The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-05

will be on file, therefore, at the Feb ruarv rreetinc when final judgment will be passed on the unique proposition or State regulation of frcight-nauhns railways.
 The Commission postponed until the Monday in January on account ot Nsw Year coming on the frst Monday. tno consider ation of lower rates on all lines in Alabama from points inside too State to mills in tho State on cotton. The railroads. nearly all of them, asked for further time on this matter as II ts so important and the reduction of any
 rates just at this time would not help the staple much. Most of the cotton I has been moved and any new or gen. eral rate that may be adopted. would apply to next year.
 i In trying to get satisfaction for some compliments who are shippers Of cot | ton generally, President Conner argued l for over a half hour in the midst or the
 meeting. He said that he had received l in the last few days q large nuntocr or complaints about pcople rendering cot ! ton to the railroad agents and not get ting any bills of lading for 1t. He said | that cotton can be found m many parts of the State piled around ton are anxious to get shipment. but as the staple is not lying on the platform of the station they are not able to get bills of iading for the same.
 Movement of Cotton.
 The chairman said emphaticaliy that the railroads ought to he compelled to accept all freight that Is rendered tfeir agents without dslay. They ought to provide the accommodations If they have inadequate depots st present. It Is duo the people he said. to get bills of Iading for articles and commodity delivered for shipments and that they cannot put the goods into the depot or on the platform is the fault of the rail- roads and not the shippers The sell ing of cotton. or anything else. is not eonsummated until bill of iading to protect the goods is secured
 James Menzies, general freight agent of the Atlantic Coast Line. was the only railroad representative present during this speech of tho chairman a and he admitted that his line refsses to issue bills of iading on cotton stor' cd on the ground away from tbe depot' Tho agents are instructed nos to is- sue the bills because the consignees insist always on such measure m order that thev may be saved the dam ares from weather and depredauons that might result from exnosure. He did not believe the railroads ought to he made to stand for the daniase when they have no room to take care or tne soods. He believed that the railfoads cannot be exrActsi to cone thoroughly with such abnormal movements as have been experienced this year. He had sen where cotton had ben crowd- cd into A sivgIe neirt and it looked like evevvhodv wanted to shin at ore .,,ne Tnere was good deai of the @.aple held for iong ti,re and when the r,artAt Icn'-ad to their advanta ~s | .x "A &hyn The enr,pr.~rt of the roads and the ac- ear,rseaation< at stations fs iu these
 aN-n-~,aI ~a<es irsueNr,e~t to move sweirrt as fHs ta sit weuid be Tweed n" the ehtnoers and even the rauros0e .hennseives. Fis cor~nsrv is trvsn~ fn eAt rars fnr the increasing trafic all aia~1 the lines. Mf
 rcr,rr,Ss,orar Tprs.a,i asa not be- Iieve the ~stiroads shontd he made to assume liability for dama ~es to cot ton that is net stored where it "an he rrntected from the wesfhA~. Hui there was no vote tater and tha mat ter was-Isft alone without action.
 w.ttsr eS ssouusw~ Tv~s~x.
 Arnther euestiou on which the Cof1n- y,,iseione er's oninion. ware div'deH was thst involved in . netition cf riti~eus of c.,,in on tho Frisco railroad Tor restoration of the Ftou which the Northwestern Limited trains used to rrsts at that point. It Is n through ves.ibuie train Fast month the ratl. road ofTirers decided to cut out the stop as the husness derived at Guin did rot justify 1t in their oninion.
 The oninion of President Conner was that the town ought to he given enough consideration to stou this fast train there. He believes It to be thriving town and that the substitute local messenger trains are not sum- cientiy good service. Commissioners Sanders and Tunstaii were prone to agree that all towns should be given as much considera- tion as possible but they thought the matter should he dismissed without further talk because the Commission has no Jurisdiction in the petition.
 General Agent A. D. LiEhtner. of the Frisco company. at Birmingham, who was present at the meeting. had testi- fed that the westbound train that was wanted to restore the stop Is an in- terstate train.
 Commissioner Sanders said the conn mission has no authority to order stop on an interstate train. or on trai nthat stops only at watering or coaling stations. terminals and reg ister stations The statute making this exception in the authority of tho body was read to the President but he
  he was deprived of the power to en- force a stop. He was for ordering the stop and if the authority was ques- toned 1t could he settled in an appeal He was outvoted on this stand as his q associates were firm in their interpre- tation of the law. saving that they did not care to do violence to their however much they wish ed Mir Lightner would give the ac- asked for.
 Conep'~ Poistsesl Letters.
 Secretary Virgil Griffin read some l very Interesting corresnondence which | took place between President Conner | srd certain conpiainants which pa'r- | TOTS some of the thunder he Is using in his ~arnaign for Governor.
 To MT. W. L. Haskew. ot Dickinson. | where A rae~ncv is wanted from the | snutbern Pe'Iwav. was addressed one oF these sattv letters. The President | wrote MT Esskew that the Counais- sion had not the authority to order an q eAncv at any pIace in the State and commented severely on the manner oP tha S4ate The letter follows:
 'rNfr. " L Paskew.
 Dickinson. Ala
 'Tpear sir:
 'Yt has heen deveioped that uuder the law the psitroad Commission has no. thing to do with the question of agents at stations. in other words. If your station had no agent at all under the | law we could not enforce them to ap- point one.
 you will agree with me that this is a funny law, but all of our railroad laws are funny. and came from having [