The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
Says Fin|ey's Visit is NI-Timed
for AabamiaRS Have Their
Minds Made Up
BUSH'S CONVICTION MIGHT
GO WELL IN CARS COURT
But viii Not Do Among Free Anglo
Saxons-lnclined to Agree With
Culom That Hartman
Should Be In Pen.

| Gov. B. 3. Gomez has no apologies to
make for the railroad legislation enacted
during his administration. Yesterday he
which he reterates his position on the
railroad question. He takes for his text
the recent speech of President w. w.
Finley of the Southern railway, before
the Commercial club of Birmingham, and
! the remarks made by Mr.. Thorn, general
| counsel for the Southern, and Col. T.
G. Bush of Birmingham, at the ban
quet given in Mr.. Finleys honor Thurs
day night.
The governor thinks Mr.. Finley's visit
is il-tlmed and ill-advised and he says
| he feels confident the people of Ala
bama have not changed the attitude they
| showed at the polls last fall. Here is
the governors statement in full:
Admirer of Mr.. Finley.
| Regarding Mr.. Finleys speech, and
/ the Finley banquet recently made and
given at Birmingham, I would state that
[ an quite an admirer of Mr.. inley. He
is u very strong exhibit of what a
man can and Will do if he but tries hard
enough and long enough. TO climb from
the level of other folks to the pres-
deney of the & at Southern railway
/ system of railroads. shows distinguishing
ABILITY, and he is to be commended by
us all
"If | understand his tour through the
south and his public statements, then it
occurs to me that it was a bit ill-advised
and ill-timed. | will also call attention
to, the fact that parties in his company,
!. ,,ably Col. 7. G. Bush and Mr.. Thorn,
in their Birmingham talks criticised and
censured the recent railroad legislation
as enacted by the legislature of Ala
i bama
Fearing that the impression might get
out that the above gentlemen spoke the
sentiment of the people of Alabama. L
mink IL well to state to them, and to Mr..
the people of Alabama entertain the opin-
ions expressed by Messrs. Bush and
! Thorn, and that per cent have the pc
euler railroad environment which comes
from railroad employment, or railroad
! ass ,cation, both of which follow, sur
round and belong to Messrs. Bush and
Thorn.
Unprotected BY Law.
Col. r. G. Bush has all the time be-
| lieved and stated that the people and
business of Alabama should be left UNI
| protected by law-left to whatever mercy
/ the railroad interest might show them In
their general transactions with them when
unhindered. This conviction has come
| to him and followed him, Notwithstanding
! the fact that the railroads themselves
| have declared in public examinations that
| their idea of freight rates was the highest
| the freight would stand; Notwithstanding,
he was obliged to have known that they
We're showing determinations in rates to
the building of certain interests, and
but little consideration was shown some
| other interests. 1t occurs to me that
men with that kind of conviction-a con-
| yiction which he has so often expressed,
would make very good members of the
court OF Car icholas, but hardly good
leaders of the free Anglo-Saxon of the
! twentieth century
"Alabamians have ascertained by Bit
ter experience that it is right and best
| to protect by law. A law enacted to the
| last limitation of protection is the best.
| 1t is true that we have realized on this
experience at a late date; it is true these
laws have been made at late date but
the state should carry them through at
every hazard.
Reference to Demurrage Laws.
Particular allusion has been made to
the demurrage laws recently enacted.
| Those laws were taken almost bodily from
the Virginia statute; they have been sus-
| tained and approved by the supreme
court; they have ben sustained and ap-
proved by the experience of Virginia;
they are fair to both sides, and from
the very nature of the case they are
necessary and should be enforced
"If by any manner of means the courts
should find flaw in them, so necessary
are they, so important are they, that it
would pay the state to correct and sus-
tain them, even if we had to call an ex-
traordinary session of the legislature.
1.-The demurrage laws carrying car serv-
ice and car furnishings, as enforced by
| the railroads, have been one-sided, oner-
Gus and in large measure destructive to
business. The legislature would have been
very derelict In its duty to have enacted
a statute covering the necessities of the
| case.
Mr. Finley lays particular stress on
the statement that in the face of recent
legislation his company cannot sell any
| more securities with which to get money
| to repair his road, to furnish proper roll
ing stock, etc. l will simply suggest to
| Mr.. Finley that IL his company would
| stop paying interest on watered stock
| and take the earnings of the road and
put into these repairs and improvements,
he would be following the method of
every other business on earth except that
of railroads.
| IT will call his attention to the fact that
the people of Alabama have but little
sympathy with that poverty of condition
which comes from a stretching Of re-
sources to make Wall street fotations for
/ the purpose of building and placing Sc
| curities.
| Little Sympathy.
81 will call his attention to the fact
that his system of roads in Alabama are
| capitalized at over, $4,000 a mile, sum
| much more than they are worth, and
J that Alabama would look with alarm unnn