The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-02
ABOUT RATES
GOVERNOR WRITES TO ALL CON-
 GREssMEN.
neeiares Increase of Interstate Rates Aims st vitsIs of oonsumptfon and Was Unwarranted.
 Urged to Act.


 Birmingham. August l.--(Speeial. )--- Governor B. B. Conner has addressed letter to the Alabama representatives tn Congress regarding the increased freight rates scheduled to go into ef- feet August l. He asks that the Sem ators and Congressmen forward iet- ters to the Interstate Commerce Com inisAion, the Attorney General and to tho President. requesting that steps be taken that the people may get a proper nearing on the increase in rates which were put on without any conference had with the people. The letter In full follows:
 Allow me to call your attention to the present interstate increase on freight rates. This increase VIII fall in the largest measure on articles Of the heaviest weight and of the most immediate consumption. most directly taxing the consumers of the State, and will amount; I understand, to a million dollars a year. As you know ss per cent of the adults of our state are iaborers. whether in feid, mine or officc does not cut any figure. This ss per cent pay them in the largest measure this Increased freight charge.
 Will call your attention that the railroads claim they are ievying this CHAtk tO ttA1AnhAAu tilG plltG VI thaG faborers. You can easily understand that it ts to maintain the interest on their watered securities. They have been immensely prosperous On the old interstate rates and the crops to be moved are prognosticated to be the largest and no matter what the price may be. they have their fixed charges. You can easily see then that this in- created charge, imposed upon the necessities. of life. will come directly out of fhe poorest labor, on earth, that which produces cotton. and also out of the vast class of other labor. CTS of our State wh ether In mine or manufacture.
 This conduct Of the railroads in raising the rate without any confer ence with the payer. without any con- ference with anybody. simply getting together and Of their own cupidity making the incueased charge. shows the absolute necessity of the conduct Of our Federal off1ceholders, particu- iarly House and Senate of Congress. and suggest to you as Alabama's Congressman to forward telegranns and letters to the Interstate comrnerce Commission. Attorney General Bona paFte, and to His Excellency, Presi- dent Roosevelt to take such steps as will secure a proper hearing for our people before these largely increased freight rates so into effect. Imnedi- ate action ib necessary. because bitter experience teaches us that if the rates set in and appeal from court to court is made, the people have no redresssi \ and as 1t is the consumer and not the merchant who pays the rate, you can sec that you will be taking the part Of that most unprotected part of our fellow citizens, the farmers and the workers. when you take up this great cause. It 10 no longer freight rate on yard Of calico, a hat or q pair of shoes. but they are attacking the very. vitality of consumption, and that is, the meat and bread of life. Judge speer, of the Federal Court, in his de- cision yesterday at Mount Airey, stated that his court had Jurisdiction becauso 1t was the very living of the people who were to be taxed.
 Wili simply add that former mtes have been in effect many years and you have only to go back year and half and see what proportion their earnings heve increased under the rates. to realize how apparent Is tho subterfuge of the. price of labor. par ticuiarty % when we all know that they have cut every price of tabor Gp this country that they could cut *Ps Tours very truly,
 B. 3. Conner. <
 Governor.