The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-17

rs Editor Journal, Gadsden. Ale.
 Dear Sir:
 Your letter of July 3oth.
 do not hesitate to say that would be very glad to authorize the re-opening of the Gadsden Car works if felt that the revenue to be earned on prospective business would justify that expense. We have, as you know, undertaken to make some advances in the rates of freight so that our reve- nue may be increased. and thereby per- init us to expend some money in irn- provements and maintenance of our roadway and equipment. which we know to be necessarM
 Although ample notice was given in June 1908, of the new rates to be- come effective August ist. go that the business conditions might be read justed if necessary. certain complaints in Georgia deferred taking any action until July 18th. securing through the Honorable Judge Emory speer. a re- straining order, which on August 5th. was superseded by an order from the Honorable Don A. Pardee. United States Circuit Court Judge for the Fifth District. .,
 These proposed rates which have now been put Into effect contemplated an advance Of cents per hundred pounds on packing house products and fresh meat and cents per hundred pounds on grain. hay. Hour and ether mill products.
 This amount does not increase the earnings of the railroad very much. but we did not desire to make the advance so large as to be in any way burdensome. The advance is. in fact. insignificant as applied to each con sunaer. The avernge consumption of wheat in the United States is 27S pounds per capita per annum. and an advance of cents per hundred pounds in the rate of freight means only Ia cents per capita per annun. You wlll appreciate that this increase dis srlhuted over the entire population is Insignificant individually. but in the aggregate may be of importance to the carriers.
 Even if the additional rate on other articles in classes B. c, D and F, is taken into consideration, the entire in- crease will probably not amount to a5 cents per year. More than thfs has already been saved the people in the South by reason of reduced passenger rates already in effect.
 The public In general Is very much interested in railroads as business or sanixations and as mediums through which large amount of money is dis- tributed through the country.
 Tn publishing the new tariffs, the railroads did not act hastily. but sub mitted, to nine months of depressed business hoping that conditions would revive. or that prices on materials woul6 be reduced sufficiently to af- ford enough revenue over and above thanctaaal cost of conducting transpor- satfen to enable the track forces to be fully maintained, and the repair shops to be operated on full time. The monthly reports, however, will show that these hopes were not realised.
 The railroad officials responsible for the maintenance and operation of these properties must be allowed to proceed in accordance with business methods, and while according the fullest pub lieity must be permitted to exercise theIr own judgment in bringing about more satisfactory service from year to year.
 Regardless of the motive inspiring the construction of the various rail- roads of the country, whether that mo- tive was to build @ competing line in order to sell out at high price, whether it was intended as a connect ing link between two other lines of railway, or for the purpose of develop ing c part of the country hitherto not reached by railroad communication. or for any other reason. the final net re- suit is that railroad is simply an in- proved means of communication be- tween two or more points. and for that reason is 8 part of the business organi- xation of every manufacturer, far mer. laborer, and of every shipper and receiver.
 To say that a railroad Is simply a means of communication is not suf- ficient. because navigable streams and the highways have always furnished communication between different points. It is only because the rail- way Is an improved method of nov ing freight from point to point or of transporting passengers from one part of the country to the other. that it has reached its present important posi- tion in the development of the coun- try.
 If the members of every business community could not only realize but could keep constantly before them the fact that a railroad Is simply meaus by which they can conveniently reach oth- CT markets. and that 1t Is to their inter- est to see that the machinery of a rail- road Is as perfect as possible there would be far more cordial feeling be- tween the public and the railways. It has been said that a community with out a railroad. will do anything" to secure one and after 1t has secured a railroad will do anything to it.
 A community. the members of which