The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-04
WORK MUST COMMENCE
WITHIN FORTY DAYS
Many Prominent Railroad Men Are In
Attendance at the Session.. 3.
Conner Makes Important
Address.
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, April o.-(Special.)-At its
meeting today the Alabama Railroad
commission took up the question of fer
tlizer rates in Alabama, with view
OF readjustment, also decided to go into
whole question of rates in the state. Sew
eral witnesses were examined on the
question of the fertilizer charges and
adjournment was taken until tomorrow
when there will be others examined.
On motion of Commissioner Sanders
the Southern railway was ordered to
begin work on the union depot at Mo-
bile within forty days and 1t was de-
cided that the commission had no right
to order the Frisco to stop fast trains
at Glen Allen.
The Session.
The morning session of the commission
was called to order by President B. q.
Conner at II o'clock with the two asso-
ciates. Messrs Tunstall and Sanders
present. The papers IN all the cases be-
fore the commission were on hand, in
charge of Clerk Griffin, with two stem
ographers glance around the house
showed not only several railroad men,
of national renown, but number OF
politicians as well.
The first case called was that of the
town of Glen Allen VS. The Frisco rail-
road, which is an effort to have the fast
train stop there Inasmuch as there were
parties who wanted to talk on the sub
jectwho We're absent, the matter went
over to the afternoon.
The question of the protest of j. W.
Huger VS.. the Seaboard Air Line. or the
rate on fertilizer to Hurtsboro, was
called.
Mr.. Sanders moved that the whole cues
ton of rate regulation be entered into
This was finally agreed to by Mr.. Conner
who took occasion to remind Mr.. Sanders
that at the last meeting of the commits
sion he, Sanders. would not agree to go
into the matter of rates on live stock and
farm implements at this session because
there would not be time. when it would
certainly take more time tc go over the
whole list than the few outlined.
The Mobile depot question was called
and 1t was asked why the Southern had
been so backward about going to work
on 1t. f. o. Hoffman appeared for the
city of Mobile While waiting to hea.'
from General Superintendent J. S. B.
Thompson of the Southern on the subject
the matter went over Temporarily.
This brought the session down to the
consideration Of the fertilizer rates. and
ing address on the contentious outlined:
Corners Address.
Mr. Conner said:
Gentlemen of the Railroads.: Two
years ago l had the owner to present in
your presence to this commission an ex-
tensively signed petition for the adop-
tion of the Georgia freight rates In Ala
bama. At the time | cited numerous com
PARSONS of freight charges taken from
the local freight rates. of Iowa, Illinois,
Texas, North Carolina and Georgia. All
showed great discrimination against Ala
bama. so much so that 1t would seem
that the Alabama freight payer was
using cheaper currency Mexican or Con-
federate, with which to pay you the
freight on his product. The commission
at the instance of the railroads denied
the petition An appeal was taken from
the decision of this commission to the
people of the state.
1.-The issue as to whether the people
of Alabama was entitled to the same
classification of freight and the same adj
justment of rates as Georgia was clearly
defined. BY an overwhelming majority
the people decided that for Alabama to
pay higher rates than Georgia was dis
elimination and unjust So, gentlemen
instead OF having before you now a sign
ed petition, you have the vote of a people
the voice of a state. 1t is up to you. VIII
you remove the SllSiild Vi
against Alabama Will you turn state
down?
Public Kind to You.
~ will call your attention to the fact
that the public has been exceedingly kind
to you; we nave not only been liberal In
giving franchises. money and land to aid
you In constructing your roads; but we
have been exceedingly liberal in your
tax assessments we have allowed you TO
work your freight trains seven days in
the week, whereas Georgia and Carolina
require you to observe the Sabbath; we
have been liberal in giving your en-
ployes and representatives the highest Of
fetal positions of trust and power in the
state, and in. the largest measure, and
for many years allowed you to fix your
ment. That from these conditions the
state should should have In a measure
been Cubanized, Russianized and you to
an extent become autocrats, bureaucrats.
arbitrary and excessive, Is but natural
and from these conditions that the state
should have in a measure become alarmed
is also natural.
1T want to state to you that there Is
no revolution intended by the people;
nothing drastic or confscating. There
can be no danger to you in giving Ala
bama the same freight conditions and
rules of government as are given North
Carolina and Georgia; they have been
tried there many years and proven pros
porous to all
Alabama's Tonnage.