The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-10
All Administration Measures Ire FaOrabIy Reported In Both
 House and Senate
BOWIE AND HANSON TALK
 AGAINST THE ADOPTION
Major Hanson Takes Some Sharp Raps at Roosevelt-BoWie Claims Pen alties Imposed Would Bank
 rupt Roads in One Day.
BY HERVEY w. LAIRD.

BY HERVEY w. LAIRD.
 Montgomery, November 9.--(Special)-- After hearing from the attorneys for the railroads today the judiciary and common carrier committees of the Senate and the comerce and common carriers eom- mttee of the house agreed to report favorably the series of bills presented in the two houses yesterday fixing rates for freight in the state and classifying inc railroads These are the main bills of the administration and are expected to result in making it practically im- possible for the railroads to fight them in the federal courts
 As noted yesterday, these bills group the ! freight rates into 24 groups in eight bills. The railroads will have to fight on each group and will have to prove each group improbable to get them raised The commission has no right to enforce them, but they give these rights to each in dividual who may be charged rate l higher than that in the bills. In this way the process of injunction is headed | off as the courts have held that suits can not be enjoined after they are filed. | The bill also abandons the principle of 1 classification of rates. giving the cost of haul by name and miles
 Extend Statute of Limitation. 1 1t is of interest too that the commit tees have agreed to report favorably tho bill extending the statdte of limitation ten years Tllis will make it psssir r men to bring suit for failure to f.f service as long as teD years attea the satd failure This act will make it inn possible for the railroads ever to get out of litigation, thinks former Congress- man Bowie. who appeared for tAe Louisf vile and Nashville railroad today In addition to the group bills all the other l bills have the same success with tho committees. being approved and will so be reported These others provide for penalties for refusal to accept the lawful rate, keeping railroads from shutting out 1 from trains persons who have paid the lawful arate and several others,
 The committees of the two houses to which the railroad lls were referred, held an open joint meeting today and heard from railroad men, Speaking for 1 the Louisville and Nashville, $. J. Bowie, said that the penalties of the laws pro-
 posed would bankrupt any railroad in the state in one day. President Hanson | of the Central of Georgia, said his road | could not live if the income was cut down. l President Smith of the Louisville and
 Nashville was present, but did not | speak.
 l Mr. Hanson took occasion to criticise l President Roosevelt saying that he was l the cause of the trouble now on in the financial world; that he was a demagogue. agitating for effect and that while he had
 voted for him and contributed to his
 election in the past he would not now
 vote for him for dog catcher
 Big Crowd at Hearing.
 Besides the members of the legislatl' l committees on common carriers ane I eral leading railroad men, there ] great crowd of other citizens and
 bers of the two houses at the public 1 ing on the railroad bills at the ca
 today. Sitting with the two committees 1 were the members of the judiciary com
 mittee of the senate, to which number of the measures had been referred. For mer congressfan $. J. Bowie, law part l ner of F. H. Cabaniss of Birmingham, represented the railroads.
 Among the traffic men was President ] Milton IT. Smith of the Louisville and l Nashville. who has had a prominent place | in the messages and interviews of Cover
 
 frequently said, Is alone responsible for
 the failure of certain lines to observe the
 state laws, a result of which the extra
 session was called. Another magnate or l note was J. F. Hanson. president of the | Central of Georgia accompanied by w. l A. Winburn, vice president of the same
 system R. F.. Steiner of Montgomery. l district counsel for the Central, was also | present.
 Chairman John W. Overton of the sem
 ate committee made the announcement
 that 1t was desired that every interest
 about which there was 10 be legislation be | given the fullest hearing. He was not
 disposed to limit the time. either. On scv- , eral occasions before MT. Oyerton mad : made the same assertion, it certainly be-
 ing his policy to have nothing done in
 hasty way The members of the cori-
 mittees made up large court as they
 sat in the senate chamber and gave time
 10 the arguments.
 Bowie for Road.
 Sidney J. Bowie former congressman. 1 made the argument for the Louisville and | Nashville railroad and the Western of l Alabama He said that if the roads should
 go into the courts and fail. the penalties l of any one of the bills presented would | bankrupt the lines of the state in one | day. It would amount in fines and pen | aIties to millions of dollars each 4 hours. | The bill to prevent removal of cases from | state to federal courts he regarded as 1 unjust and unfair. as it deprives the rail roads of the rights or litigation gwen to | other citizens.
 | MT Bowie then argued that the excess | baggage bill put rate on for this lower | than for freights, and that penalties of | the 2ia-cent passenger bills would run for ----------~-----------~ >--~-~-------~~-------~>