The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-06

 rates and rates on watermelons show ed 6.5 cents to 3.75 against Alabama.
 The witness said therg are no saw mills to speak Of along the Western Railway and only one watermelon grower. The latter gentleman enjoys commodity rsve lower than 50 cents; Better rates for peanuts were asked for, the Chairman referring to recent conversation with Prof. J F. Duggar' Professor of Agriculture at Auburn, who said he was trying to encourage the growth of groundpeas.
 The Chairman said that while there Is a small tonnage of peanuts :novihs in Alabama the lower rates 3hould pc put on. He told of how he mad per sonally planted 200 acres in peanuts
 Cotton Seed Hulis.
 Rates on cotton seed hulls were ols cussed. L. Green of the southern Railway. parttcipated in the discussion saying that on that road the rates are in IS per cent of the cases the same as the rates on fertilizers.
 After further comparisons MT. Smitn said he was willing to rest the Wes- tern of Alabama Railways hearing on a financial statement submitted. lie said there was no justice in comparing the Atlanta and west Point Kallroae with the Western Railway. He said the per mile population along the At lanta and West Point Railr pad IS 1928 and along the Western Railway 57.1 and the earnings of the former are on the average 3S.7 per cent higher than those of the latter. He repre- sented also that the Atlanta ana west Point Railway carries higher class tonnage than does the Western Rail- way.
 The Chairman answered him that the witness's statement was States testt- mony, asking him if he did not pe- lIeve the development along the Ala pama line would not be as great as on the Georgia road if the rates were as low in this State.
 The Chairman went into complaints Of bad connections in Birmingham and other points in the State between pas senger trains.
 George R. Knox, General Freight Agent of the Nashville. Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway. was next on the stand.
 He said the 100 miles of his line in Alabama have been operated at a con stant loss for the twelve years the linS has been in existence. He gave com plete figures showing losses from year to year and said the deficit mas varied annually from S49,0 to $S9,000.
 The witness said comparisons be- tween Georgia and Alabama rates are not germane to the issue being inves- tigated because the conditions and clr- cumstances are dissimilar. He said the Mississippi and Georgia Commissions have recognized these differences or conditions in a single State and have allowed roads in that State to charge higher rates-higher than those of oth- CT roads.
 MT. Knox compared rates on the sev- eral classes of freight from St. Louis to Birmingham and Atlanta. For first class the rates to Atlanta and Bir- mingham respectively are $1.2b and S107; second class, $1.10 and 92 cents; third class, 9s cents and 76 cents; fourth class, 77 and 61 cents: fifth class, 64 and 52 cents.
 Comparisons were also made at length of port rates between St. Louls and Savannah and Brunswick, Ga.' and Mobile, Ala. These showed to great advantage to Alabama
 In view of the great grain movement from the West, MT. Knox said, these showings are enough to offset any diff ferences on interstate charges to Ala bama points from other sections of the United States
 Comparisons advantageous to Ala bama were given of rates on cotton from Alabama, Georgia and North Car olina to the mill points of the East. It was also shown that rates on cotton from spartanburg, S. C., to St. Louis and New Orleans are higher/th than from Birmingham and Montgomery to these points.
 MT Knox filed a profile of the Alaba- ma mileage of the North Carolina and St. Louis Railway, showing sparse pop ulation along the line and sterile lands.
 Cost of N. C. and St. l..
 Answering Commissioner Sanders. MT Knox said he believed the line in Alabama could not he reproduced for less than $S5,0O0.f The high grades in- cluding Sand Mountain were referred to by the witness when the chairman questioned the high mileage cost of the road.
 The chairman attempted to challenge the witness for a comparison of the rates from St. Louis to Noble with Sa- vannah instead of New Orleans. The chairman said both New Orleans and Mobile ports necessitates water compe- tition.
 water competition to Mobile. The chairman answered that the rates are fixed on a water competition basis. The chairman intimated that the wit ness was unfair in choosing large cit- ies for comparison and said the rates favorable to Birmingham would not look so roseste If the small interior
 
 Gr4 ,rville. Andausia. Enterprise. Dn- thlh and other small cities as points that should be "cut- loose from their apron strir gs."
 50 it please God. these places have got to be developed" added the chair man
 we intend to develop them. sir, if you vii not choke us to death," rejoin- ed the witness.
 We are not going to choke you to death," replied the chairman.
 An extended colloquy here followed on questions of distress room" in ships out of Mobile and Pensacola.
 An allusion was made by the chair man to the recent fight of Atlanta and the Georgia Commission for the same rates from the West to Birmingham. The chairman said the Georgif6s got together and won out.
 MT. Knox replied that the Commis- sion did not succeed in getting the Bir- mingham rates.
 Next followed a discussion on hay. grain, potatoes and other farm prod Give us the same rates on hay and grain as Georgia has"
 The witness referred to the better interstate rates for Alabama.
 colloquy followed on the history of the railroads In Georgia following the radical rate reductions in that State. In this allusion the chairman again told of the recent rises in raIl- road securities and said:
 Mir. Conner Wants Some "Fat."
 Give the manufacturers some of that fat, MT. Knox"
 You look like you have enjoyed the fat to some extent" replied MT Knox
 Thank, you, sir" said the chairman smiling. but If in the last year I had depended on my plantations to raise my