The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-30
FARE ON TUSKEGEE LINE IS UNCHANGED Railroad Commission Has Reg uIsr Monthly Session TALK OTHER SHORT LINES Commission Also Goes Into Matter of Separate Compartments In
 Coaches for Negroes
 and Whites.
TALK OTHER SHORT LINES


 well into the night, with the discussion of mass of routine and the question of reducing passenger fares on short lines and providing separate accommodations for white and colored passengers. Tho efforts to have the fares on the short lines of the Louisville and Nashville did not get to a decision, as neither MT. San ders or MT. Tunstall were willing to vote until they were better informed.
 The commission met early in the morn- ing with all the commissioners present. There were several gentlemen from the outside, including a number of leading railroad men. The call of the docket was at once taken up.
 The Atlantic Coast Line reported its willingness to give the people of Snow down depot.
 Checking Baggage.
 It was ordered that at depots where there are regularly established agencies. baggage will be checked during the hours of the stay of agent.
 Rates of the Louisville and Nashville on cotton seed hulls and new rate No. 212l on brick, etc., were approved.
 The Mobile and Ohio agreed to build depot at Brent, and the matter of a depot for the Louisville and Nashville at Vincent was deferred to an inspection of the situation.
 An application for a depot at Ryland was docketed.
 The Commercial club of Birmingham asked that the commission use it's best efforts to have the railroads place the town of East Lake in the class of wa tering places and give it round-trip rate. It was held that the commission was without jurisdiction fin the matter.
 The Sumter & Choctaw line schedules were submitted and filed.
 The matter of better passenger servica at Cuba came up and Secretary Griffin was ordered to take 1t up w,th the Ala bama Great Southern officiais.
 Separate Cars. In the matter of Holt vs the Louisville and Nashville, separate accommodations for white and colored passengers, former president of the commission appeared for the railroad. He showed that the law was explicit, and where there were violations they were not in the jurisdiction of the commission. He explained that orders had been issued by the Louisville and Nash vile to see that there is no violation of the law and so far as he knows there is no infractions.
 Commissioner Sanders thought that un- der section 9 of the law governing the commission it had right to exercise ad visory oversight of such matters, and he moved and the commission adopted 1t, that attention of railroads in Alabama be called to the law governing such mat ters and that they be cited to provide ac- commodatons equal but separate for white and coored passengers, complying fully with the law regarding every feature of the question.
 Tuskegee Road Charges.
 On motion of Commissioner Sanders the Tuskegee road was allowed to continue charging 50 cents from Chehaw to Tuske- gee distance of .12 miles, It was shown. MT. Sanders brought out, that the road was not earning an excessive amount, and that it n>cded new equipment which would be impossible to secure if income be decreased.
 MT. Conner objected, and filed a sub stitute as a minority resolution to make the charge cents a mile He urged that as other branch or short lines charged only cents. 1t was not right to allow the people of Tuskegee to be discrlminated against.
 It was further ordered that the owners of the Tuskegee road provide better equip ment and adequate accommodations, in- cludng clean coaches and ice water and
 
 coach be turned every time so that the same part of the car could be used for colored passengers at every trip.
 Corners Parting Shot.
 As a parting shot MT. Conner asked if the commission wished to set the prece- dent that all the short lines could charge about cents per mile. He thought that if they did the other branch roads would come into the commission asking for the same rates.
 The matter of depot at Pine Hill was de- ferred.
 The question of depot at Piper welt over to trip of the commissioners into that territory, which will be made soon. Passenger fares on the Bessie and Bes- semer branch of the Frisco were ap- proved.
 Big Charge Alleged.
 A complaint was made that the Southern railway charged 99 cents a hundred for hauling smokestack from Mobile to Catharine a distance of 127 miles, making the total haulage cost $40.27. It was re- ferred to the secretary to find out If this was in excess of the tariff rates.
 Some question about the dimensions of the Mobile depot having come up. Mir. Conner announced that he and Vice Presi- dent E. L. Russell of the Mobile had gone into the matter and reached a de- cision agreeable to the roads and the peo- pie of Mobile.
 The commission will take trip over the lines of the Central of Georgia be- ginning October "A.
 Governor Issues Two Pardons. The governor today pardoned a white woman and a negro man who had been l.. Al.