The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-08
Governor Conner Tells Solons About the Railroad En1bropLio.

ciared in a. public speech in a neigh uiistie.- the excutive of fyoais your neighbor- conduct of the Presiaenpt pas'iS of the s1a United States tass.a as & &dastardly: All of this h is thus denounced. recognize the demands of the people for protection against corporate greed and mismanagement. Of other States, have advised ard urged legislation protective of the people.
 T am informed that had it not been fair trial of your laws would have been given by all of the roads, and a great deal of friction would either not have occurred or would have been
 T have used every effort with this | road to secure a settlement and the
 adoption of your laws; going so far as
 to propose the removal of anything in l these statutes that could be pointed | out as dangerous. hurtful or destruct-
 i've to the fai,roads. The authority to | c'i1nge the rates you gave the Commis-
 sion. end 1 was acting in accord with | the'n.
 T was met by the statement from | the railroad that any legislation limit | ing its charges or management would | be regarded as confiscatory, and by the | lHdL In6 Call TOT dIl tAlTd ScS- | sion should be revoked. and the rail- | roads left unhindered. free from inter- | ference in making their rules govern {, ing their relations to the shippers of l the State.
 ITO use their own words, the States authority over the public service cor | porations should be limited to prevent l ing rebates. discrimination and pub1fc- | ity of rates, leaving charges on the | transportation of the country and the | rules governing the business relations, | otherwise free from State control and | the railroads absolutely free to make rules governing heir shipments in the State as they saw proper. In other words, there was an absolute refusal to recognize your rates and observe your statutes. "Others Have Done It.. This conception of the relation of the public service corporations to the shippers Is obsolete and dangerous Ev- cry advanced State has already taken or is taking measures to prevent just such contentious. Texas, Missouri. H. linofs, Iowa, New ork, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia and other States have pioneered legislation between the carrier and the shipping public. Their legislators have placed the power of the States between the public service corporations and the shipper limiting their charges and rules, which limita- tions, instead of being hurtful. have developed property and have been up- building both to railroads and to every interest of the people.
 "So, in following the lead of these states, we occupy no dogmatic or indi- vidual position, but one clearly defin- ed. already worked out and proven ad- vantageous to every species of business and property and our State would be derelict in the duty and obsolete in it's laws, if we did not seek to maintain
 the position that the paramount inter-
 est to be preserved is the interest of the producer and consumer.
 The tax payers of the State have accepted your laws establishing State
 equalization of taxes in the attempt to have every one pay on the same gener- al value. The tax payers have accept ed your laws giving largely increased appropriation to your courts. the old soldiers and the schools.
 The liquor interests of the State have accepted the laws which practi- cally debar them from business and turn them out of a large-part of the State. The express companies accepted our laws simplifying their charges and greatly reducing same.
 The Southern Railroad and its al- lied lines have accepted your laws and. dismissed their suits The Frisco and the Atlantic and Birmingham Air Line have accepted your laws, pending final "The Louisville and Nashville and Central ot Georgia have refused to re- cognize your laws. They have en- Joined the State in the Federal courts. and while protesting legality in their course, are actually Ignoring your
 State laN 8, placing their property different from every oth her property in the State as to legal responsibility and thwarting the will of the people, and defying the principle of States rights to regulate and have practically bound lIp the civil and criminal powers of the State.
 All this has been done in the face of the fact that the proper authorities of the State have extended to them ev- cry courtesy looking towards a settle ment of the controversy. and have pledged that if after trial. the rates should prove harmful, then a remedy would at once be given.
 And it must be ever rememb cred that these law-made rates and regula- tions, whihc they have refused, and about which they are creating a dis turbance all over the State, are exactly the same which they have tried for years and are now using in neighbor- ing States. and which have not proven destructive, so that there was but little risk in the trial.
 Tt is evident that the question at issue is not so much freight rates or passenger rates, but whether or not the State shall dominate and control its own affairs by limiting the rules and charges of the public service cor shall have the liberty to deny your tempt on the part of the State to con- trol them or limit their charges
 Bills Drawn by Attorneys.
 This proposition I consider to be so dangerous, that following the advice of your counsel, the Attorney General and the counsel employed by the State to assist the Attorney General in the presentation of the cause, I recommend and advise the passage of certain bills which the States attorneys have drawn for the purpose of strengthening the States position to aid in settling whe- ther or not the people of Alabama have the right to dominate their intra-stat affairs and make laws regulating them.
 "I will caution you again that these bills are prepared by the States attor- neys. upon which the State will go to trial, and this legislation is advised be- cause 1t will be helpful in securing compliance with your statutes fixing passenger and freight rates.
 You, of course. understand that the railroad interest will be opposed to these acts, and the question will be squarely before you, whose advice shall we take, the advice of the rail- roads which are defying your laws. or the advice of the attorneys employed by the State to represent the State in the interest of the people; whom shall we let dominate and control us. tho people or the railroads|
 His Opinion of Smith.
 q will call your special attention to