The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-22

time allowed for loading or unloading.
| As a matter of fact, however the two
propositions are entirely distinct and rad
| ically different in their nature. When
| a shipper retains car and diverts it from
its proper function as vehicle OF trans
| portation into warehouse. it is as i'm
| portant for the great body CT ship
| pers, each of whom is Interested in
prompt car service, as 1t is for the rail-
way that he should pay a reasonable
| charge for each day that he withholds the
| car from its proper use. Demurrage
| charges are not remuneratve to rail-
way. Taking into consideration deprecia-
ton, interest and the earning power of
| car, IL can be shown that the road loses
| money every day that car is held by
a shipper at present demurrage rates.
| The railway can properly be required to
! supply facilities for transportation up to
the limit of its ability to do so, but there
can be no justification for any legislation
that would compel 1t to discriminate be-
tween shippers or that would penalize 1t
for failure to supply facilities beyond Its
ability.
Careful examination of all these legis-
iative propositions will show that when
ever an attempt is made to extend the
statutory regulation of carriers beyond
the cannon law principles that forbid
be reasonable, there is danger of injuring
both the railways and those who must
depend on them for transportation
services. Such an examination Will show
that the interests of the people and OF the
railways are everywhere so bound up to-
gether that it is to the interest OF the
people that they should be just to the
| railways and that it is to the interest OF
| the railways that they should be just TO
the people. The railways, as seller or
| transportation, if it is to be permanently
| successful must strive as earnestly 10
| meet the requirements Of the buyer OF
| transportation and to treat him with Iair-
| ness and courtesy as the merchant strives
| to please his customers. There can be no
discrimination between the large buyer
| of transportation and the small buyer,
| but each individual must be treated with
uniform business and consideration.
Railroads Duty.
| In addition to being careful that each
| individual transactipg business with the
| road receives just, fair, and courteous
treatment from every official ana EN-
| ploye with whom he comes INTO contact,
| the railway should study carefully the
needs and wishes of all localities along IT'S
lines sc as to enable 1t to cooperate most
efficiently for their development. This ir
has been the constant effort of the South
ern Railway company to do. Its land and
| industrial department is constantly STUDY
ing the southern field and Is deVotinS an
| its time and energy, without charge OIL
| any kind, to cooperation with states,
| municipalities, commercial ORGANIZATIONS,
and individults for the advancement ana
| DEVELOPMENT of the south. Wherever there
| is a southern farm for sale, its services
are at the disposal of the owner 70 heip
| in finding a purchaser. Wherever there Is
an opening fer a new southern INDUSTRY
| il endeavors to find people who are look
/ ing for an opportunity to establish such
an industry. Wherever laborers are
, wanted in the south, 1t co-operates in the
! effort to bring to that locality from other
, sections of the United States, or from
| Europe. just the character of immlgra-
ton that is desired The first act OF TINS
! department, when it was created almost
! Immediately after the organization Oh the
company was to invite the cooperation
of all the people along the lines of the
road and to place it's services at their dis
posal The work that it has done, ana
that it is doing, has been and VIII con-
tinue to be, in the most direct way, OF
| incalcuable benefit to the southern states.
1t benefits the railway company only sec
ondarily through the building up or the
| south. It's establishment was a recoS-
milton by the company of the fact that
the interests of the south and CT the
Southern railway are Identical
The frank recognition on both sides of
this identity of interests will go Tar 10
bring about the settlement of every ques-
ton between the people and the railways,
and I believe that 1t Is only in this way
that permanently satisfactory relations
between the public and the roads can be
established. | believe that the transpor-
tation problems of the United States must
| be worked out by harmonious co-opera-
ton between the railways and the people
| served by them.
Intelligent self-interest compels every
railway manager to strive constantly to
broaden the markets for all the products
! of the territory traversed bY the road
under his management. The results are
that the general level of rates IS forced
down: that length of haul becomes a sec
ondary consideration as compared with
the Importance of getting commidities 10
market and that substantial Justice Is
done to all shippers In all localities. The
practical questions presented to every
man interested In southern prosperity are
| whether this section Of the country, at
| least would be benefited by tying up
with legislative restrictions ana hamper
ing by administrative edicts the railway
men whose interests are your interests
and who have alredy done SO much Tor
southern development.
Harmony Desired.
Every effort should be made to de-
! Velop a spirit OF harmonious cooperation
| between the railways, on the one hand,
and the people, acting thorugh the state
and federal governments on the cther.
| This spirit existed in all parts OF the
country in the early days of railway de-
i velopment In the state of Alabama it
was manifested by large contributions OF
public funds to aid in railway construe-
| ton. The day for financial aid TO rail-
| ways has passed. but the need OF railway
| construction still exists In Alabama ana
| in many other states. This state mas but
| 942 miles of railway to each 100 square
| miles of territory and but 40 miles TO
each 10000 inhabitants. Compared with
northwestern states having approximately
| the same density of population this show