The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-24
Committee On Commerce and
Carriers FaV0rs Passage
Of Measure
PRESENT RATES WILL Be
THE MAXIMUM RATES
Bills Are Administration Measures and
Have the Approval of Governor
Comer-Committee Favor
Colbert Dispensaries.

Montgomery, January 23.-tSpeeial')-
The bill to regulate and make freight
rate in Alabama, the bill to make the
present rates in the state the maximum
rates and the bill providing for filing and
payment of claims for lost or damaged
freight Will all be reported favorably to
the senate tomorrow.
This course was decided upon by the
senate committee on commerce and com
mon carriers this evening. The rate
measure provides for the making or all
classes of rates, the classification of com
modities and the classification of roads.
1t provides against roads charging classes
TO defeat rate schedules and lays down
rules for their maintenance. The maxi
mum rate measures fixes for all time the
present schedules as the maximum
No railroad can lower these rates nor
can the commission put them down, the
operation of the bill being to prevent any
carrier in the state from ever charging
more than is now received.
The claims measure is the one recon-
sidered in the senate today. 1t will be re-
ported with a substitute meeting the con-
stitutonaI difficulties presented today,
among other things the time in which
railroads may settle claims will be in
creased from thirty to sixty days. All
these bills are administration measures
and are with the approval OF Governor
Conner. They have been carefully eHdfn-
ined and are supposed to be fully able to
pass constitutional muster Capt. f. S.
White, the Conner leader, met with the
committee tonight to advise about any
legal points that might come up.
Anti-Cisarette Bill.
The senate committee on public health
will hear from the opponents of the anti
cigarette bill tomorrow. Capt. F. 5.
White. manager for Governor Conner in
the recent campaign and well known In
the state for having lead several polit-
icaI fights to victory, will appear for
the cigarette manufacturers.
The senate and house today in joint ses-
sion ratified the election of United States
Senators Morgan and Pettus made in
separate session yesterday.
Dispensaries for Colbert.
The committees on temperance OF the
two houses today decided to report bill
for dispensaries in Colbert county, one
to be at Sheffield. another at Tuscumbia,
another at Cherokee and another at
Leighton.
The fight was very strong, number
Of prominent men from Sheffield being
here to fight the dispensary idea.
Votes to Reconsider.
The senate took a little trip today
down a hill that 1t 1aboriously ascended
the day before and voted to reconsider
the vote by which 1t passed bill on
Tuesday to provide for the collection of
claims against common carriers for
goods lost or injured In transit. 1t was
thought by many that the bill as passed
was not constitutional, in that it pro-
vided for penalties that seemed to some
dangerous and also that 1t only gives
railroads thirty days to pay claims after
fling 1t was the impression of many
that II such a bill passed 1t would be
knocked out by the courts on the ground
of unreasonably short time to make pay
ment.
The discussion was very spirited at
times. Mr.. Gardner grew very eloquent
at times. He said that the great scare
crow of the constitution was drawn up
for the members at every turn. Why
not pass the bill. Did not the senators
have sense enough to know whether or
not It was constitutional? He thought 1t
was time to get to work and pass legis-
Iatfon that was expected of them or go
hack horne and tell the people that any
thing relating to the making OF railroads
do the right thing by the people could
not get by the constitutional bugaboo.
Miller Has a Word
Mr.. Miller was very sure that the bin
ought to be recommitted and given more
attention. He took occasion to say that
this was one of the issues upon which
the campaign had been fought and he
Ala NOT want to make any mistake. He
was also of the opinion that 1t was high
Tina that the legislature get to work
and begin to pass these measures de-
manded by the people and upon which
fhey were elected. He was not satisfied
with the bill as it had pcssed and he
Thought 1t best to have II sent back,
and he would so vote. Mr.. Overton. chair
man of the committee on commerce and
common carriers, said that while his
con,uittee had reported 1t favorably, he
was not satisfied and he wished to have
II recommitted
nortfon of the minority in the senate on
TUESDAY the suggestion being made by
Mr. R1ackmon and others that 1t could
not hold with provisions for four-fold
damages and giving onlv thirty davs to
settle claims. After 1t had gone the rounds
Mr.. Lusk recalled a motion he had made
n table the reconsideration motion and
n was taken back and re-referred to the
common carriers committee.
Lusk Bills Hard Sailing.
The bill presented by Mr.. Lusk some
days ago to prohibit contributing on the
part of corporations to political parties,
was the first call on the senate calendar
and came In with a favorable report Mr.
J,usk made a speech in which he talked
of the great immortality of the corpora
tions in their efforts to control legisla-
tion and urged that 1t be made impossible
for them to do SO any longer He thought
such practices high corruptive of the
morals of the people and he was for
making it Impossible In the future
The members of the senate took up
much time in discussion of the bill.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 81