The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-02
COMER ULTIMATUM PUTS ALL BLAME ON THE RAILROADS Will Call Extra Session October Z Unless Rates Are Put
 Into Effect
FEELS IT Is HIS DUTY
 WHEN LAWS ARE DEFIED
Not Unmindful of Action of Commer- claI Clubs, But Governor Says They Do Not Represent
 States Sentiment.

An extra session of the legislature now
 appears to be certainty. Governor Co.,
 mer issued a statement yesterday that if the statutes of Alabama on the subject
 of freight and passenger charges on do-
 mestic business were not being observed
 by all of the railroads by October he
 would call together the legislature to deal
 with the whole subject and for the pur- pose of passing such laws as will secure
 the full regulation of the public service
 corporations in the state.
 "Up to this time," said Governor Conner, 'I am not advised that the conditions
 have changed. As the public probably
 knows the Southern railway. the Mobile
 and Ohio, the Alabama Great Southern,
 the Seaboard Air Line, the Atlantic Coast Line and the St. Louis and San Fran
 cisco commonly called the Frisco) have
 conformed to the Alabama statutes, re-
 ducing and regulating freight and pas. senger rates, and are serving the public
 at the rates prescribed by the legislature of Alabama. This they are doing uncon- ditionaly, without the use of coupons or other devices, and with no claim upon their patrons for additional compensation.
 They are willing to give the laws fair test and trial, and have manifested dis
 position not to defy the state4 it's people or it's legislative and executive depart
 ments. After the Atlantic Coast Line, in August, decided to put the new rates into effect, there remained by two rail-
 road companies and their allied lines, do- .t.t I,a secured injunctions from the federal court that had shown no disposition to
 conform to our statutes. These roads
 are the Louisville and Nashville and the Central of Georgia and their allied lines,
 the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis
 and the Western of Alabama.
 Felt It His Duty.
 "Under these circumstances, I felt 1t
 my duty to the people of the state to first give the roads last named another opportunity to fall in with the majority l of the lines doing business in Alabama, | and to announce that upon their failure | to respond, I would call the legislature to- 1 gether to deal with the whole subject, to l the end that all might be brought to re- | spect the statutes of this state, if possi- | ble. I have since announced, expressly, l that which was implied in the first state l ment namely, that if the four roads adopted the reduced rates, upon the same terms agreed on with the majority of the lines no extra session would be called at the time indicated.
 "If an extra session of the legislature
 is called, therefore, for November, the re- sponsibilty rests directly upon those who captiously continue to disregard the just demands of the people, expressed by an
 oy erwhelmng majority at the polls, and
 formulated into law by an almost unan- imous vote of both branches of the legis- lature If this resistance continues. the dignity and honor of the state require me tC take the step proposed.
 Hits at Commercial Clubs. q am not unmindful of the action that has been taken by very few people, ln the name of several commercial bodies of
 the state whereby the executive is sought to be influenced to recede from the posi- ton he has taken in this matter. "The people of Alabama number about two million souls. But very small DOT tion of them are even members of any commercial body, and hundreds of thou sands of them live in rural communities,
 with no voice vote in the associations, clubs or societies of the towns and cities. They look to the public officials to pro- tect their interests. and they always sup
 port their officials in an earnest endeavor
 to secure obedience to the states laws, and respect for it's dignity and authorsy. No voice of objection or protest has come from these nor from hundreds and thou- sands of the residents of the cities and towns who believe that the railroad cor porations should not be allowed to dom- mate the state, without an effort to avert it, and that the executive should exhaust
 all his power in the performance of his
 constitutional duty of seeing that the laws
 of the state are faithfully executed.
 Rates Are Not Severe.
 "The Alabama laws on corporations and
 rates are not severe. They are exceed ingly reasonable. The railroads are car
 rylng passengers in Arkansas and Geor- gia at 2 cents per mile. The two rail roads named that refuse to put In a 2h- cent rate in Alabama have accepted lower rate in Georgia. The reduced
 freight rates nere are simply those that have prevailed in Georgia for years.
 will somebody explain why it is that orders of the railroad commission and
 laws are so readily obeyed in Georgia.
 and so readily and stubbornly disobeyed
 in Alabama? I confess I cannot answer. "Is the executive of the state to be de-
 tered in the performance of his duty,
 because a handful of people. instigated by railroad influence, meet at few points and by a majority of less than 10 votes re- solve that an extra session ought not 10 be called? Such is not my conception of the executives duty at this crisis.
 My statement of August Fist remains
 in full force, and the call will be made about October T. unless the reduced rates are sooner made effective by the two roads that havealready been mentioned and their allied lnes.'