The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-20
RAILROADS BLAMED
FOR COAL SHORTAGE
DR.. Parker Talks of Conditions
in Alabama
RATE QUESTION SERIOUS
Believes Conflicts Between the State
and National Laws Must Be
Threshed Out In United
States Supreme Court.
RATE QUESTION SERIOUS

DR.. Edward W. Parker of the United
States Geographical survey has been IN
Birmingham for the past two or three
days securing the statistics on the coal
output for the past year. He has charge
of this branch of the survey, and Is con-
sidered one of the ablest coal experts in
the government employ.
1t will be remembered that DR.. Parker
was one of the commissioners appointed
by President Roosevelt on the famous
anthracite coal strike, the duty of the
commissioners being to settle that strike
to the best interests of everyone and the
country in general. Judge Gray and sew
eral other prominent men sat on the COM
mission.
Speaking of the coal conditions this
year DIR. Parker said:
Il think that the indications point to
good increase in the coal output for Ala
bama this year, and the increase would
have been larger but for the short
age I believe that West Virginia will
show the largest percentage of increase,
due to the strike early last year, which
did not effect West Virginia, but did eff
feet some other parts, permitting the
West Virginia mines to largely increase
their markets.
Railroads Are Responsible.
''rhe car situation, or the inability of
the railroads to handle the enormous bus
mess offered them is responsible. for any
decrease in the output. 1t is not alto
gether the fault of the railroads that
they cannot handle the situation The
railroads could not foresee the immense
increase in tonnage and their facilities
will not take care of the increase. They
have given orders for new locomotives,
news cars and other equipment, but all
the makers of railroad equipment are
from twelve to eighteen months behind in
their orders, although working night and
day.
THE railroads are double tracking and
increasing their yard facilities as fast as
possible. Why the work of the Southern
railway is something erroneous stupen-
dous when one thinks of it, and still
the Southern cannot increase its facilities
fast enough.
Supreme Court Must Settle 1t.
81 believe that this matter of railroad
regulation will have to be settled by the
supreme court of the United States, es
pecially where the state and national laws
regulating the railroads conflict. / do not
profess to have legal mind, but some
of the largest lawyers of the country
have told me that the states have no
power to regulate railroads, and that the
matter will finally come to the United
States court for regulation. 1t is a vo-
lation of the constitution, so some of the
best constitutional lawyers tell me, for
state to interfere or pass laws vio-
lating contracts. If this is true then
no state law which prohibits the railroads
and newspapers making contracts for adj
vertising and passes. as exist in many
states. is constitutional / do not believe
that many of the state laws regulating
railroads will hold good. and think that
they will fall when tested in the courts.
THE constitution of the United States
is very specific the matter of states
passing laws which violate contracts, bat
it has no provision in regard to the
United States passing such laws
DR.. Parker left last night for Wash
ington.