The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-05-06
THE WEEK WILL Be
BIG WITH INTEREST
Hearing on Railroad Fight
Comes Up Wednesday
TRUNK LINE ASSESSMENTS
Assembly of Municipal code-FertiI-
Izer Trust-committees of Lesis-
Iature-R. r. Commission.
End of Supreme Court.
TRUNK LINE ASSESSMENTS
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, May 5.-(Special 1.-The
only for the people of Montgomery, but
for the state as well. More than the usual
number of events are to be pulled off.
| They include the hearing Wednesday on
| the railroad fight against certain new
state laws, the announcement of the as
sessments put upon the trunk lines for
| next year, the assembly of the municipal
code and the fertilizer trust committees
| of the legislature, and the regular month
ly meeting of the railroad commission.
Along with the whole comes the begin
ming of the end of the present term of
the supreme court, which Is expected to
announce decisions on several questions
pending before 1t.
1t is easy, therefore, to see that things
are not to be duh with capital city folk
even though the ball club is out of town.
Naturally the railroad cases attract the
greater attention. They are in the United
States court for the Fifth circuit, Judge
Thomas G. Jones presiding, and represent
resistance on the part of the trunk lines
of the state to those acts of the present
legislature which propose to fix rates of
freight and classify lines make freight
rates in force January 1, 1907 the maxi
mum rates, reduce the passenger fares
from to 2k2 cents per mile, and revoke
the license of any company that removes
a suit from the state to the United States
courts. The very best talent In the coun
try has been secured for these suits For
the railroads will appear such men as
Judge HUMPHREYS, general counsel for the
Southern at Louisville; General Counsel
Stone of the Louisville and Nashville, and
nf
with the district and local attorneys for
all of the roads. A restraining order is
now in force Argument Wednesday will
be for an injunction and a general in
vestgation of the questions involved.
The States Side.
The state will have to combat the as
sertion that the application of the laws
will render 1t impossible for the carriers
to earn reasonable per cent on money
invested. To do this Governor Conner has
engaged strong array of talent to assist
Attorney General Alex M. CARRIER and As
sistant Attorney General Thomas w. Mar
tin, who will be in charge of the inter-
ests Of the commonwealth. The list in
cludes former Chief Justice S. ID. Weak
ley of Birmingham, former Justice Rich
ard w. Walker, Huntsville; Capt. F. s.
White and II. C. Seheimer of Birming
ham, and Horace Strngfellow of Mont
cation will be long drawn out running
possibly through the whole of Governor
Corners term. There is much interest in
the choosing of n referee in case an in
junction is granted. Many believe that
Judge Walker would have been selected
if he had not been employed by the
state, as Judge Jones is very fond of him.
Railroad Assessments.
Just what relation there is between the
values placed on their lines by the rail-
roads in the court proceedings and the
tax assessments to be set by the state is
not known, but the belief is that the
two will be somewhat allied. While the
assessment board has had the matter up
for some time no figures are reported,
though to be perfectly frank, 1t seems
the general scheme of raises has been
agreed upon and Is now being worked out
as to detail by the clerk of the board.
Raises In some of the minor lines have
been quite steep: If they are as great
with the major the tax increases from
this source will be largely increased. An
instance of the notice taken of the court
proceedings was brought out by Governor
Conner OF the assessment board. He asked
Col. A. A. Wiley of the Atlantic Coast
Line what his road was assessed at for
taxes. He said $4,000 mile. What in the
litigation. He said s91 900. The governor
smiled as If he had scored a point and
was satisfied.
Minor Meetings.
The supreme court will likely rule this
week or next on the suits of Henry b.
Gray and other minor stockholders of the
South and North, against the Louisville
and Nashville. seeking to prevent the sale
of the latter to the former.
The municipal code committee is ex-
pected to be able to report general city
charter. or code bill in about twenty
days. What the legislature will do with
It is another matter. Past history Is
not overly encouraging for results.
No excitement Is expected of the rail-
road commission, though there may be
some movements looking to better sched-
ules and more depot conveniences, as in
timated by President Henderson at the
last session.
The fertilizer commission has sum-
moned about fifty witnesses to prove or
disprove the assertion that an iniquitous
trust exists in the manufacture and sale
of this important agricultural commodity,
which charge has been fathered by Sem
ator Luther Leith OF Walker, chairman
of the commission.