The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-15
COMPLEX LAWS MAKE TROUBLE Railroads Do Not Know Where They Arc At WANT ToKNow REQUIREMENTS Arc Willing to Meet Just Demands
 When They Are Known. Representatives of Lines Tell state commission of Some of Their
 Prohiems-order on rels-
 graph Question.
WANT TO KNOW REQUIREMENTS

At yesterdays session of the Rail- road Commission those roads which have been cited to appear and show cause why they should not issue inter- line tickets to passengers, appeared, and either went into an explanation, or asked for a continuance of the case Those which appeared and made state- ments were the Seaboard Air Line. the Frisco System and the Louisville and Nashville. Other cases were postponed until next Monday.
 From the statements made by e ma- jorty of the railways representatives, who spoke before the Commission, they are willing to grant the inter-1ine rates, provided they do not interfere with the State laws into the States pas sengers desre to travel into. It was shown in one instance that a passenger travelling from a point in Alabama to a point in another State 800 miles away. for instance. would be charged $l5. or a nat rate of cents per mile. If this passenger, however bought ticket to the State line at l-2 cents per mile and then paid the rate fixed by law ;n the next State. he could save several dollars.
 The roads do not object to this. and take no steps to prevent it, but they charge the flat cent rate to protect themselves from any possible violation or State laws on passenger tariffs. !
 one Of the agents present stated that the laws in every State are so cornplex that 1t has gotten to the point where the demands upon the legal department are greater than they are upon the executive ofhces. The roads do not Know whAFa hav o$ are just as anxious to find out as; fine Railroad Commissions are to have then, found out.
 Cross at High Speed.
 During the hearing Charmaifi Hen. derson took occasion to refer to tha practice of the Louisville and Nash viile Road in several instances where tracks of other roads crossed its tracks.
 while we were on a tour of inspec- lIlon some time ago." said Chairman henderson. I've found that in Several instances the Louisville and NashvilIe demanded of the roads crossing it's tracks that they take all the precau- irons of preventing a collision The roads securing the rights to put in crossings were forced to put up semay- phores and have all their trains to stop before reaching the tracks of the Louisville and Nashville. 3s = AopPShCu ID Do present at one Of these crossings when the Louisville and Nashville train passed. It did not stop at all, but went by at a high rate of speed
 Tt occurred to me that If one of these semaphores should fail to work, great disaster would occur, as the signals are seldom so arranged that they can be seen by the man operat- ing them. This practice will have to be stopped and all trains come to a standstill before crossing the tracks of another road" fat
 No Mailed TeIegrams.
 The commission yesterday, through Chairman Henderson and Clerk Ken nedy. issued the following order rel alive to the mailing of telegrams: "It is hereby ordered that before &C., cepting any telegram for transmission between points within this State wherein part of the service is to be performed by mail, the Telegraph Companies shall execute the following contract, which shall be stamped or written on the face of the telegram offered for transmission and signed by the sender:
 T hereby consent to this message being mailed at - to destina- tion."
 Tt is further ordered that no tel egrams, except such contract is exe- cuted by the sender. shall be mailed by a Telegraph Company between points within the State of Alabama.
 This order shall become effective within five days from date"