The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-08
COMER'S LETTER ON
 ADVANCES IN RATES
GOVERNOR HAS ENLISTED AID OF ROOSEVELT AND BoNAPARTE TO PREVENT PROPOSED INCREASE IN ALABAMA.

Governor Conner has enlisted the aid of President Roosevelt, Secretary Bonaparte. Senator Culberson of Texas and all the Alabama representatives in an effort to bama from putting into immediate effect the increased rate laws which are being threatened. A strong effort is being made to secure intervention on the part of the interstate commerce commission.
 Here is letter which the governor has addressed to every Alabama Congress- man;
 Please let me explain to you that the course you indicate in these freight in- oreases Is the very one that we most dread, and the one that we are trying to escape. The railroads want it with the interstate commerce commission, no doubt thinking that the investigation would go on indefinitely. then In all probability they would appeal to the courts from the decision of the commission and that again would be indefinite, then to the supreme court, again indefnite-all the while the people paying this increase, and. l believe, most unjust tax
 This additional tax burden on the peo- pie, levied without any kind of a hearing. not giving the parties who pay the tax a ghost of show, could have been estop- ped by the attorney general. MT. Bona parte, securing from the court suspen- sion of the rate. We wanted to secure a hearing before paying rather than after paying, and our attorney thought an eff cient way to secure this was through the law department at Washington, acting under section 4 of the antitrust act. We were not questioning the fairness of the interstate commerce commission but were doing our best to avoid paying the tax before hearing which we thing emi- nently fair and correct.
 ''The states special attorney, MT. Weak 1 ley, who is assisting the attorney general in these cases, was at the hearing before Judge Spear, and secured from the rail- roads an agreement that they would not enforce the rates in Alabama until the matter was finally decided upon. provided the interstate commerce commission, to whom they would apply, would give them permission to suspend the rate in Ala bama until such hearing. You can see now that the interstate commerce com mission indicates that they will hear the rates before suspending them. the very thing the state with fairness to its own citizens was trying to estop, and 1t is along this line that we want your help. 'I have been in correspondence with his excellency, President Roosevelt, and the Hon. MT. Bonaparte, to institute proceed ings to secure the above rendering of these very important matters, and I have letter from President Roosevelt stating that he had advised this hearing with the attorney general, and also a letter from the attorney general, MT. Bonaparte, ask ing us to name the day that we wished the hearing.
 Again assuring you that it will fall in the largest measure upon the very poor est of our citizens and of our laborers, and be an immediate tax on their meat and bread, on their living, and will be glad to have your cooperation along these lines.
 will right here call your attention to the importance that these increases in freight rates should not be made until after hearing before the interstate com merce commission. If they increase it 10 per cent now, they can do the same thing next year, and the year after, and set clement, as in those great lumber cases of the southeast and southwest. will be pro- longed through years, and even then the money will have to be fought over through the courts. Yours very truly,
 "B B. COMER Governor"