The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-06
URGES CONSERVATISM.
Prominent Merchant of Montgomery
 Talks of Railroad Situation. Montgomery Special to Atlanta Con-

Prominent Merchant of Montgomery
 Talks of Railroad Situation.
 Montgomery Special to Atlanta Con-
 w. F. Vandiver. one of the largest wholesale grocers in the State of Ala bama, who has recently returned to Alabama after five months absence in Europe. deprecates the extreme ground which has been taken in some Instances in the vsrious schemes of railroad regulation.
 have existed that absolute justice should be lneted out That the rights of the railroads equally with the rights of the people should be kept in view. He saidf
 T am not m favor of extreme meas ures either by the State or National Government neither do l approve of ar. bitrary. action on the part of any of be settled properly in this spirit.
 T know that railroad rates in Ala bama have needed reaG!Lstment for urgently with the railroads to correct the abuses Of which the people claim than 1. and warned them on~freqnent occasions that the question would eventually become political one. This was long before the regulation became political issue. When peaceful meas ures failed. there. was no other rem edy but the appeal to the people, which of necessity made the matter political question.
 ''The people stood the railroad abuses as long as they could. and when they became desperate. they have Tesorted to desperate remedies. jhe railroads have, in III any iustanceG vigorously re- sentsd. Hnd danGerI Is condIttoil of aairs has been brought aboIu.
 Country Wants Better SeFvieo. The United States Government. as well as the State governments. have temporarily overlooked the fact that improved service is more desired by the industries of the country than lower rates. It is fact that 1t Is im+ possible to move promptly the agri- South. This has worked to the disad- vantage of the producers, and also the manufacturers all over the country, and thus a business question has developed demagOgues to ride into office on this | popular wave of ref f)rm.
 q must not be misunderstood in the above statement. l admit ths absolute necessity of regulating the railroads: believe that it is right and proper that this sh ould be done. 1 believe also that the railroads are largely re- sponslble for the condition which now | exists. Claims against the railroads in the past have been ignored, and the difficulties in the way nf getting them | corrected mas become intolerable. Tnr smaller the claim, the greater the diff | fculty of securing an adjustment. Too many railroad officials overlooked the fact that patrons had rights which l this condition was cou!itenauced by the l higher officials of the roads, but it cer- tainly existed.
 Beware of the Dema agogue. | "1 also believe that while we are regulating the railroads. we should have due regard for their interests as well as our own. l believe this ques- ton requires statesmanship of the l highest order for it's solution Dema- gogues and petty politicians cannot be | depended Gn to settle this question and while the rights of the people are strongly demanded or enforced. there should be no desire or intention ito crip- pie the railroadg. I am firmly of the Opinion tiat the leading railroad off ! cials have no desire to oppress the peo- pie I think it is Ereat mistake for the people % hold these people per sonally responsible for the trouble and oppression visited upon the public and bonded largely in excess of their actual cost, and this has made neces- | sary increased demands for revenue tC meet fixed charges, and dividends or stocks.
 Tn my judgment it is extremely un- fortunate that the enti~raIlroad aEi-
 tation. both by our tational and State
 governments, has occurred at this time
 especially IS this trus so, taraRs ths
 West have well-nigh O double track l system. This is not the case in th(
 South I dare say there is not sin
 gle one of the great systems operat.
 ing in the South that does not neet | practically double the amount Of en 1 zines and cars that they now have and double-trackinR most Of their sys