The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-03
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
WEI Be Retarded by the Selection of an Extremist on the Com
 mission,

Louisville, Ky. March 21 1904. Prof P. L. Hobbs, Cleveland, O.:
 My Dear Professor-In your letter of last month you advised me as follows:
 T spent the day with MT. Everett yes- terday. and went into the cement matter extensively. I am glad to say he has not lost his interest, and he also said it Is M-. Wade's intention to give attention as soon as he returns from Europe, and the canal question is settled"
 I understand there iC now no doubt of the canal being built. and work will shortly begin. I would like very much to see the cement mill at Sparta under operation. I hope you can give me fa- vorable and inside information as to what is to be done. and when.
 Yours very truly,
 (Signed) c. A, Park.
 Cleveland. O., March 24, 1904. Mir. c. A. Park. Louisville Ky:
 Dear Sir-In reply to your inquiry re- Rarding the prospect of the Cement h. dustry in Alabama, with which I have been connected. I can only say that tte plant will ship approximately 2,OO0 bar- rels per day, or about 20 cars, and will emploN about $50 men in the works There Is one thing which We have been noticing and which I would like some in- formation regarding. and that is the ag-
 
 rates. and especially the interstate rates. which are the only ones which affect us much. When we purchased our property in Alabama, We had no idea that there would be any tampering with the inter state rates, and that 1t was firmly fixed. and the one thing that we could be sure of, but I see from recent publications that that Is not so.
 Will you please inform me as to what extent the views of Mir. B. B. Conner. who has been so active in this movement are accepted by the general public as we are little interested in the rates In the State itself, as they do not aftect us put put to a minor degree? In fact. 1t IS only pe efrect upon the outside shipments wmcn are of any importance whatever. as they are, by far. the great bulk or the SNlp- ping business. e ,,. that the people of your great State of Alabama would accede al all to the views of a man who IS seekhg al, office of that quasi-judicial posllloh or President of its Railroad Commission, an'1 -resi,dges the merits of the case hn,ora haarinp the entire testimony, and onothar matter which Is of great sur nr,sa to IFS. is that the good people of tbo State do not realize the tremendous fcctor of prosperity that the railroads are in building up the communities with which they come in contact. The entire success of a locality. such as you have there depends upon the railroads and thev are as much interested in estab- fishing industries along their lines and fostering them, as the people can pos sibly be who locate within their terri tory If the local rates are reduced. will not the loss be attached to the interstate rates over which the State politicians have no control whatever. and if so, will not the interstate shipper simply add this to hls commodity as far as he can. and vii! not the burden of this fall on the consumer in the State of Alabama, for here he can be assured of no competition as far as rates go, and thus the people Of the State will eventually bear the burden entirely; but aside from this. we ara extremely sorry to see the matter presented in this light and for political pun poses solely, and an interest of this l paramount importance to the State should bn ramoved hayond the realm of politics