The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-07

no results It has brought the railroads
 and the people to better understanding
 if 1t has done nothing else. The men who
 have been here to speak for the systems
 they represent have proven themselves
 courteous gentlemen, while doing all they could possible do in the interest of the
 properties confided to their care. There
 have been several little spats so to speak
 but none has been allowed to go beyond
 the pale of retreat With every good
 feeling for President Conner it must be
 said that his manner is against him, and if he is not careful will initiate against
 the cause he has championed. He says
 himself that he speaks too quickly some times and says things in such way as to appear as if he meant offense when he did not He made this statement to the com
 mission several times. At the very outset
 of the work he called down Milton H.
 Smith, president of the Louisville and
 Nashville railroad, in very abrupt way when the latter only intended to indulge in little pleasantly. and on the first day of the session he told Vice President E. L. Russell and General Manager Taylor of the Mobile and Ohio that they would
 have to get out of the room or stop talk ing. They both walked out at once. Impression of Conner.
 The impression is quite general, anG the railroad men in many instances agree to it. that President Conner is an honest man and is working in an unselfsh way.
 The railroad men contend, however, that he is predisposed to rate reduction and that no amount of argument will change
 his mind. In fact MT Conner said on two or three occasions that he was ready to vote as he believed. ne knew what ought to be done. It is also contended that as the head of the commission he has no right to take the ground that the rate
 ought to go down and argue for that side
 of the question, that he is the judge so to speak and is to make up his mind from the evidence adduced.
 The railroad men also contend that there was only one complaint before the commission about a discrimination and
 that 1t was the duty of the commission to dispose of that first. This idea was brought out in the remarks of President Smith of the Louisville and Nashville,
 who asked why MT. Conner had constitute ed himself the complainant, the chief wit
 ness for the complainant and prosecuting
 attorney. while sitting a judge. MT. Conner has contended that in view of the platform upon which he elected and
 the provisions of the law he has a per- feet right to do as he has done in ses-
 sions of the commission.
 The work of the week has really made Mir Conner i'll and he returned to his
 home in Birmingham tonight Of a high
 nervous disposition and deeply in earnest in whatever he undertakes, the strain
 has been too much and he will require several days of quiet to get back in shape.
 The Conner Theory.
 The whole idea of the position taken by President Conner has been that a re-
 duction of the freight tariffs will encour-
 age new business, and in hauling fertil- iers cheaper the railroads will help to get in larger crops by the farmers and se-
 cure larger tonnage of a higher class, se- curing. therefore, more revenue in the end He has argued this from the prac- tices of the roads running into the indus trial districts, calling attention that lime stone used for f1uxing is transported very | cheaply because it makes more iron which is of a higher freight class and consequently more productive to the rail- | roads.
 | MT. Conner urged that fertilizer occu- l pied the same relation to crops that lime stone does to iron and that 1t was not un- reasonable to ask that it be hauled at the very lowest figure. The railroads have | contended that this is a theory that has not worked out. Tried by the Mobile and | Ohio it has failed to produce MT. Co., mer suggested Other lines held the same way. The railroad men answered the arr ! gument that if a reduction in the haulage
 cost would produce more tonnage and