The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-10
Adjournment May Come By Next
 Saturday Night
EVERYBODY IS IN HURRY
Some of the Arguments Advanced For and Against the Rate Bills-Ru- mors of Filibuster Tactics
 To Be Adopted.
BY c. M. STANLEY.

That was an interesting hearing in the senate chamber this morning when former Congressman Bowie and Maj. J. F. Han son. president of the Central of Georgia, appealed to the joint committees of the house and senate to take ne radical ac- tion against the railroads of state at this time. They presented t. cir case well, but, of course. their arguments were futile for in this case the mind of the jury was already made up.
 That the legislatures mind is made up was evident from the start, but it will not be uninteresting to analyze some of the objections that the railroad interests urge to the pending legislation. They maintain that the Louisville and Nash will is being persecuted and cite this as an example: The Louisville and Nash vile under the new law will be put in the first class. That is it cannot charge more than per cent above the basic or Georgia rates. The Southern is in sec- ond class and can charge 20 per cent above the basic, while the Alabama Great Southern, conceded to be one of the best equipped roads in the state is put in the third class and can charge 20 per cent above the basic The Louisville and Nash vile maintains that these concessions are made to the Southern roads because of their agreement with the administration to put into effect the rates adopted at the first session.
 MT. Nesbitt, representing the adminis- tration, denies that the agreement had anything to do with classifying the roads.
 Again the Louisville and Nashville con tends that the proposed laws are uncon- situational, because they provide for re- coveries of damages, where there is fail ure to put the rates into effect, before their reasonableness can be determined. For example. if man offers 21a cents mile at Montgomery for a ticket to Birmingham and 1t is refused he can bring action for damages any time during the next ten years. Every ticket sold in the state pending the determination of the reasonableness of the rate like wise entities the purchaser to bring suit for damages. In other words, according to MT. Bowie, this morning, Enough suits could be filed up in one day under this law to bankrupt every road i'll Alabama." 7"
 Said Major Hanson: "Under this law the railroad has no chance If the proposed rates are found to be uni ust we have no way. to recover what we have conceded. I told Governor Conner the other day that if he would make a personal bond to guarantee us against actual loss pending the determination of the reason ableness of the rates we would put them into effect as quick as he could snap his finger. He refused. In other words we lose whether we put them into effect or whether we don't"
 MT. Nesbitt, however. presented some important facts to the committees iusti- flying the bills. He said the eight new bills take the place of the "110 commodi- faO not Ina cassifies something like $500 articles and of this number the proposed laws cover but no. Ores, coal, coke, pig iron, and naval stores constitute 75 per cent of the freight traffic of the Louisville and Nashville in Alabama. These articles are not mentioned in the bills, so that the lawmakers propose to regulate but 2i per cent of the Louisville and Nashville traffic. The Louisville and Nashville Is allowed to charge per cent more than the Georgia basic rates, which have been in successful operation for twenty years, and the administration is, therefore, un- able to see any injustice in them.
 A significant statement made by Major Hanson this morning was that Alabama
 would be benefited more by Legislation or resolution inviting capital to the state and laws which would guarantee capital per cent return than would be accom- plished by punitive legislation.
 Mark my phediction,'' he said; "that state adopting the most liberal policy to- ward capital will outstrfp all others in the years to come." Some of the railroad attorneys seen tonight are inclined to be of the opinion that if the pending rate bills are passed they will be absolutely unassailable The railroads will be placed entirely on the defensive. The only pos sible point of attack is on the unconsti- nationality of the bills, and in the minds of many of them this is rather gloomy outlook. Some of the most able attorneys on the railroad side believe the bills will stand all tests as to constitutionality. There was a great deal of discussion in the Hobbies among the members of the legislature tonight, and even if Major Hanson and MT. Bowie did not succeed | in preventing the passage of the rate | bills they set a number of the members | thinking.
 There is no doubt but what the leaders | in the house and senate are sincere in their belief that the bills are just and l will not prove burdensome to the rail- roads. There is a general impression aN-e ..1 in the state that the members dc
 nes know what they are doing-that they 1 are slnpiy swallowing whole every dose | the governor sends to them This is a mistake The majority of members dc | know what they are doing, and they can
 
 measure.
 | There is a belief here tonight that the l session will probably end next Saturday night Many members when home to- night to spend Sunday, but they will be | back bright and early Monday morning The leaders expect the rate bills to be pa ssed by both houses by Wednesday l or not later than Thursday at the out.
 side. The gaps will be filled in by prohi- btion talk, pistol-toting, and antf-cocaine | measures. While there are great many l local measures 1t is presumed that they | can all be disposed of in two or three l days.
 | There was some talk tonight of a pool | ing Of interests among the advocates oi anti-prohibition and anti-rate legislation 1 by which it was hoped to flibuster and
 possibly keep both subjects from being
 acted upon. These rumors are probably | eroundless. for no one denies the large majority in favor of rate legislation ! Neither does anyone deny the strong
 ff<1r7