The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-15
BANQUET GIVEN OFFICIALS OF SOUTHERN RAILWAY AT
 COUNTRY CLUB LAST NIGHT
Continued from Fifth Page)

Continued from Fifth Page) -~~---------------------- calmly and dispassionately whatever diff ferences that may exist before we at tempt to deal with one another.
 Spirit of Justice.
 'I pledge to you now, gentlemen, that these differences and all future differ ences, between us as business men, shall be taken up and settled in a spirit of justice, reason, fairness, and equitable ness with every patron we have.
 "The south is now passing through difficult stage of industrial development. No single transportation line within her borders, when built, was adapted to pres ent conditions. The result is that the Southern railway is today undergoing process of reconstruction. In many cases our lines are being practically rebuilt. Miles of our lines between Atlanta and Birmingham will have to be thrown away and new ones constructed.
 "The security owners of the Southern railway, my friends, and what am about to say applies to all other railway lines' are owners of property that was oullt to answer not It's present purpose but this anomalous condition affects you as we'll as it does us.
 But for the transcontinental railways the United States would be only fr1nged today with a population. The interior would be desert and the land therein would be valueless. The property of this country today depends upon an effective transportation system. Development Of the United States depends upon the de- velopment of transpcrtatlon system to | the outer world
 'If this country had the transportation system of any other country in the world, | you would have no inland city and no | inland land worth while.
 Progressed Wonderfully.
 "The south has progressed wonderfully and you have become more and more de- pendent upon the efficiency of your trans portation system. You are contendlng each day with some deficiency in trans portation. There isn't a railway system in the United States today that isn't overtaxed. You are more prosperous than ever before and yet you haven't yet | begun to scratch around in the margin of the marvellous development that is in | store for you
 "JJnder these conditions the responsi- bilty of the Southern railway Is great, and 1t is gentlemen, with its insecurely built and inadequate present equipment. | struggling to discharge it's responsibility | as public carrier on the one hand and as a property investment on the other hand. Each day shows an improvement in It's condition. To carry forward the | work we have in hand requires money. and money in very large amount. Every man here knows that where few hun dred dollars were needed few years ago | thousands are needed now. We have re- gently had to move out of the streets of | Birmingham and go to North Birming- ham and there spend $O0,OOO in order to do business at constantly decreasing transportation rates. With every increase | of industry, addition of furnace and opening of coal mine. new and enlarged facilities have to be provided at con stantly decreasing rate of income.
 There Is but one path of safety for all of us-and that is that we work to- gether with the intelligent purpose that | enables each of us to recognize the dif- faculties that beset the other. The com mon carrier in addition to all this, has the additional moral and legal responsi- bllity of providing you with the facili- ties you demand He has no alternative, and he Is held to a rigorous accounta- bility for his shortcomings. He must go forward, but he cannot do it unless he has the means to do It. He has two resources He must either make the mo- ney requisite or borrow 1t. The lawful earning capacity of his property meas ures his capacity for serving the people S | needs.
 Must Conform to Law.
 .'The common carrier has invested his money in property that Is amenable to proper supervision on the part of the government He is obliged to conform to law. He is obliged to be undiscriminating and he ougFt to be punished if he isn't. So long as he stays within those limits he ought to be permitted to serve the purpose of his being.
 "So much has been said of late on that subject; so much transformation mas | t1,A yat,l,l i@ ic in danger of being msdrected. The question Is not political one. II should be elevated from the domain of partisan politics. It is a purely business question and should be looked at intelli- gently as 1t stands. We submit-and this is all we ask-that the public should in- form itself accurately before 1t attempts to make up its judgment. The people and the railways are entitled to have this subject thoroughly discussed. min utely analysed. and the final Judgment determined, not by passion and intem perate clanor. but by the solid sense ol the people.
 eve believe that that is the verdict o the business men of Birmingham, and w believe that Birmingham should and will promulgate that doctrine. The question should be soberly thought out and thor oughly understood before action is taken No snap judgment should be recorded lThe question should be brought home tt the minds and hearts of the people. Wher that is done have perfect faith tha the verdict will be adjusted and the goot of us both will be finally achieved
 President Spencer's speech was fire ouently interrupted with applause, anC at it's close expressions of ardent ap- proval were heard around the banquet board.
 Other Speakers.
 Other speakers at the dinner were Ru-