The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-25

sign." am glad he used this term be- cause it opens up the thought that II ne was not the beneficiary. these irregular shipments must have been designed for some one's benefit. The question now Is, who was the beneficiary? of this you, at that time being his competitor ana being undersold in the flour market or Birmingham by Mir. B. B. Conner. was better able to judge than I am. And 1T you were not suffering by some irregu- larity why did you complain to Mir de- Funiak that Mir Conner was able to un- dersell you in the Birmingham -four mar ket2 In further confirmation that MT. Ccmer does not deny that these shipments from Mir. Hunters mill at Carter's Creek, Tenn, some twelve years ago, were not irregular, is borne out by the fact that ia a letter addressed to me by MT. Co., mer. dated Birmingham, March 1, 1904, he made use of the following:
 ''The entire correspondence in this mat ter was referred to Mir. deFuniak and of hts own knowledge he can say that had no interest or benefit from this trregu- lar shipment
 You will note that MT. 6eFuniak In second paragraph above makes full de- niai with reference to telegrams, in- voices and letters, and he advises me today over the long distance telephone that he can not say of his own kowledse that MT. Conner had no interest or ben eft from these irregular shipments. on the other hand he is inclined to believe that MT. Conner did have some pecuniary interest, either directly or indirectly. You will further note from MT. Co., mer's quotation of March 12th that he does not deny that the shipments In question were not irregular and his fail- ure to deny that the shipments were IT, | regular imputes knowledge to him or these manipulations at that time, ana | to any fair-minded man would indicate that he in some way was beneficiary | either directly or indirectly.
 Further, my information is that after the investigation instituted by the L. and N. Railroad had developed as far as pos sible the extent of the irregularities, the bill for undercharges was presented to MT. B. B. Conner. who instructed one of | his clerks to draw a check covering the amount, to wit, $129.s6 Our Mir. deFun- l iak received this check and turned same over to Mir J. S. Cox. the agent of the L. and N. Railroad at Birmingham. Do you mean to say that Mir Conner was | ignorant of the fact that his act in send ing MEAL SACKS from Birmingham to Carters Creek for the purpose of having
 FLOUR shipped to him in said MEAL SACKS, would not prob ably be the means of the ship per in Tennessee practicing deception
 on the Louisville and Nashville railroad | teven If Mir. Conner was not benficiary) | and thereby depriving it of $l29.S6 of reve-
 nue that it would otherwise legitimately 1 have collected. had these transactions | been straight? And further, if Mir. | Conner did not profit by that part he | played in this deception then in the name | of common justice. why did he insist on | sending these MEAL sacks back to Car ters Creek until they had made nine trips in this irregular traffic? And why | did he not stop the miller in Tennessee | from billing FLOUR to him and his mills
 as MEAL? making a saving of cents | per 100 pounds in rate as well as from
 to pounds per sack in weight upon
 which no freight was paid7
 | When 1t Is easier to do business
 straight and according to approved meth l ods, than 1t Is to practice manipulation 1 and deception when 1t does not profit a man, will you please explain to me the | motive or object business man has n | view when he Is a participant in irregular
 methods covering a period of some three months and a number of transactions | during that time?
 l On the second page of your letter you | say that Mir. Conner bought the flour at | a certain price delivered at Birmingham
 and that he had no interest in the freight | presume you mean to infer that ht | reaped no benefit from the irregularity | If so. I will ask you to please explain | to me how 1t is that YOU could buy floui
 as cheap as HE COULD AND YET HE WAS ABLE TO UNDERSELL YOU IN l THE BIRMINGHAM MARKET? And why did Mir. Conner, after receiving the l first car of FLOUR when the bill of lad | Ing called for MEAL return the MEAL | SACKS to Carter'5s Creek. Tenn. fol other, and yet other and other ship ments of FLOUR, covering period o several months, until the undercharge az l gregated $129. .S6?
 These. as I understand 1t. are the fact | in this case.
 If they are not. and if I have circu | lated anything that Is not correct shall | of course, take pleasure in making an!
 necessary correction. If I shall become l convinced that anything I have stated Il
 erroneous.
 can appreciate your position at tha
 time as a competitor of Mir. Conner anc
 can readily understand why you should
 have complained at the loss of portion
 of your flour trade occasioned by some | special prlVlleBe WHICH you OOAiS'SN A~ | Conner to be enjoying, in view of the fact | that ho was selling flour to your GUS | toners at a lower rate than the rate al
 which you could sell them.
 can also understand why, since you
 are now associated with him in business
 and since your political views are in ac'
 cord with hls, you would be inclined tc
 look with charity upon acts which at the
 time of the irregularities were against
 your interests. but which are now-tt
 say the least of it-just a little em-
 barassinE to a man who is running for
 the office of President of the Railroad | Commission. Yours truly,
 w. E. KNOX-1t