The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-31
ADMINISTRATION RAILROAD
 BILL PASSES THE SENATE
 AFTER LONG DAY OF DEBATE

Reese had misconstrued his remarks, if he thought they constituted per sonal attack. The remarks were sim ply his views of the proprieties of a Senate debate Senator Reese said If he had said anything offensive in the heat of debate. he would withdraw the remarks.
 T only thought the Senator from Colbert was looking for . scrap" said Senator Reese, and the Senate laughed.
 sArEues Against Delay.
 Speaking on the bill. Senator Rey- holds argued against further delay. The bill had been thoroughly examined by the committed, which had approved it. The people had demanded the leg isIation, and the time had come to give 1t to them-
 Senator Reyncids quoted number of figures which dealt exclusively with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The first set of figures was tG demonstrate that as rapidly as the total gross income of the railroad increased just so rapid ly did the operation expenses of the railroad increase. In one year, the to- ral income would increase in the neigh borhood of s200,00o, but the operating expenses would show the same in- crease It looked like a shrewd at- tempt of the road to prevent the gov- ernment from knowing how much money it made.
 Senator Reynolds then quoted figures to show the reduction which the pend- ing bill would make over existing rates. Cotton would be shipped from Center vile to Montgomery for 23 cents a hundred pounds instead of 2s cents hundred as at present. Bagging would be reduced from 24 cents hundred to 20 cents hundred. The rate on corn meal and oats was reduced from Is cents hundred to 12 cents q hundred.
 Senator Moody spoke for an hour in an exhaustive presentation of his side of the case. He sal as a member of the Alabama Senate he was charged with one thirty fifth the responsibility for its Legislation. He proposed to dis charge that responsibility without dic- tation from any man. It was . new doctrine that the Governor should dic- tate legislation. He warned his fellow Senators they were gathered as jurors to decide question and not to carry out any one mans will.
 Calls Measure Discrimination.
 He deplored the attacks which had been made on one industry In Alabama, and he inquired why so much discrinf- nation should be exercised. a discrim- ination which made one industry the subject of attack by the people and by other industries.
 "It was different thirty years ago." said Senator Moody. 'Then we were begging capital to come in and build railroads. We were pledging the cred 1t of the State at $16.00e a mile for railroad building. The capital came In from other States and from foreign countries. It has been Invested here It has built up our Industries. and new what do we propose to do with it after we have got 1t here,
 Senator Moody read a table of fg- ures to show Chat railroad property was paying less returns. on it's ifivest1 ments than any other class Of property. The table he had showed that the aver. age returns on various industries were as follows:
 Cotton factors, per cent; furnaces. s per cent. rolling mille, 6 per cent; coal mines, 8 per cent; On railroads the re- turns were as follows: Alabama Great Southern, 2.2 per cent; Atlantic Coast Line, 5.5 per cent; Central of Georgia. no dividends; Kansas City and St. Louis, IS per cent; Mobile and ohio. 3.s per cent; Nashville. Chattanooga and St. Louis, no dividends; South and North mo dividends; Louisville and Nashville, 6 per cent; Seaboard Air Line, no dividends.
 He submitted that the wholesale at- tacks on the railroad industry were not justified.
 Pass on Amendments.
 The first amendment proposed was prepared by Senator Overton and fa- vored by the friends of the bill. It was an amendment which transferred the Atlanta. Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad from the third to the fourth class of railroads. The Senate adopted this amendment by 8 practically unani- nous vote.
 The second amendment was proposed by Senator Jones of Wilcox. He wished to change that section, which declared the bill should become operative with
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