth-
las lodges in the city. The association
win issue bonds to the amount of about
$4,000 to secure funds for this purpose
1t Is expected that work on the building
will begin in the early summer.
The joint committees from the Odd
Fellows and the knights of Pythias
s~-s%S s>@a-s-e-4ss-ee -<s-&~<%~4-%-t1 ..
mission and the former practice of gov
ernors appointing men to the commission
for political reasons. He referred to the
fact that Colonel Tunstall had two sons
who were railroad attorneys and that
Commissioner Sanders had also been
railroad attorney He then went into the
matter of the railroads dominating state
affairs and as evidence produced copy
of the Age Herald of January Is, 1903, in
which appeared a page OF cartoons by
Blackman on the legislators. In one cor
nor Of the mage was earicature of
George Jones. attorney for the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad company and in
one hand he held bunch of passes and
in the other bunch of wires. lie IS
the man who pulls the wires, gentlemen.
said Mr.. Conner. The paper here Is the
proof. 1t is the leading paper OF Biz
mngham, the leading city or the state
and it must be So This lnclueht eauseu
considerable laughter as Mr.. Conner shooK
the paper In the face OF the reportels, :.
Mr. Conner concluded by saying that to
annoint railroad men on the commission
made 1t a prejudiced jury, and that Mr..
Smith had no right to accuse MN Oh
being prejudiced in the face of these
facts.
Mr.. Smith introduced.
NJ. smith was then introduced by
Chairman Kettig and began his argument
nv telling a funny story about the red
headed boy and the red devil
Mr.. Sooner had made the remark that
the only cheap freight hauled by the
railroads was politicians and that there
was more dead-head freight in Alabama
than any state in the union. MI. smith
began by refuting this statement, pue
said 1t might be true as Mr.. Conner was
ranidlv becoming one of the leading poll
ticians of the state.
Mr.. Smith then took up the circular IN
dispute which he referred to as the
eighty per cent circular and held MI
Conner to 1t Notwithstanding his denial.
He said the words of the circular were
too plain to admit of a mistake and that
it had done him, the railroad commission
and the people a great injustice. lie
then went in to the law of the subject and
showed That lHt tbiilbiioSioH bNiNt1 W
ting the rates must allow the railroads
reasonable compensation for services. He
then quoted at length from the case of
Smith VS.. Aymes and produced some fig
ures to show the respective earnings Of
the railroads and why the rates could not
be cut 40 per cent at one slash.
The speaker then referred to his record
as a member of the Association of Rail-
road Commissioners, of which he hap
pened to be president. He told the peo-
pie of Birmingham that this body of men,
which is composed of representative men
from all parts of the United tSates, had
accepted an invitation to meet next in
Birmingham. 1t met in Portland, Me-,
last year.
Mr.. Smith then presented his arguments,
showing how much cheaper the necessi-
| ties of lie could be shipped to consumers
at points in Alabama than in Georgia.
"Ex-Mero Motu" Matter.
| He then explained the Eek nero Motu
matter and said Mr.. Conner, notwith-
standing his fun out of it, had never been
able to get over the fact that the COM
mission had brought about these reduc-
lions of its own voltion and not on the
request or demand of Mr.. Conner He
said that while Mr. Tunstall may have
two sons who were railroad attorneys,
Mr.. Conner had brother who was attor-
ney for the Central of Georgia Railroad
company, and that he was actively sup
porting Mr.. Conner. He then answered
the attack on George Jones, and SAID
that notwithstanding the fact that he
was fighting the railroad commission bill
in the legislature 1t was passed NOW
does that show that the railroads domi-
rated the legislature" asked Mr.. smith
"Mr Conner says that the commission is
preiudiced in favor of the railroads. said
Mr. Smith. Now | want to ask you one
thing in all fairness Do you think Mr.
Conner would not be a prejudiced man on
the commission. Has he not already said
what he would do to the railroads? He
is the champi n of a certain faction In
the democratic party-the wholesale
grocers l have the greatest respect Tor
those men, but l am not the nominee Oh
any faction, but am striving to be the
candidate of the whole people-the con-
sumner as well as the wholesaler; the la
borer as well as the employer
other Questions.
Mr. Smith said there were other ques-
lions for the railroad commission to pass
on besides the mere question OF rates.
The commissioners had to look out FOR the
comfort of the public in erecting new
depots, putting on special trains ana
other similar matters. lnle, ne saiu NV
commission had done to the best OF It's
ability.
He said that he had asked railroad OF
fetal what would be done II the local
rates were cut and he would not answer.
He said the commission had to see that
such a cut was not made that would
cause the rates to be raised on the coal
and iron in this district. and one tnat
would not force the railroads 10 cut inc
wages of the employees.
He concluded by saying thatthe would
favor cut when 1t could be equitably
done and in accord with the law so as 70
protect the wage Garner and the shipper
as well as the railroads.
Concluding Remarks.
Mr.. Conner concluded In thirty minutes.
He scoffed at Mr.. Smiths statement about
the rates to the consumer being as cheap
in Alabama as In Georgia. Did you
know" he asked of Mr.. Smith, that the
rate on cotton goods from Birmingham
to South Alabama was GO cents when 1t
is only Sc cents to New York? Did you
know that the rate from Memphis to Bir-
mingham Is 16 cents and from Memphis
to Sheffield through Birmingham was
only 16 cents? Did you know that the
RAJ. from Nashville to Birmingham and
Montgomery on certain articles was l3
cents when the rate on the same arti-
cles to Pensacola was only cents? Did
you know that the rate on cotton from
Birmingham to Conner was "a cents when
it is only Sc cents to New York? These
rapid questions brought forth applause