The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-05
Attendance Was Small.

Montgomery, May 4.-tSpecial JAS a
drawing card the Alabama Railroad Com
mission proved a failure today. There
were no people In the balcony and only
a sprinkling down stairs Only those
who had to be there seemed to have
gone in, save from time to time few
capitol officials and some state officials
dropped in. The room was taking the full
glare of the M rning sun and was hot
enough to please any man who is looking
for a warm time. Several of the heavier
men wished that a rule would be adopted
to take off coats and not few sought
the windows as the day grew older.
President Conner and the other members
of the commission came up smiling and
seemed fresh for the fray. Mr.. Conner
had a good nights sleep, no doubt, and
was full of. ginger and rates. He had
his sheets filled with comparative sehe-
dulles and kept them al his hand and fired
question after question to the men who
fell under his interrogatory Influence. He
moved the adoption of Some more of the
Georgia rates and standards but received
no second by either of his associates.
Pow, Entertaining.
The whole day has been taken up with
the hearing of evidence about rates in
this and other states and the difference
in charges of one as compared To an
ether. Lincoln Green traffic manager of
the Southern. who was on the stand last
night, was recalled and he tok up most
of the morning session. After him came
Assistant General Freight Agent Powe of
the Frisco, who made an entertaining as
well as interesting witness,
Mr.. Powe said something about his
roads rates on certain commodity. Mr..
Conner asked If that WAS not higher than
the rate of the Central of Georgia. He
did not know. Mr. Conner asked If his
was not frst-class road. meaning In
construction. Mr.. Powe said he was not
versed in that department.
Mr. Conner then asked If he did not
have better road than the Central of
Georgia
Vice President Winhnrn of the Central
jumped mp and wanted to know who had
a better road than his He was looking
for him.
These little matters. of which this Is a
fair sample We're all that came along TO
break the monoiony of rate comparisons.
Smith Attentive.
President Milton Fl. Smith of the louis
Vile and Nashville came up to the front
this morning and took his place at the
lefthand of President Conner. so that he
could hear every word that was passed
taking the same vantage ground used all
of the Western railway He never let
thing get by and gave the evidence as
we'll as side remarks carefully notice. Mr..
Wickersham moved off little way but
not too far to keep in close touch with
everything going on.
Col II s. D. Mallory. chairman Of the
Alabama state democratic committee,
who is over from his home at Selma on
legal business. was a looker-on at the
commission sessions this morning. Tie
said he wanted to see what was going
TOO hot" was his reply to the question
of whether he was or was not running for
governor.
Busy Local Men.
couple of interested attendants at the
hearings are r. r. Steiner, local counsel
of the Seaboard Air Line and other
roads. and George W. Jones. occupying
the same position for the Louisville and
Nashville. Both have the title of district
counsel, and are depended upon TO take
care of much of the detail of the hearing.