The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-23
Southern President Says Roads
Want Only Just Laws
DESTRUCTIVE LEGISLATION
Makes an Address at Banquet Given
In Honor of Himself and other
Prominent Railroad Men
at Memphis.

Memphis, April ZZ-W. W. F1nley, pres
ident of the Southern Railway company.
made an address tonight at a banquet
given in honor of himself and other
prominent railroad men at the Hotel
Gayoso by John H. Watkins, the newly
elected president of the Memphis Rail
road Terminal association. Mr.. Watkins
invited one hundred representative busi-
ness men to meet his guests Among the
visitors present at the banquet board
were President Finley. Col. E. L. Russell.
vice president of the Southern and Mo-
bile and Ohio railroads; F. H. Britton,
vice president ano general manager of the
St. Louis and Southwestern railroad, and
Governor M. R. Patterson.
Declaring identical the interest of rail-
way and people depending upon 1t for
transportation, President Finley of the
Southern Railway company. as one of the
principal speakers at a banquet here to-
night at the meeting of railroad officials
and lumbermen, made a strong plea for
fair treatment towards the railroads OF
the country on the part of the public. All
that the railroads want-d, he said was
the assurance of perfect liberty to develop
their business under fair laws.
Contending that the future growth of
the south depended in large measures on
the attitude of the southern communities
toward railroad development he said:
Restrict Investments.
II cannot conceive that the people of
any locality should deliberately favor
policy that would restrict investments,
for business men will not put their money
in any locality unless they are assured
that its transportation agencies are strong
enough and prosperous enough to expand
their service with the growth of these.
Since the construction of railways first
began they have ever been the forerun-
ners of investments. In this day In To-
calities already supplied with railways
further investments depend on the as
surance of the adequacy of railway ia
ciities. For these reasons southern In
dustriai development and railway de-
velopment must go hand in hand in the
future as they have In the past. Stihe
or restrict railway development in any
section and the inevitable result will be
to stihe or restrict all industrial progress
and material advancement in that Sec
tion.''
Spend Large Sums.
Mr. Ffndley said that If the railways
of the south are 20 increase their eff
cheney as transportation agencies and as
allies with southern communities for
southern development, they must spend
large sums of money within the next few
years He said that the vital question
confronting the railways and the south
ern people was as to how the money for
this purpose was to be obtained.
Mr. Finley pointed out the inadequacy
of railway income to provide funds for
betterments and extensions, showing that
If every dollar of the net income of the
Southern railway from its organization
had been used for this purpose, 1t would
have amounted to only about $500 per
mile whereas the railroad has actually
spent or contracted to spend for capital
ICED betterments and improvements more
than $96 ,000 or within fraction or
$4,000 per mile on its present mileage.
He showed that adequate funds could be
obtained only by borrowing and that ev-'
cry attack on the earning power of
railway through legislation reducing ar
bitrarily its charges or imposing onerous
and restrictive conditions on its operation.
is an attack on its ability to maintain
and improve its service and reacts op
those it is intended to benefit.
Passenger Fares.
Referring to the proposition to reduce
passenger fares in the southern states, as
an illustration of the character of legis-
lation that cripples the ability of a rail-
way to perform service and improve its
facilities, Mr.. Finley pointed out that pas
senger rates that might be profitable in
states with dense population and heavy
traffic like Massachusetts,, New York, or
Ohio, would be impossible in states like
Tennessee and Mississippi, where the pop
ulation is so sparse that heavy traffic
cannot be built up at any rates. He con-
tended that all laws imposing penalties
on railways for failure to perform i'm
possible service were inimcal, both TO
the railways and the public.
In conclusion President Finley, said the
south needs urgently and speedily a
great expansion of its transportation
facilities. The railroads are willing and
anxious to supply these facilities, he said,
If given fair play and a square deal.
CoIenI Russell Speaks.
Col. E. L. Russell, vice president of the
Mobile and Ohio railroad followed Mr.
Finley He said he was in full accord
with the purpose of the interstate COM
merce commission and believed that that
body was composed of intelligent and
honest men. He declared that in the ex-
ercse Of its proper functions the COM
mission is a good thing for the rail-
roads, and also the people.
Former Congressman John Allen of
Mississippi and Governor Patterson also
made addresses. Governor Patterson said
that he was in favor of giving the rail-
roads a square deal, but he demanded
that the same square deal be given the
people of Tennessee. He announced him
self as unalterably opposed to govern
ment ownership of railroads.