The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-04-26
FINLEY SPEAKS
In MOBILE
Pays Tribute to the
South.
HEAD OF SOUTHERN TALKS
Touches Briefly on the Railroad
Agitation In Alabama.
Predicts Great Future for Sunny Land,
and Declares Mobile IL to be
Benefited BY decreased

w. Finley, of the Southern Railway,
delivered an address this afternoon be-
fore a large number of representa-
tive business men under the auspices
Of the Mobile Commercial Club. He
was introduced to the assembly by
Vice President E. L. Russell. Of the
Mobile and Ohio Railroad.
President Finley said In part:
II regret exceedingly that / was
unable to be with you at the formal
opening OF your beautiful passenger
terminal Nothing less than impera-
tive obligations elsewhere could have
prevented my coming. AS I could not
be here then to attest my interest by
my presence. 1 doubly welcome the
opportunity of being with you this at
ternoon.
Tribute to the South.
II feel, by birth and early associa-
tions. especially Identified with these
far-Southern communities. have
known their people IN the greatest
history-making epoch of their distin-
guished history. have watched them
struggling up from the ruins of their
ancient and honored civilization,
wrought by war. to their present high
place among the commercial and I'm
dustrial peoples Of the earth. / have
seen them meet and conquer bravely
and unfaltering1y difficulties greater
than ever before confronted a people,
and I am proud to have been, to some
extent, a co-worker with them In
achieving this historic triumph. The
future historian. in chronicling the
mighty achievements o { men, will
write no more brilliant story than that
which tells of the progress of the
South. within ane generation, from
the disaster. poverty. and ruin incl
| dent to war, to tn efront rank among
the people OF the earth.
"we have met here this afternoon
| to study sound policies and to consider
what may still be done to advance our
commercial and Industrial interests.
south,s Brilliant Future.
.srhe commerce OF the United states
with the Latin American countries 10
now growing more rapidly than that
| with any other part of the world Mo-
| bile already has a considerable snare
| of this business and no city Is more
| favorably located to profit from the
completion OF the Panama canal or
from the existing facilities for TRADE
with the Western coast of the Ameri-
can continent and all other Pacific
DOTIB, Dy Way VI tHC 4 1hoibn 1890
and the Tehuantepec Railway. The
completion of the Panama canal will
give a great impetus to the develop
ment of all the countries south of the
Rio Grande. with the prosperity OF
their people will be increased wants,
for the supply of which they will draw
largely on the United states. Mobile
and the other gulf ports are SO situat-
ed as to secure the largest benefits OF
this important commerce.
st believe that a far larger proper
ton of the raw materials produced in
| the South should be manufactured in
| this section, and that, IL this can be
| brought about, the result will be to
| increase the wealth and prosperity OF
| all the Southern states.
There are only two ways of reach
ing markets-rail and water. Neither
is sufficient alone. Water transporta-
ton Is not adequate for interior COM
merce, nor by itself for coastwise or
| for foreign commerce. Rail transpor-
tation must stop at the shores OF the
sea.
Railroad Agitation.
'Tt would be just as logical for the
people to array themselves against wa
ter transportation, or to undertake to
hamper and cripple 1t, as it is for them
to array themselves against railroads
ana TO LaVOr policies WHICH Will ndmp-
er and cripple them.
81 think IL is apparent that any
| public policy towards the railroads
which limits their power to increase
their facilities and their carrying ca
pacity, to keep pace with, or to even
| anticipate the productive capacity OF
the Southern people, is destructive of
| the best interests-of the vital inter-
ests-of the people themselves.
to tn nninf nttf 70 tn
telIigent business men that the power
of railroads to increase their facilities
Is dependent upon their earning capac-
ity or their credit or that their credit
is dependent upon sustained earning
capacity. The roads cannot expect to
earn enough from their current opera
lions to provide themselves with the
facilities absolutely essential In the in
terest of our people. The money must
be borrowed.
81 do not believe that, with a full
knowledge of the facts. and with a
full appreciation of the destructive
consequences to railroads, to their rev.
enues, and to their capacity to serve
the public, either the Governor or the
Legislature would have favored the
legislation In question, and when the
true facts are known. 1 have supreme
confidence that the course of this COM
pany and of the other Alabama car
riers will be upheld by the conserv-
atism and by the sense of justice and
right of all the people of Alabama"