The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-25
Conference Held Tester day at Capitol. SOME DOUBT AS TO
 HOW TO PROCEED Application for an Injunction Ru-
 mored. Texas con,,nission Takes Position That the Affair |. One For Interstate Commerce commission--chair- man Henderson, of Alabama Commission Discusses
 situation.
 

nan Charles Henderson and Associ- ate. John A. Lusk,. of. the Alabama Railroad Commission. was held yester- day morning at the Capitol. presum- ably at the suggestion of the Govern ar to consider the most feasible plan Of resisting the general increase or freiRht rates, of which the railroaus running through the South have given notice to take effect, part Of them Au- gust I and others September Ane Commissioners spent over an nous ln consultation over the lHpehus change of rates but no dehhite
 cIusions were announced.
 It was reported, after the confer ..nce that another meeting or the com ,ossrton vvftl he held next week, when ot only inc Governor is expeetsu " ba back in Montgomery. put s..sa ciate Commissioner w r. Nesoi..' mns 'sar, was absent yesterday, may 'aAo p fn the deliberations,
 Considerable speculation mas psvn M tnSulred in by many lawyers anu s.ns' eittrens as to what course VIII oe p1 .,,ad by inc State or any or its assn ~ In resisting the increase or in.st NI .... ratas. Some have suggested .na. pss ss haps an injunction may A rastrairing .ne rates. Lawyers who seeiu F s.,,died the situation doupt se ,s.'.,,, the competence of the state " atther festrain the rates or prIus sxa. for their suspension. It IS aTsue1 ss.atnts n is clearly matter Tor ene .s.a safas te os sTaderal authorities as the ra.es "rA sOn sa,d in every instance, to pc n. creases over the
 state to another. t, if A msss ,t is claimed, would make !. cornnlaint referrable only 70 .he vat ssrstate Commerce Commission. - Governor Conner has been ,,r- ptrr,in rham as declaring 1t ms pu hlrniins i ss~h, the increases to the last stsch He will use every power 4t sas nis a..,r,s vd to scotch the raises re uau Hs dafna what authority he hha eo ,n,. s hia hands on the railroads n an interstate matter, but his advisers r s1s that he will show his nanu . au.s
 No Authority ApRarent' ...-
 Yawvers, in discussing the ma.s. ,,astarSav. referred to an interview rS
 ~tSv -rtth Chairman Mayneld, oL tne srewas Railroad Commission. ahas p"4s is said to have been second ony S Alabama in its pursuit oa .,,n.ss n tes sarts inc Idea suggested to him tnas sbav take up the fight against the an- ..nuncad Increase in rates. He salu nc -,sS aiways willing to exercise every power derivable from States ri9nss t... to stop an injury to the peopts' sss that the proposition ssa..ar rsisrreo " os sne state and belonged only to the lhse esrs atate Commerce Commission. ,l...xs
 Thara ts a section of the AiaDamA t.w ,,ndar which the Railroad Commis. sion can make an inVestiEatloh nnv ~, gather facts helping the argumens arainst the interstate increases anu <, ssia them in the shape of a complaint with the Interstate Commerce Conin.ls- s,an suat as a citizen or shipper cAh do Rut that. in the opinion or tnoss Interviewed yesterday. Is practicaIy the extent of the powers or S'ate :" such matters . A. 4, n.rt aa follows: ". When in their oninion inc rates or charges of such transnortation companies are eSceskiVs or discriminatory. or are levied m VIC ;ation of the interstate commerce laW. the Commission shall present the iacss to the transportation eonpany t,,a request to make such changes as tne connmission may advise. and 1t such ~hanaes1are not made within a reason shal lime. the Commission shall apply by petition to the Interstate Com merce Commission for relief
 Chairman Henderson, in an interview vasterday. gave 1t as his opinion that fha approachtng rate increases agreed s,ron at the Louisville conference or ofeciaIs. was due to desire not to ln- iure the Republican chances Tor Vic- tory in November Tue alternative or rate raises was to lower wages. AS thA latter, he said, would work against inc Reput lican prospects for victory at the polls. the rate increases were adopted
 aAt the time of the agitation for re- duced wages" said Chairman Tender son. "there was a movement started hv inc railroads by which wage earn ers were to have their pay materially ,aducad At oHce there was objection. Tha Interstate Commercie Commission took the matter up, and, as result Of their investigation. 1t Is thought, the president of the Commission suggested in a quiet way that # any changes were to be made the wages of the la 1orere should not bn reduced, but. rather, the increase in rates should De made effective. My idea Is that this suggestion came from the administra- ton.
 If inc wages of the earners had been lowered, there would have been raised at once howl against the ad' ninistration, and the Republican Party would have suffered slump In the next election. It was policy to avoid this, It was avoided, and. as cons sequence, the announcement Is now made that the rates will be increased. Thia means that the South will have to suffer; for in the South is where the rates are operative"
 President Henderson compared the action of the railroads to the stand ard oil Company. The prico of oil, he said, is always raised to make up for any deficiency in another line. The railroads are now making up for the cost which they suffered in keeping wages at the same standard, while, in Mir Hendersons' opinion, the Republican Party Is getting benefited.
 Mir Henderson said that the States to be affected by the proposed increase are Georgia, South Carolina, Florida Alabama and Mississippi.
 Commissioner Lusk left last night for his home In Marshall County, after his nrst ofIicial attendance on a meet ing of the Railroad Commission since he was appointed to that honor by the Governor in succession to the late Ma for John C. Harris.
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