The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-04
SENATOR MO0DY'S PLEA FOR
 FAIRNESS TO RAILROADS

lvI quit the business of trying to raise stock. Should Lay Aside Prejud,ce. But I think that when we come in : to this chamber, we should lay aside prejudice against railroads, and try 10 consider this bill from a stand the people. As jurors take an oath to act impartially. so we, as Senators. snouid try to look at the question rom the standpoint of what is right 10 the railroads. and what is the best policy for the people of the State.
 we are charged with some resport- sl6ility. A majority of the Senate can Heieat any measure. Each of us is one-eighteenth of the responsibiIifv Tor any bad law that Is enacted, and we cannot get rid Of this responsibil- sIs nIs ps tnrowingtIts off on somebody tney ty expected me to study these ques- tons. Many of. them did not have tigate s me nsb Gr the to inves merits or demerits of many great propositions that night come before tnIs Dody. l take it for granted thev gbss SIbpec.ed ted me, not simply to inquire about this matter, but to act ubon my own Judgment and conscience.
 At the outset of this discussion I SaSn Sn 10 remind the Senate that a few which reduced the fare on passenrers rom cents a mile to 2 I-2 cents Tbis shay sIiy seem to the passengers but a desi to reSSue.ion. tSu n, but it means a great saIiroads what a reduction of 1 or , cents pound on cotton is to the farm CT A change of the rate from 3 cents auction of over Is per cent on the old Psiee. It should be borne in mind that snis IS almost complete loss of 1s edr eS h,t cent H., on all passenger fares affect-
 
 heaVy cut to make at one time on one ltem..It will take just as much coal araw passenger trains, and just as rate is men s 5o handle them when the rate were cents. The cost of trans Rortatlon will be exactly inc same The cut in the fare does not make a gut III the operating expenses.
 Does Not Increase Paasenxers.
 IL has been suggested that under a I0Wet p't rate more people might ride. put this can hardly be the case. Men VIII not go off from home just be- instead Of cents. No man in this senate, and no other man, will take a srip rom home just because of a re- noI.ion nn ne1, m the fare. so there will be ssring or the rate. It follows, there Tore. that as the lowering of inc rato es aoes not lower the cost of transpor the theion 'a5 or increase the number of fares.
 
 the net profits of the railroad, on ac- count Of the passenger traffic.
 1hls would seem to be a sufficient JOSS or burden to be placed upon inc railroads by one Legislature Rnt now comes along the bill, we have in mana: .tNot content with the reduction III III the passenger rate, it Is proposed py thls Dili to make a tremendous cut w the freight rate also. If I under stand the Dill correctly! the reduction n the rate to most points varies from ~ ~ per cent to 30 per cent, or more l ms IS a very serious proposition. both 10 the railroads and to the people. In this connection, permit me to call at tention to the change of attitude on bama. N NNAa
 Twenty-Five or thirty years ago the railroad mileage in Alabama was very small. There was then a great de- pression and dearth of industries in the State due in part to the want of facilities for transportation. The Leg islature met. and the members so clearly saw the need of transporta- ton. and so warmly espoused the cause nt railroad building, that they made large contributions of the States cred 1t to this end. The Legislature agreed the railroads at the rate of $I6.O0O per mile. Under this plan. the State lent its aid and credit to the railroads, and endorsed their bonds to the ex- tent of millions of dollars.
 State Sought Railroads.
 The propriety or impropriety of this course ] am not now discussing. I simply cal1 attention to 1t to show the attitude of the people of the State