The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-02
RATE REVISION AGAIN
RAILROAD COMMISSION WILL MEET
 TOMORROW.
OmciaIs of Corporations Will be Pre- sent and President Conner May Have q Lawyer on
 Hand.

For the second time during the year the traffic officials of the various rail- roads operating in Alabama will appear before the Alabama Railroad Commis- sion tcsnorrow morning at 10 O'CLOCK Tn accordance with the adjournment mo- tion of the last regular meeting of the Commission on April 6. This time the question of a general revision of freight rates in Alabama will be considered.
 Testimony for the question of gem eral revision began at the last meeting, it will be remembered, and was stopped on account of the sudden illness or President B. B. Conner. of the Commis- sion The motion to consider general revision was made by Associate Com missioner W. T. Sanders and with the concurrence of Associate Commissioner W. c. Tunstall it was carried. These gentlemen at the April meeting acceded to the request of the President that the meeting adjourn until tomorrow on ac- count of his illness.
 If President Conner appears tomor- row with an attorney to represent the State in the investigation at the coming meeting it will make an innovation In the affairs of the Railroad Commission. Not before has any head Of the com mission in this State enjoyed the help of counsel in a formal investigation The present President declared at the April meeting that if 1t was Tn ms power he will retain counsel to assist him in the Investigation although the costs have to come out of his own purse.
 Lawyers and officials at the capitol express the opinion that there IS no legal provision for a States attorney In an investigation of the Railroad Com mission. If the presence Of MT Comer's attorney should be opposed he interesting vslopments. It is understood that IT he is still firm on this point the counsel will be Frank S. White of Birmingham
 MT, Corners idea of having an at torney to represent the State in the ap- preaching investigation grew out of his desire, he said, to facilitate the general investigation and cope with the large number of traffic officials who are to testify. This would afford substantial relief to the President. he said, who was almost overcome with exhaustion at the April meeting.
 The Commission before adjourning, April last, had heard extensive testi- mony on the question of whether the roads should reduce the fertilizer rates Tn Alabama. This was upon motion of President Conner at the first meeting which he attended since he has come Into office, being early in March. The yigor with which he catechized the high officials that had been summoned was a feature of one of the longest meetings ever held. The decision on the fertilizer rates is still in abeyance and is expected to be given this week.
 There Is no doubt that much of the testimony brought out in April in con nection with the fertilizer rates was of such general character that 1t will amply in the minds of the Commission to the general revision question For this reason the meeting this week may not be so prolonged as some would otherwise believe who watched the eight sessions which were held on the fertilizer question.
 The full stenographic proceedings Of the last meeting have been printed already, but not in final form. The nroceedings are in the hands of the members of the Commission, however, and should help as references during this weeks invest igation. For in- stance. 1t will not be necessary for all the various tariff men to repeat all the details of the capitalization, the bonded interest. the securities, the intra and interstate earnings. These figures were given at length in the April ses- sions.
 Practically the same railroad officials will appear this week that testified in Auril. They will come to Montgom- cry, the majority of them tomorrow morning.