The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-21
That Fort Morgan Road.


 The community of interests" theory which so far has been a dream of cer- tain railroad theorists looks in fair way of becoming tangible.
 It will be remembered that a rail-
 road is building from Bay Minette on the Mobile and Montgomery division of the Louisville and Nashville Rail- road to Fort Morgan. It has been gem erally supposed that the Louisville and Nashville was behind this project as a commodious joint depot at Bay Louisville and Nashville and the Fort
 Morgan road.
 It develops. that the Rock Island and
 Frisco System, is largely interested in | the deep water harbor at Fort Morgan. From the looks of things 1t is possi- 1 ble that the Louisville and Nashville.
 Rock Island and Frisco are all getting close together. The branch of the seoboard Air Line
 from Atlanta to Birmingham has con- nectfons in Birmingham with the tracks of the Frisco. It is possible that this combination will form anoth- CT line in the big Gould-Harriman fight and If the Louisville and Nash vile is drawn into it the Atlantic Coast Line will be sure to be factor.
 None of the Montgomery officials of the Louisville and Nashville knew ianything about 1t when asked yester- day, but the following telegram from
 Sioux City, Iowa. to The New York Herald is significarS:
 | After years of effort the Sioux City promoters, including score of lead- | ing men, have interested capitalists of Philadelphia and St. Louis and secured Icontracts with the Rock Island and Louisville and Nashville roads for es- Itablishing a new deep water hafbor on the Gulf of Mexico. It will be at Fort Morgan. Ala. to which the railroads mentioned are being extended. A long lying peninsula, twenty miles long i'm closes a great harbor over forty feet deep throughout. This peninsula mas come into the possession of the cap- italists interested who will establish wharves and terminals. This port will compete for the business of both Mo-
 mile and New Orleans, asserting great fly superior advantages because of deeper water and larger area of 1t. Millions are back of the movement" Will Oppose Commission.
 The New York Journal ot Commerce says that the railways of the United States will oppose to the uttermost any proposition to confer upon the
 Interstate Commerce Commission the
 power to fix freight rates. They will
 support measures looking to the aboli-
 ton of rebates and discriminations and the extension of the interstate com merce laws over private car lines, ov-
 CT the transportation of freight by
 water, and over fast freight lines.
 They will advocate legislation that
 will enable railways to enter into traf-
 flc agreements subject to the approval Ao Y-Na AaAa ax,.1a
 sion. There is high railway authority
 for the statement that this is the po-
 sition taken by most, if not all, of the
 leading railway mon of the United States.
 Subway trafhc has undoubtedly
 reached larger volume than many peo- | pie expected it to achieve sc soon. The elevated also. on which the Inter-
 borough guarantees a seven per cent
 dividend. has apparently lost less than
 was expected, says New York spe- cial. With $1.9:5.a0o surplus earned
 over the seven ner cent dividend last year the elevated could apparently lose
 40. 100000 from its yearly passengers. or 109, 900 a day, and still earn the div idend required. The subway's own earnings are another matter Tha company's statement of November 26,
 showed 5,s3S.235 passengers carried in the first twenty-nine days of busi- ness. bringing in an average of S10,065 per day. This average would mean
 $3, 650,00 per year. But the estimate of the company's bankers. given out in January. 1908. was that $7.50o. 900 would eventually be earned per an- mum. which. with operating expense at 45 DOT cent. would leave a trifle over eight per cent over and above the $1.-