The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-21
Railroad Officials Are
 in Montgomery.
FINLEY AND RUSSELL
 TO SEE THE GOVERNOR
President of Louisville and Nash vile May Also Confer.
Positive Declaration that the Road which Has Been Holding Out Against the state Laws
 Has Not Changed
 Hts Policy.

Governor Conner will have confer ence with some of the leading railroad men of the South today. at which Pres ident Milton H. Smith of the Louis vile and Nashville may be present. President Smith was in the city last night and the probabilities were that he would see the Governor at the con- ference today.
 Other attendants at the conference will be President W. w. Finley of the Southern and Jvice-President E. L. Rus sell of the same road. In all prob ability, the subject of the conference will be the extra session which Gov ernor Conner has called and the pending litigation in the Federal court between the State and the railroads operating In Alabama.
 extra session are problematical and : speculative. Nothing could be learned If, in fact. there was anything definite. beyond the conference, to be learned.
 From railroad attorneys who were in the city last night 1t was authorita- lively learned that there had been no change in the attitude of the Louis- vile and Nashville. 1t insisting that the acts of the last Legislature should be tested in the courts and that they should be suspended while the litiga- tion was in process. That one thing seemed settled last night-that the Louisville and Nashville had not changed its policy.
 This was further proved by the is- suance of a statement by President Smith. in which he replied with char actefistic vigor to an interview wflt- ten by a stan correspondent and pub lished yesterday in The Atlanta Con- stitution.
 President Smith followed his policy of declining to talk for publication. Beyond his statement. which was dis- cussion in general and an answer to the Governors claims in The Constitu- tion interview, he had nothing to say.
 Governor Conner returned last night from his usual week end visit to his Birmingham home. Over the phone he declined to make any statement in ad- vance of the meeting today , President Finley Here.
 President w. W. Finley of the Southern reached the city last night at Il o'clock. It is generally known that since the Southern amended its bill in the Federal Court so that the new freight and passenger rates were put into effect. he has been more in favor at the executive office than any of the other prominent railroad offi- cials. He has had several conferences with the Governor and the general inn- pressioa has been that he has tried to get the other roads to do as the South ern did.
 It is believed that President Smith came to Montgomery in response to one of the several invitations from the governor for a conference. It will be recalled that in the published corre- spondence between the Governor and President Smith, one of the letters from MT Smith was in reply to sug- Restion from Governor Conner that there should be a conference. It is supposed that some time ago another suggestion for a conference went to President Smith in Louisville from the Capitol.
 President Finley of the Southern was in Montgomery several days ago, at which time he met the Governor at the Capitol with J. s. Barbour Thompson of the Southern. It was said that President Finley went from Montgom- cry to Louisville, and the talk was that he was trying to effect a com promise between the two parties to the litigation in the Federal Court.
 It was indicated in the hotel gossip last night and there was considerable gossip growing out of the presence of the railroad officials, that the Louis- vile and Nashville officials had agreed to the conference, in the belief that continued deelination would be taken to mean perverseness by part of the public.
 Going to Press Suits.
 On the other hand, it is said that the Louisville and Nashville authori- ties are determined that their original policy of determining in the courts how far a Legislature may go in the regu- lation of a corporation without tres passing upon rights assured under the Constitution should be continued.
 In the gossip it was said that If conference should effect compromise, it should be no assurance that the ques- tion could not be opened by future Legislature and the controversy be brought no nearer a settlement than now. In other words, 1t is held that the Louisville and Nashville. having set forth In it's bills in the courts that the rate laws passed by the Legisla- ture were violative of property rights and confiscatory, should continue its legal fight until the courts had passed upon the question. It was contended that the roads owed it to the future to finally settle the question now and that compromise would leave the question open for further agitation and controversy.
 Vice President A. R. Smith came to Montgomery yesterday with President Smith. and will probably be present at the conference today. c. B. Compton. traffic manager of the Louisville and Nashville, was also a member of the party. The Louisville and Nashville will have number of matters before the Railroad Commission which meets today and 1t was said that Mir. Comp, ton came to be present at todays meet ing of the Railroad Commission.
 Gregory L. Smith. of Mobile; John F. TilIman. of Birmingham. and Judge R. H. Walker. of Huntsville, were also at the Exchange last night They ara