The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-19
STATE SOCIALISM
 GAINING IN SOUTH
C. M. Bergstresser Talks of Po-
 Iitical Developments
AMAZED AT BIRMINGHAM
Says Wall Street Does Not Fear Legal Restrictions, But Is Alarmed By Burdensome Legislation
 Proposed.

Proposed.
 "State socialism is growing with tremen- dous rapidity in the south. and is not only the keynote to the prosperity that is evi- dent on all sides, but demonstrates the new thought entering the social and polit- ical affairs of the southern states and shows that the people are determined to regulate and utilize the massive cor porate interests in their midst-the thing which touches the vitals of the country" Such is the impressive thought put in words by c. M Bergstresser of New York, founder of the Wall Street Journal, who arrived in the city yesterday morning ac- companied by his wife and daughter, Miss Ethel. MT. Bergstresser and family are at the Hillman. Yesterday afternoon they took an extensive drive around the city and Mir Bergstresser declared he was amazed and delighted by Birmingham. He said he had no Idea of the real great ness of Birmingham nor of the beauty of the residences to be found in such com paratively new manufacturing city.
 You may term me a student of social and political history declared MT. Berg stresser, and while l am spending my time in leisurely manner on a purely pleasure trip through the south, l am keenly awake to the great possibilities Of commerce in this wonderful region and find a delight in seeing at first hand all these things which have become familiar to me in the press of my home city.
 Calls 1t State Socialism.
 T may be pardoned if l coin a new phrase in the term state socialism, but that is just what I mean as applied to the great political activity, not only in the south, but elsewhere, as to the reg ulation of commercial affairs by the peo- pie of the states. This activity l con- sider more marked in the south than else- where The spirit of state socialism Is here and it's developments will be closely watched everywhere.
 ''The people are awake to their inter- ests, and they are beginning to see where they have heretofore neglected these in terests and now legislation follows that will be lasting and beneficial if 1t Is not hampered by the acts of hot-headed leg slators who often cause the undoing of really good measures affecting the public welfare.
 We have had just such experience in New York City. There our ferries and traction lines have been acted upon by adverse legislation until some of them have been almost put out of business.
 ''The incentive to do business Is thus legislated out of the minds of corpora ton members and their investment Is rem dered unsafe. This could be avoided and capital encouraged to further investment by imposing restrictions of legal but not burdensome weight.
 Wall street today is panicky, and why? In anticipation of attempts by the federal government to regulate the affairs of cor porations Wall street financers do not fear cool and deliberate legislation, but they fear the acts of men who, given power to make laws for others have not learned the law of controlling them selves and leglslate without fully con- sidering the consequences to others.
 Spirit of People Right.
 After all. however, the spirit of the people is right. I do not mean the spirit of the demagogue, but the great body of people who constitue the bulk of our citi- zenship and who elect the lawmakers They are behind this great movement to- kward state socialism and 1t will bear fruit. It is bearing fruit already in the southern states as evidenced in the leg islation governing hotels, which are far superior to what they were not so many years ago.
 Now comes the movement of the states to regulate railroads. The attorney gem eral of Florida has just brought suit against the Atlantic Coast Line for for feiture of charter unless immediate meas ures are taken to improve the service. This is only one instance, and you will find legislation toward better railroad service and lower fares in dozens of states. This shows that the people are thinking, and thinkink brings about &C., tion.
 'I have been intensely surprised at one custom. or fad, among tourists that spend the winter in Florida. They seem to for get that the monotony of long trip may be broken by varying the route to and from this great winter resort. There is continual spring and fall dress parade along the Atlantic coast with tourists occasionally stopping at the big hotels fin tho cities along the different lines. The tour should be varied by a swing around to the westward where these people might have their eyes opened to the develop ment of this growing country. People are now beginning to leave Florida, when 1t is just at It's best, and right here I wish to say that this Is 
 for just at this time they begin to take off their special winter trains, thus run ming the people away. The Florida season should be longer. and could be so. It seems a short-sighted policy to cut oft such profitable source of income.
 We left there with the others. but did not take the dress parade route. We stopped at Tallahassee, but didn't enjoy our stay in that quaint old town on &C., count of the poor hotel and railroad &C., commodat tions Our trip has furnished no real surprises until wo reached Birming ham, which has given us an agreeable surprise in the immensity of the manu- featuring interests and the great field for future development
 "Superlatives should be applied to the immense resources of Birmingham and the iron district. You have a great hust- ling northern city set in the midst of the south.
 There is practically no limit to the future of Birmingham and It's business if the iron interests here will continue to be independent. This Is the keynote of Birmingham's future greatness"
 
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