The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-07
SILENCE GREETS
COMER'S MOTION
Wants Legislature 10 Pass
Rate Laws
ASSOCIATES SAY NOTHING
Mr.. Conner Says His Plan Is Simply
to Get the Matter Before
the People for De.
clslon.
ASSOCIATES SAY NOTHING

introduced several resolutions looking to
the election of a legislature that will be
pledged to pass certain laws which he
thinks will be good for the people of the
state. None of the resolutions elected Sec
onds from either of the associate commits
sioners who treated them with abso-
lutte silence
In the first resolution he asked that the
commission petition the people to elect
a legislature pledged to pass a law SIM
liar to the Texas law, which requires
railroads to submit books In evidence
showing income in the state; also limit
ing their stocks and bonds IN amount of
issue.
The second sought to nave the COM
mission petition the legislature to pass a
law TO remove the "extortionate and dis
eliminating rates against the staple pro-
ducts of the state, and against the items
of common use and consumption by the
people Of the state
The third sought to have the commission
ask the legislature to pass a law for
more liberal car service rules and to force
prompt payment OF claims against the
railroads.
No Second.
These resolutions were presented just
after the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion, and neither of them received a
second or was noticed by the other men,
bers, save for the one comment of Com
missioner Tunstall that the legislature
does not meet for a year yet.
President Conner said he wanted these
10 thnaapht fbpU
We're reasonable. and that they asked no
more than the commission had the right
to do. He wanted to get the matter before
the people and let them decide whether
they wanted them or not. If the people
were going to control, well and good If
not. let them drop the question.
Like the Introduction of the resolutions
the remarks of Mr.. Conner were received
with silence by the associates. No one
spoke for some time, when Commissioner
Sanders suggested that the commission
proceed with what 1t had to do.
Mr. Conner said: "All right; what have
we to do?"
The following are the resolutions in
full;
Georgia a Comparison.
Whereas. In the recent investigation
of the freight rates for the state at
which comparisons were made of the
following articles of common production
and use. and of the freight charged by
the same roads and same class roads In
Alabama: Lumber and products of lum-
Der, brick, lime, cement, marble, fruit
trees, shrubbery, peaches. fruit jars,
melons, meat lard SOAP potatoes, rice.
molasses, cotton, cotton seed. cotton
seed meal, hulls, fertilizer, cotton ties
and bagging, domestics, cotton rope,
ground peas. grain, hay, flour, scrap iron,
nails, barbed wire, wire fence and fenc-
ing, iron pipe, farm wagons, horses and
mules, cattle. sheep and hogs, coffee,
sugar, ice, beam dry goods, boots and
shoes.
where as. The rate charged in Ala
bama on these items are 20 to 100 per
cent higher tnan the same roads and
same class roads charge in Georgia; and
whereas The statement of income as
shown by the railroads, showed that not
withstanding their high freight tax on
the people of Alabama. their total earn
ings on intra state or local business was
small; and
Whereas. The state has no method Of
checking and verifying these statements;
and
s.Whereas, These statements are liable
to be biased by self interest: and
..Whereas, The valuation of their prop
erty as given in for state taxes, Is out or
all proportion TO the value given into
the railroad commission for the purpose
of taxing the people of the state; and as
also shown by the amount of stocks and
bonds held against them, on which valua-
ton they claim the right to make interest,
these values being from three to four
times greater. than the amount given In
for state tax and as this is the bias OF
self interest against which the state
should protect the citizens, therefore |
move that we petition the people OF
Alabama to elect a legislature pledged
to pass a law similar to the Texas law
recurring the railroads to submit books
and evidence showing income in the state
and a law limiting, their stocks and bonds,
which may be issued against railroad
to fair valuation.
Extortion Charged.
Whereas. the railroads of Alabama
claim that under the Nebraska deelsion
they have the legal right to tax the peo-
nile of Alabama on their local or intra-
state business a sufficient amount TO pay
interest on the railroads valuation or
their property; and, whereas, In the re-
cent investigation before our commission
the railroads admitted that In as lar as
thy could they hauled the products OF
the state. cotton. iron. COAL LUMBER etc,
out of the state, making the product or
the state lntra Stdte busihosSi anu "iN'
as in the largest measure, they the rail-
roads. distribute the consumption of the
state meat, grain. flour, domestics, etc.
from out of the state, giving that by
preferential conditions to distributing CEN
ters OF the state also interstate business
thus making the very business (the mira
state or local freight with which we
have to pay the interest on their excess
sive property valuations the least posi-
ble. And. whereas. by collision and boy
colt the use of the port of Mobile and
the waterways of the state these the
most valuable assets of the state, are
made of the least value to the people of
the state, all by maintaining high local
rates within the state. and preferential
conditions out OF the state; therefore, we
netItlon the people, OF Alabama to elect
at its next general election a legislature
pledged to remove the extortionate and
discriminating rates against the staple
products of the state. and against the
items of common use and consumption
by the people of the state. Would sng-
eest that this was recently done by the
legislature of Missouri as matter OF
inst expedition of the righting of wrong
against the people of the state.
Car Service Rules.
whereas. the car service rules OF the
state. made exclusively by the railroads.
are arbitrary. one-sided and onerous; ana
whereas. the railroad commission has no
Jurisdiction over the same. we recon-
mend that the people at the next general
election shall elect members to the leg
islature pledged to enact law making
rea sonable car service rates, something
like the car service rules of Virginia.
.sWhereas. there is no regular methou