The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-12
Effect of Southern 5
 Action.
Many Believe That competins Roads win Have To Come Across With Reduced Rates--No Help To
 Consumer.

With Governor Conner out of the city and the railroads saying nothing yesterday was quiet day in the con- troversy of the officials of Alabama and the railroads of the State. Since the pronuciamento by Judge Jones of the Federal Court from the bench Fri day afternoon, in which he gave vigorous warning of the serious dan gers that turk in the methods that have been pursued to force the rail- roads from the Federal courts, there has really been no development in the situation.
 There was some thought that the other roads of the State might yield to the pressure that could be brought to bear. and follow the example of the Southern, 4n so modifying as to prac- tically annuI the injunction by the Federal Court But so far, at least, there has been no move, either by the State or the railroads. to bear out that idea.
 The Frisco system announced Sat urday that it would take the same course, entirely voluntarily, as did the Southern, but that action is not taken by the officials and attorneys of the other railroads in the State as a seri- ous inroad upon the ranks of the de- lending roads. The Frisco has but one line in the State, that leading from Birmingham eastward to the Missis- sippl line, toward Memphis. While it is quite an important line, there are only about 100 miles of it in Alabama.
 Meanwhile those who are familiar witt the situation and have followed the litigation fail to see any method by which the other lines Of the State can avoid reducing their rates, in part, at feast to a point approximately that which the Southern has granted. There may be, and in fact it seems somewhat improbable, that there will be. any formal modification of the rer straining order. at least in the cases of some of the railroads. But the re- duced rates will be granted. at least in part; that i@ the belief of those who are posted on the subject.
 The Southern, for illustration, has re- dueed it's freight rates on 110 com modities from Birmingham to Mobile. in accordance with the enactment or the Legislature at its winter session. Wil not the Louisville and Nashville, it is urged, be compelled to provide a similar rate on its business from Bir- mingham to Mobile, O. lose the busi- ness? And if lower rate is estab- lished between Birmingham and Mo- bile. must not a similar reduction be made in the rates on those same ar ticles between Birmingham and Mont gomery. between Montgomery and Mo- bile, or between CaIera and Green vile.
 The same situation exists in the con- petitive situation. between the South ern and the Seaboard on their lines between Birmingham and Atlanta, which for part of the distance are not far from parllel. And there are other competitive lines in Alabama which are affected in the same manner. Then, too each competitive line that reduces its rates because of the action of the Southern. 1t is urged, will bring still other lines that are in competition with it. but not with the Southern itself, in- to the matter, unil the entire matter of rates in Alabama promises to become very complex and involved.
 But there are some roads in the State which are not affected. even in the remotest degree, by the question of competition. And there are roads in the State which, despite competi- tion, will stand out for what they re- gard as a matter of principle, of more importance to them than the loss of busine-5 temporarily. And so it seems certain that ali the roads of the State will not join in modifying the restrain ing order issued by the Federal Court. nor will they even go so far as to vol untariiy reduce their rates. at this crisis ,even to the slightest extent
 They assert that even If they were se lower their rates, the people of Ala bama would not be benefited. The price of guano, for illustration, they declare would not be lowered nickle. no matter how great reduction might be made in the freight tariffs The price to the consumer would still be the same, and the only effect of such rec duction would be that the manufacturer would add the difference in rates to his profits.
 It is the same in every branch of industry. The owner of any given cotton mill in the State would like to see the reduced rates made effective. as 1t would mean money in his pocket "a saving in the amount that he would have to expend for freight, both on raw material and the finished product. But 1t would not mean that either the mer- chant or the individual man or woman who purchased the cotton goods from that merchant would be enabled to get the product any cheaper. The price to the consumer, in every branch, would still be the same.
 There was some talk on the streets yesterday that the business men of the city, as well as of other places In the State, would unite in a protest against any such conflict as took place in North Carolina, urging that the people Of the State, the consumer class, would not be benefited in any event. and that such a conflict of authority, if the State authorities should insist upon bringing it about, could not but result disastrosly to the credit and reputa- tion of the State abroad.
 Whether this sentiment of opposi- tion to any conflict of authority will crystalize into any concerted action or not could not be learned And should there be any action, it was not known whether it would take the form of