The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-23
Ask for Same Treat rnent as Citizens. WHITE AND NEsB1rT
 INSIST ON NEW LAWS Large Attendance of Those Interest
 cd at Hearing. Leader. in Industrial Field Point Ont That Future of south Is Bound Up in Future of
 soutRs Railway
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 A delegation of the leading railroad men of sthe South. headed by Presi' dent W. w. Finley of the Southern appeared before the Senate Committes on Commerce and Common Carriers yesterday and plead for the same leg islation that would be accorded citi' gen of the State. Captain Frank 5. White and w. D. Nesoitt. political ad- visers and friends of Governor Conner appeare1 before the committee as ad- vocates for pending railroad Legislation and and in opposition to the arguments by the railroad officials.
 The committee was frankly told by Major !. F. Hanson. President of the Central of Georgia. and by other of the railroad speakers. that certain rail roads could not possibly stand the re- duction which it was proposed to make. The Committee was told that the railroads could nor undergo such reduction and continue business.
 "You may pass the laws. Your courts may issue the orders. You may Jail us, but that will not enable us to do the impossible" said MaJor Hanson, "A new law, an order From the court. will not furnish us with single new car. It will not build a new track nor buy a new acre for terminal facilities nor will 1t enable us to borrow the money to increase our facilities when we are not making the earnings and when we haven't got the securities to put up.
 Addressed by Finley.
 President Finley of the Southern in long address dealing with the pres- ent condition of the railroads and with the state of public mind towards them, declared that Alabama, like every other Southern State, needed in creased facilities for handling the bus iness it's great prosperity had brought 1t more than 1t did a educIion of it's present rate. Like others who spoke before the committee he deplored the work of the agitators who had arous- ed the public mind ands arrayed the public against the railroads. He de- alared that the prosperity and well be-. ing of the South were wrapped up in the railroads of tue South. and that the interests of the railroads were the interests of the people,
 He asked that the railroads should be considered citizens of the State and treated in the same manner in which citizens were treated--no better and no worse.
 The Senate Committee on Commerce and Common Carriers, of which Sena- tor John w. Oyerton is. chairman, has before 1t the railroad Legislation which is said to be favored by the Governor and by the majority of the members Of the Legislature.
 A public hearing of these bills was set down for yesterday, to which both sides on the ending measures were inc vited. The invitation brought to Montgomery an array of the most prominent railroad officials that the city has entertained in long time and it brought the largest array of railroad attorneys and officials that has yet been seen at the Capitol dur ing this session of the Legislature, for practically no railroad attorney and no railroad official has appeared in the lobby.
 Many Railroad Men.
 Tho assembled crowd of railroad off, hcials included President W. W. Fin ley of the Southern. President J. F. Hason of the Central of Georgia. President C. A Wickersham of the Western. General Manager R. V. Taylor of the Mobile and Ohio, General P. P. Thom of the Southern Third Vice. Pres ident A. II. Smith af the Louisville and Nashville, Vice. President A. R. Law ton of the Central of Georgia. General Agent J. S. B. Thompson of the South ern. and number of well-known Ala bama attorneys, consisting of E. K. Campbell and John r. Tillman of Bir- mingham, George w. Jones. R. E. Steiner and B. P. Crum of Montgomery. large number of subordinate railroad men were present and watched the pro- ceedings of the committee.
 In favor of the pending bills. Capt. Frank S. White and W. D. Nesbitt spoke. but briefly. They argued be- fore the committee that the fight had been made. the questions had been dis cussed, and the issues were ready to be made up. They argued that the questions had been before the people of Alabama for the last four years. and that the Governor, and the members of the committee as we'll had been in- structed by the people of the State
 The committee, as well as the large crowd which filled the galleries, during the hearing, gave particular attention to the address of President Finley of the Southern. In his preliminary re- marks, President Finley alluded to the speech which had been made by the late Samuel Spencer a short month be- fore hi1 tragic death. in the city of Montgomery, and not very far from the spot on which the committee sat That last address of his was a message to the people of the South, of whom he was one. President Spencer was ban just to the east of Alabama. Presi- dent Finley told his hearers that he
 
 of the Alabama line.
 Higher Wagesj Less Income.
 President Finley mace one of his strongest points when he portrayed the railroads between two great forces.
 "One of these forces Is now in Wash nigton, where conference is being held between our officials and a com mittes of our trainmen, who are ask 4ng for higher pay" said President Fin ley. The trainmen are demanding higher salaries to meet the increased cost of living. It has not been long since We granted our trainmen and em- ployes an increase over their old wages
 The other force is the power of leg islation which Is endeavoring to reduce rates and reduce our income. On the one hand is organized labor demanding higher pay: on the other is legislation reducing our income.
 And gentlemen. you should not forget that every bit of material which the railroads use has increased in price with other matcrl7l. Every tie, evey locomotive, every single