The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-08
Lengthy Session of Rail
 road Commission. MR. coMER IS oUTyoTED
|. & N. Must Improve Condition
 of Mobile Depot.
Associate commI-.ioner. show That Cotton Mills Are rrosperlnE un- | der Present Rates--Birming- ham street Railway Case
 Under Consideration.

The Alabama Railroad Commission by the vote of the associate members refused yesterday to reduce the rates on cotton to cotton mill points in Ala bama. President B. B. Conner. ae cording to precedent. announced that he would in few days furnish a dis- senting opinion.
 The opinion of the associate com missioners was written and read by Commissioner w T, Sanders and Com missioner w. C. Tunstall coincided with his views.
 The verdict of the majority of the Commission was received without evl- dence of surprise by President Conner, During the reading of tt e opinion. he frequently remarked. T don't see how you could have come to that conclu- sion from the evidence" This remark was invariably followedS by the ironic smile of the Commissions President and a poorly concealed chuckle.
 Mir. Sanders in his opinion set out that the cotton mills of Alabama are prospering under the present rate. He declared that under present conditions it is cheaper for the producer to ship his cotton to the Alabama mill and for the mill to ship the finished product to Eastern markets than 1t is for the producer to ship the raw product di- rect to the mills of New England. He
  bama and New England Is far less than the rate from New England to Alabama, and, under these conditions. It is impossible for the New England manufacturer to compete along the same lines with the Alabama manufac- turer while 1t enables the Alabama manufacturer to sell his goods in the marts of New England and the Mid dle West
 Interrupted by Conner,
 At this point in the reading of the opinion, MT. Conner interrupted MT. Sanders by informing him that he was discussing interstate rates with which the Commission has nothing to do. MT. Sanders replied that he was only cit- Ing this to show that there is no cause for reduction of rates te mill points A few minutes later, while the three members of the Commission were in Q general and informal discussion of the subject, President Conner cited q rate between Huntsville and Mem phis as an examplification of the point he was making.
 You discuss interstate rates" in terrupted Colonel Tunstall, and you won't allow us that privilege"
 And again Mir. Conner smiled and chuckled.
 70 yes" he replied. you can dis cuss that as much as you please
  ton to mill points was iaugurated by MT. Sanders. His attention was drawn to this fact by MT. Conner. MT. Sam ders remarked that he wished to see if general conditions would be bene- fited by reduction of these rates and on investigation he had found that they would not.
 l.. & N. Depot in Mobile.
 In addition to disposing of the cot ton rate matter, the Commission de- cided that there must be some imme- dlate improvements in the depot fa- cilities of the Louisville ard Nashville Railroad at Mobile, and it was the sense of the oBard that If the Louisville and Nashville does not decide to enter the union depot being erected by tho Southern Railway in the Gulf City, the improvements in the Louisville and Nashville depot must be quite eXten- sive.
 The Commission also took under ad- visement the question as to whether the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power Company is a street railway or a railroad amenable to the laws gov erning railroad corporations. Argu- ment was presented by counsel for the respondent and Robert Jemison, Pres ident of the corporation, testified that he was doing 8 strictly street railway business. No one appeared to argue for the other side of the question, and in order to give that side opportunity to file briefs, is so desired, the case was taken under consideration.
 Agreed On One Rate.
 Probably the most unusual event of the day was the agreement of President Conner with the other Commissioners on the tariff rate of the Birmingham and Atlanta Air Line. This railroad connects Birmingham with Atlanta and is in direct competition with the Southern Railway. From Cordele Ga, to Pell City, just twenty miles from Birmingham, the road is operated over and has bought the properties of the old East and West Railroad. When the Commission called for tariff rates several weeks ago, the Birmingham and Atlantic Air line sent in rate of about nine per cent above that of the old East and West Road. This the Commission refused to accept and called for another statement.
 Yesterday the Birmingham and At Iantic sent in rate exactly the same as that of the Southern, its competing line This rate, however Is eign. per cent in advance of the old rate of the road which the Birmingham and Allan tic succeeded.
 On motion of MT. Sanders, it was de- cided to refuse 70 accept this rate and state to the Birmingham and Atlantic that no rate in advance of that of the 
 The motion was carried unanimously.
 MT. Conner was evidently surprised
 T thank you, gentlemen he said You arc acting just along my policy I am for cutting down all rates and building up none.
 The petition of people of Sprucepine to have their station kept in better condition was heard and taken under consideration.
 The petition of the Central of Georgia Rairoad to have it's agent at Coffee Springs excused from meeting the pas senger train, which passes that place at 9:06 D. m., was denied.
 The meeting of the Commission was
 sd for 10 o'clock yesterday morn-
 hut MT. Conner arrived on be-
 I train and the body did not begin
 ( until after F o'clock.
 Mobile Depot Matter.
 Q first case considered was the
 CT of providing better depot facil-
 for Mobile at the Louisville and
 vile station.
 n. John V. Smith appeared for the