The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-23
Appeal for Fairness tn
 Railroad Legislation

ment that the country now requires from its transportation companies.
 The appeal of the railway supply trade to the Alabama Legislature IS made under the caption: Business IS Good-Shall It Continue?" In full, the appeal, signed by some 900 firms, Is as follows:
 Fact 1. Business has been and Is prosperous. There Is apparently no commercial reason why we should not enjoy continuance of such prosperity unless some unnecessary conditions in- tervene
 Fact 2. The National Government has been and is Investigating the rail- roads. The State Legislatures have pending 400 bills, none of which is for the benefit of the railroads, but every one of which Is designed to reduce in some way the net earnings of the roads Many village and town auth critics are passing ordinances which interfere with the operation of the roads and re- duce their revenues. The public press has given wide circulation to all of this agitation and in many instances ap- proved the same.
 Tact 3. The railroads are stopping all unnecessary expenditures for this year. For instance, one road has stop ped construction on TOO miles of new track; another has cut its expenditures $5,000,0 and stopped work on 400 miles of track in addition. Many roads have issued instructions to use stocks on hand and not to buy anything for six months, except to meet great emer- gencies. Furthermore, railroads gen. erally have stopped all plans for ex- penditures for 1908. No new orders are now being placed by the roads for next year.
 We, in view of the above facts, cal nff t1 hA art cf ff,ao tion. We are the nearest to the rail- roads. and, therefore. know the situa- tion, and are the first to oe affected. At present. business Is good on old orders, but we believe that business will be bad unless this agitation is stopped. We know that if present conditions continue. all classes of labor and every business interest will be injured. We know that every manufacturer, every jobber. and every retailer in the United States does business, directly or indf. rectly, with railroads, or their offi- cials and employees. We know that the railroad interest is, next to farming. the largest in the country. We know that when railroads begin to economize 1t seriously affects every other busi- ness. We know that under such condi- tions labor will suffer very greatly, and that men will be seeking employment. We believe that now Is the time to act before the damage Is done, and that every man who reads this should act. If 10 per cent of the men in the United States would today write to the Gov ernors of the States In which they live, and to their Representatives in the State Legislatures, stating that this agitation was injuring their business and that it must be stopped, 1t would be stopped. Every one of these public servants would listen, because every writer is voter.
 We do not object to the regulation of the railroads by the National Gov ernment in the proper manner but we do object to going through a period of hard times similar to that between 1893 and 1897 in order to accomplish alleged railroad reform. The situation Is serious. Immediate action is nec- essary or business will diminish; bank accounts will be reduced; profits will disappear; salaries will be cut; wages decreased; men discharged and thous- ands will be looking for work.
 Every laboring man, every business man. every professional man. in fact, every man, is and will be affected. He should act now"
 KNIGHTS or COLUMBUS.