The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-04
MAIN PROBLEM
 STILL IN AIR Railroad Action Not
 Outlined. SESSION IN THREE DAYS
  Atlanta Conference of Governors Did Not Clear Matters. While southern Governors seek to "Do- mesticater the Isailroads, Presi- aent is Urged to Call Extra
 Session of Congress.


 dent is Urged to Call Extra
 session of Congress.
 Three days more and the Alabama Legislature meets and nobody knows what will be done.
 It was expected that the gubernato- rial conference in Atlanta. in which three Southern Governors participated, would adopt q program which would be followed not only in Alabama. but in Georgia and North Carolina.
 As a matter of fact, however. the Alabama Legislature will be slightly affected in its legislative course by the Atlanta conference. If tho conference attained any tangible agreements or results, they were not made known. When the conference closed, 1t was un- derstood that each State would ham mer along in its own way at the prob lems which had arisen.
 The unexpected feature of the situa- tion is the semi -ofhcial announcement sent out from Washington by tho As sociated Press that President Roosevelt was being importuned to call an extra session of Congress to pass laws to set- tie existing controversies. This an- nouncement declared that the purpose
 
 a bill which would compel all corpora tions doing an interstate business to incorporate under one general law.
 This is exactly opposite to the wish of the Southern Governors who were elected on the anti-railroad platform. They want all the common carrier cor porations to "domesticate," that is to organize under the State law which will keep them out of the Federal Courts.
 This is undoubtedly the idea of the Alabama administration. The Alabama administration without doubt wants each railroad fin Alabama to ask for and secure new charter under an Ala bama law. The administration wants the railroads to do this so that they can not take case to the Federal B Court.
 This, too, was the task of the Atlanta conference.-the find a way by which foreign corporations. particularly the common carrier corporations, could not have a way in which to get to the Fed eral Court The conference, it is easily seen, Awas not exactly successful. be- cause the Governors participating in the various antf-railroad campaigns had promised the people different things.
 Close on the heels of that confer-
  | President has been asked to call an extra session of Congress to make a uniform law. It is further intimated that if the President does not call the | extra session. Congress at the next regular session will pass bill for na- | tional regulation and organization which will clip the wings of all rail- road corporations in their relations to l the State.
 This is not at all to the liking of the Governors who made their campaigns on an anti-railroad platform. It will confuse tho issue in Alabama when the Legislature is convened in extra ses- sion to carry out the wishes of the Governor.
 In the meanwhile, the railroads will not know where they are at." They have filed the complaint that they do not know what to do, between the de- mands of the State and the demands of the national government. The Louisville and Nashville is pursuing steadily the declared policy of Presi- dent Milton H. Smith, to find out defi- nitely the rights of a foreign corporay tion which has heavy investments th Alabama
 MT. Smith takes the position that any agreement must necessarily be of temporary nature, and that the only way in which the question can be finally and definitely adJudicated is in the courts.
 In the meanwhile, it is contended, all railroad improvement and development in Alabama will be suspended. No additional money will be spent until the question Is finally settled.
 In short, it Is the policy of President Smith to get the question in the courts and have 1t settled there and to re- move 1t entirely from politics. In his letters, he declares that this is the only policy which wIll take the railroads out of politics, a consummation for which he is laboring.
 Other matters were namedfin the call as sent out by Governor Conner, but the main question was the passage of such railroad acts as he would sug- gest. It was expected that the Att lanta conference, held at his initiative, between Governor Glenn of North Car olina, Governor Hole Smith of Georgia and Governor Conner of Alabama, would find a means to settle the question by concerted action.
 Nc Concerted Action.
 But this proved to be a vain hopel The conference proved one claim of the railroads--that politics in one State had demanded of them different things than were demanded of them in other States. For instance. it de- yeloped that Governor Smith of Geor- gia had promised the people a l-2- cent passenger rate, while Governor Conner in his agreement, had promised the people of Alabama 2, S-4-cent messenger rate. So. on that important particular, there could be no uniform agreement
 In the meanwhile the panic was on and the outlook for the development | of the various States was dark and gloomy. The developing corporations were pleading with the President for an extra session of Congress. for the purpose of passing uniform corporation acts which would vitally affect the various States and which would run counter to the wishes of the Governors