The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-17
Governor Says There is No Change in General
 Conditions
EXTRA SESSION WILL BE
 CALLED AS ANNOUNCED
Railroad Commission Holds Busy Ses- sion and the Cases of Reciprocal Demurraee Are Taken Up.
 Governor Talks.

Montgomery, September 16.-(special)- Gov. B. B. Conner returned to the capitol today after an absence of nearly three weeks, during which time he visited points of interest in the east, taking this as his annual vacation.
 At his office this morning Governor Conner met a large number ol his friends and held several conferences, the nature of which he did not disclose. His first official act was one of mercy, issuing parole for Sam Hall, convicted mur- derer. who is in the last stages of con- sumption.
 The governor declined positively to dis cuss the relations between the state and the railroads. When asked about the prospective extra session he said that there was no change in the conditions which prompted him to decide to call an extra session at the expiration of his ul- timatum to the railroads During the morning Governor Conner was in confer ence with Lieutenant Governor Cray but MT. Gray said that there was nothing of public interest discussed with the gov ernor.
 Tomorrow Governor Conner will delive. an address before the convention of tax assessors, which convenes in the hall of the house of representatives. Thursday he will go to Jefferson county to de- liver an address at the laying of a corner stone for new school house. The gov ernor is in excellent health and appar- ently derived great-sbenefftr as well as pleasure from his rest.
 Railroad Commission Meet.
 The adjourned session of the state rail- road commission convened today. The at fp0d so tba paa essary to hold the session in the supreme court room where representa- tives from every public carrier in the state gath cred to assist in the argument for mod ification of the demurrage and reciprocal demurrage rules issued some weeks ago by the commission.
 President J. C. Haskill of the Southeast ern Service association was agreed upon by the railroads to present their side of the case, and he spoke for several hours, furnishing much evidence of the injustice of several clauses in the rules. An ex- tnson of the time limit was asked for. and the short lines asked to be relieved entirely of the demurrage to other roads, and for the privilege of declining to re- ceiye or deliver to roads where there was congestion at any important point.
 The argument on the application of tho Farmers union and the Union Springs h. dustral association for capitalized rates on compressed and uncompressed cotton was postponed until the second Tuesday in October. at which time the committee will take up the matter of river naviga- tion as provided for In an act passed at the summer session of the legislature.
 Tax Assessors Meeting.
 Alabama will introduce an innovation tomorrow when a state convention of the county tax assessors will be held for the purpose of discussing recent legisla- fr,f fI,ac cfo ta Chairman Mitchell of the state tax com mission conceived the idea of having this convention for the purpose of familiar izing all of the assessors with their du ties, and to prevent delays in awaiting decisions on matters of doubt, such de- csons invariably being incumbent on the attorney general.
 Among the speakers who will address the convention are Governor Conner. At torney General Alexander Garber, State Auditor W. w. Brandon. Secretary of State Frank N. Julian and others. The convention will be purely informal, and all of the delegates will be requested to speak right out when question which they dc not understand arises.
 Secretary J. A. Wilkinson of the de- partment of agriculture will leave to- n4glt for Washington, where he goes to confer with the national department of forestry regarding the treatment of old trees by the creosote system. Experi- ments along this line have already been made at Maplesvlle under the direction of a government expert and have so far been highly successful
 Commissioner Wilkinson goes to Wash ington largely for the purpose of secur- Ing further consideration at the hands or the government in the line of agricultural development and during his visit he will also obtain some idea of the requirements for the establishment of the soil survey. which Is authorized by a recent enact ment of the legislature. The government has promised to send experts here to assist in the preliminary work, and to direct the development of an efficient commission. The purpose of this commits sion is to examine soils in this state so as to intelligently determine their adapt ability for different kinds of agriculture, and also to determine the best methods of treating against insects and pests of various kinds. Commissioner Wilkinson expects great good to result from this commission.
 Samples of old trees which were put through the creosote treatment at Naples vile are now on exhibition in the office ef the commissioner of agriculture and are sources of considerable interest Old trees that are hardly fit for firewood are treated in such a manner that they will make splendid fence posts, with an av- craze life of twenty years.
 Refudng Tobacco Tax.
 On the decision of Attorney General Alexander Garber, under which tobacco dealers handling cigars and tobacco in connection with their business as a side line. are entitled to refund of the spe- eial tax. the state has already paid out f-l the neighborhood of $15.o00. according 10 the records in the office of the state aud itor. and a large number of dealers are vet to he heard from.
 TT of he al vas that where a business was not en-