The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-18
IR,R. COMMISSIONERS HOLD LAST SESSION Officers Elected and Next Meetss
 ing Place Selected MILLS CHOSEN PRESIDENT John V. Smith of Alabama, Retiring President, Made Splendid Speech.
 Resolutions of Thanks
 Were Adopted.
MILLS CHOSEN PRESIDENT

1He SlAIeenln d1Hudl AuCNAAho oA tta@ National Association of Railroad com missioners which has been in session in Birmingham since Tuesday morning. has come to an end.
 The last session was held yesterday morning, adjourning shortly after Il o'clock Yesterday afternoon the del- egates and visitors left on their special train for Montgomery. The train ar rived there about 5:So o'clock and it left about 11so o'clock. The destination of the party is Mexico
 One paper was read before the asso- ciation yesterday morning and officers were elected It was decided to hold the seventeenth annual meeting at Dead wood, s. D., on August 15, 1905 From that point a trip will be made which will include visit to Portland, Oregon.
 The last session was called to order yesterday morning about 9;S5 o'clock by President Smith. The following resolu- tion was offered by MT. Smith and 1t was adopted:
 'Resolved, that the committee on clas- slflcation and operating and construction expenses of steam railways be and the same Is hereby abolished by this associa- tion and in lieu thereof committee be appointed upon the subject of powers and duties of railway commissions of the several states and the work of said com mIssioners during each current year. said committee to be composed of seven members"
 aG N4efNAHo
 The following was the result of the election:
 President, Ira B. Mills of Minnesota.
 First vice president, James F. Neville of Illinois.
 Second vice president, W. c. Smith of South Dakota.
 Secretary. Edward A. Moseley of Wash ington, D. O.
 Assistant secretary, Martin s. Decker of Washington.
 After voting resolutions of thanks to the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company; the mayor and alder men of Birmingham; the Birmingham press; the Country club; Virgil c. Grif- fin. secretary of the Alabama Railroad COInIllSSlOn anu ItliAlhS PANSANNA@N N@A~--s-- the convention adjourned.
 Rate Making.
 The report of the committee on rates and rate making was as follows:
 The committee on rates and rate-making appointed by the president of the asso- citation for the current year, have the honor to submit the following report:
 To those interested in transportation matters, and nearly every renectlng as well as business person in the country is, nothing Is more striking than the uni versal advance in freight rates which has taken place gradually during the past two or three years. Various causes are as- signed for this upward tendency in the cost of freight service, but 1t may be difficult to designate any single fact, or set of facts, as the real reason for the advances which have been made. The re- suits of these advances appear in the increased net earnings of the railroads of the country and the consequent greater value of their unstable securities. This advance in the rates of transportation was not expected by the shipping public, and there was in the course of events, so Tar as the general public could judge, no req son why these rates should have been advanced We do not mean to say that be- cause justification for the advance or rates dlQ not appear upOn thC odAA AoSc there was no reason for some advance.
 Those In control of the great railway systems of the country, among whom are some of the foremost and most experi- enced citizens of our land, may have been of opinion from their greater source of information and from their experience that there should have been an advance in rates, but the railway managers and officials had led the public to expect that the roads in this country could be op- erated for many years without the neces- sity for advancing the rates of transpor- tation. It is pointed out in the last report of the interstate commerce commission that, few years ago. when by combina- tions, connection arrangements and in- terchanging ownership of stock, the great trunk line systems of the country were in course of formation, the prominent rail- road owners and managers, who were then bringing about a consummation of their purposes, gave 1t as their opinion that the cost of operation would be greatly re- duced, and the purpose was to lower rates to prevent an advance As the interstate commerce commission in it's report truly says. Recent history belies this pre- diction."
 Local Hates.
 This general advance in freight rates over the great trunk lines of the country has of necessity brought about d gradual advance in the local rates. which came more directly under the observation, su- pervision and authority of the members of this association. And 1t has doubtless been the experiences of the members of this association that the local freight rates have been advanced in various ways In those states in which under au-
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