The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-06
Whole Schedule Of Freight Rates
in Alabama VIII Be lnVes-
tigated BY Commission
DECISION WAS REACHED
BUT Mr. Conner PROTESTED
President Smith Asks If L. & NJ. Is
Not Trying to Build Up the
State While Conner Tries
to Tear Down.
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.
Montgomery. April 5.-(special)-over
the protest of President Conner the Ala
bama railroad commission this afternoon
decided to enter at once into an investi-
CATION of the whole schedule of freight
rates in me state.
This followed the statement made by
President Milton II. Smith before the com
mission who said that Mr.. Conner seemed
to have established himself not only at the
head of the commission, but prosecuting
attorney and complainant as WELL
He also said that Mr.. Conner seemed to
want to stir up strife between the people
ana the railroads. The motion to go at
once into the whole schedule was made
by Commissioner Sanders. President Co
mer said he was not prepared to go fur
ther than the fertilizer rates. lie was
tired, and the state had no attorney at
hand. He woula hire an attorney If given
until tomorrow.
The motion prevailed. however, and the
whole rate question was taken up tonight.
the first witness being Traffic Manager
Emmerson of the Coast Line President
Conner asked the governor to furnish an
attorney for the commission. but was told
that there was no way to provide such.
Mr. Emmerson said his company could not
agree on a reduction unless the loss on
one commodity be made up by additions
to another simply a shifting of the bur-
den, he said.
Mr.. Emmerson said he hoped the com
mission would finish with him. Mr.. CO.
mer said he would agree with the COM
mission to put in the Georgia classification
and standard at once. and then agree with
tie roads as to what STANDARD is 10 be
applied to each. This was not put to
vote. Mr.. Emmerson said on all business
in and out and throughout the state the
Coast Line did not earn over per cent.
Mr. Emmerson closed by saying that his
road could accept no reductions. The
meeting then closed until 10 o'clock to-
morrow.
Smith the Star Witness.
The star witness of the day befof~ the
Alabama railroad commission was Pres
ident Milton H. Smith of the Louisville
and Nashville railroad. This was fact
not because Mr.. Smith was In the least
sensational but for the reason he was
shown the most careful respect and given
the most undivided hearing. There was
absolute silence in the room from the
time he began to speak until he sat
down and every man tried to hear all
he had to say. He spoke in rather
halting voice and weighed his words
carefully before letting them out. Two
stenographers took notes of his address
and the talk of President Conner which
IL ELECTED in order that it may all be
preserved in the records of the commits
sion.
f1,a nd it1Cf saff
the noon lunch hour and was there some
thing like an hour. He went way back
to the time the Louisville and Nashville
acquired the South and North railroad
and told of the difficulties and cost of
making it a profitable line He came on
down to the development of the Birming
ham district and told of the aid extended
there In setting in dustries on their feet
and fostering them. The efforts of the
system In building not only the main
line but the many branch lines of the
district were revived ad the help ex-
tended many purely agricultural lines
in different sections of the state In fact
the speaker gave a detailed history of
the development of the system over
which he presldes from the time it enter
ed the state until now, and went very
carefully into an elaboration of what had
been done for the people of the state
il helping to build the whole common
wealth up into growing country.
Helped the Farms.
Besides the mineral section Mr.. Smith
spoke of the building OF lines in the
southern section to help develop the
lands from which the timber had been
cut and reviewed what had been done to
encourage the growing of fruits and veg
etables. along with strawberries. He said
that he had always been a friend of the
people of the state, and asked President
Conner who was doing the most for the
people of the state, the Louisville and
Nashville railroad. which is working to
build it up, or the president of the COM
mission. who was trying to stir up frc-
tion. Wouldn't 1t be much better" the
speaker said: If we all get together and
bring about cooperation than to create
an antagonistic feeling? As a commits
sion you can do much to insure a healthy
&C cooperation between the people and the
railroads 1t is the duty of the railroads
/, aid you In this in every way possi-
bie.". Continuing, Mr.. Smith said, I'VE
get along with the people of the state
and when they make complaint we hear
them"
Takes Up Fertilizer Rates.
Mr. Smith then went into the question
of the rates on fertilizers and related
the experience of the road he represents
along this line. He said that he realized
that the fact that the commissions of
Georgia had made these low rates had
been somewhat of an argument in Ala
bama, but your argument" he said, 'is,
that they have sand bagged us you will
too"
In the opinion of Mr.. Smith the rates
of Georgia have done the state meal
culabIe harm and has been an actual
damage to the states interests. He said
that he was one of the first book rate
makers and 1t was the policy of the
Louisville and Nashville from the first
to make the fertilizer rates as low as
possible which was indicated in the fact
that they were in the lowest classified
ktion save that of building stone and
brick for interior movement.
Charges Of Lobbying.
IN replying to Mr.. Smith Mr. Conner
Ferred to the platform upon which he