The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-17
COTTON SINNERS
 END THEIR SESSION  Papers on Industry and EIec-
 ton of Officers FINLEY MAKES AN ADDRESS Southern's President Says If Progress In the South Continues Early h. crease of Railway Facilities
 Must Be Secured.

Philadelphia, May 16.-Much business was crowded into the concluding session today of the American Cotton Manufac- turers' association convention. Besides the many interesting papers read on sub jects pertaining to the cotton industry there was an address by President Fin ley of the Southern Railway company the election of officers and reports from com mittees. The report of the secretary and treasurer showed the organization to be in a prosperous condition. Among others who addressed the convention was Con- gressman Burleson of Austin, Tex, James T. Fuller of Charlotte, N. C., who spoke on "Combined Cotton," and w. H. Car rier of Buffalo, N. Y.
 President Finley called attention to the assistance rendered by the railroads in the development of southern industries and pointed out that the demands for railway service in the southern states have almost reached the capacity of the roads, and that If southern progress is to continue there must be an early in- crease in the facilities of southern trans portation agencies
 He said that if the roads were to pro- vide these facilities they would require large amounts of new capital for the ob- taining of which the maintenance of earn ing power was a fundamental requisite. Unfortunately the legislation enacted in some of the states and proposed in others, he said, was tending to make it difficult for the road to sell their bonds to pro- vide funds for new construction.
 Effects of Legislation.
 '9This condition of affairs he said Ifs injuring not only the railroads byt every business in the country. Legislation at tacking the power of roads to maintain their earning capacity and proposing to impose penalties upon them for failure to perform services beyond their ability can only have the effect of injuring their credit and crippling their power to afford the additional facilities so imperatively needed"
 MT. Finley said that laws subjecting common carriers to proper regulations, such as might be necessary to prevent discrimination or unreasonable charges were proper and could not be objected to. but that when legislation went beyond this proper field of regulation and proposed to reduce charges arbitrarily and to i'm pose penalties for failure to perform inn possible services 1t became destructive.
 In conclusion he said: q think that every intelligent man on careful consider ation must realize that any legislation having this effect is not only unjust but that 1t is as unwise as it would be to dam the rivers and fill up the harbors of the country.
 .If you agree with me as to the identical interests between the railways and pub lie if you realize as l do that a railway cannot be prosperous until the communi- ties along its lines are prosperous, and that, con servesely a community cannot be permanently prosperous unless 1t is served by a strong and prosperous railway, able to give prompt and satisfactory service and to increase it's facilities, 1t is your duty as patriotic American citizens to do everything in your power to bring about a universal understanding for inevitable ef- feet upon the country as a whole of the crippling of it's transportation facilities
 Business Honor.
 w. D. Hartshorn of Boston, Mass, president of the National Association of Manufacturers sister organization, said that without any suggestion of amalga- nation of the two bodies he hoped the two organizations would work harmon iousy for the good of the industry.
 President Whitman of the National Wool Manufacturers association spoke of American business honor. He deprecated the cry set up by the army of agita- tors Wno, under the gulse Of reformerS, could see nothing but evil in the land. He said the standard of business honor in this country today is higher than ever before.
 The committee having in charge the matter for the controversy with the New York cotton exchange over the grading of cotton reported that it had a confer ence yesterday with committee from the New York exchange. The committee said there was harmonious exchange of views in regard to the establishing of cotton warehouses in the south and the advisabilty of making changes in con- tracts and the classification of cotton. No