The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-22
SENATOR'S TALK OUT
 IN DISCUSSING IT
Declare Time Has Come to Quit
 Messing With Railroads.
Barbour snd Einson Say They Have Been Supporting Raailroad Bills, But This Was Not in Platform and is
 Us5ust.

V 2
 'sThe time has come for us to quit messing with the railroads. The limit has to be reached some time and with me it Is reached now. Let's allow the railroads to help manage their own af- fairs enough for them to check bag gage over their own lines."
 So declared Senator Barbour in the Senate yesterday, discussing the Gov ernor's excess baggage bill. And the Senate agreed with him. for, notwith- standing the fact that the measure had it's own, place in Governor Corners rail- road code, the Senate indefinitely post yponed the bill and all pending amend nients. N.
 It was the first of the Governors railroad bills to be defeated ats the extra session. The only other defeat the Governor had sustained has been in the compulsory education bill. measure which he named in the call and proposition for which he has an- nounced himself number of times in his educational speeches.
 But the Governor was not especially interested in the compulsory education bill and. but he was in the Excess Bag gage Bill.
 The drummers' organizations of the State were also behind the measure, and 1t is understood that they had two or three representatives in Mont gornery during the extra session work ing for the bill, which passed the House with comparative ease.
 The declaration of Senator Barbour was of special significance. because he has heretofore acted with the major ity of the Senate In supporting all the Governors measures
 T have consistently held that the railroads should be regulated" said Senator Barbour. 'T have voted for the railroad bills and voted conscien- tiously, but there Is a limit to all things. There Is even limit to rail- road regulation. Even 1t can be car ried too far.
 ..The time has come for us to quit messing with the railroads. Let's al- tow the railroads to help manage their own property so that they can check the baggage on their lines. 1"
 Practically the same view was taken of the measure by Senator Hinson of Lowndes. who has supported the bills regulating the roads.
 ''The bill Is not only unjust and \ unfair. but 1t is dangerous" said Sena- tor Hinson. "It not only offers a man { a chance to be dishonest but it ac- tually affords him temptation to be dishonest. Under this bill a man can buy a stock of dry goods. put 1t into trunks, buy a ticket and ship those trunks as excess baggage at a lower rate than the statutory rate.
 Tt may be true, as claimed by some of the Senators, that the railroads have themselves sometimes granted an excess baggage rate lower than the freight rate. but this is piece ot gen. erosity. and I am not in favor of pass, ing a law which will offer the tempta- ton to a man to be dishonest.
 T have stood for the regulation Of the railroads and I have voted for most of the bills. have voted for all the bills carrying out the issues of the campaign, but this bill was not in the campaign.
 T never heard of the proposition during the campaign. It was not diB- cussed, nothing was said about it fin the papers. While have supported the regulating measures, draw the line at this bill"
 The measure was earnestly support ed by Senator Reynolds Senator Rey- holds said that the railroads could well afford to concede something to the travelling man who went about with his grip making business for the road The roads could grant favor to them and secure fine return"
 He submitted that the bill was not unfair, as 1t put the rate at sS cents a hundred pounds, while the Frisco was allowing a rate of 30 cents on the hundred. Mir Reynolds quoted number of figures to show the amount of profit made by the Alabama rall- roads on excess baggage
 It is true. he said that the bill would be more beneficial to the travelling men of the State than to any other class but he submitted that they were deserving of some consideration az the hands of the railroads. He quoted figures to show that the rate on excess baggage as named in the bill was the same as that in a number of other States.
 He declared that the railroad men had shown no good reason why the bin should not be passed. but their statements before the committee, on the other hand. had really justined tne claims of the friends of the bill.
 Senator Blackmon moved the in. defnite postponement of the bill and pending amendments. If it was pass ed. he said that the railroads would have to use freight cars 10 manure their baggage. AL.
 The motion prevailed by the over whelming vote of 16 to 5.