The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15

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 l Diligent search fails to reveal any | marked improvement in business, except | here and there sporadic activity, which l is more than offset by the revealment or | recessions elsewhere. Bank clearlngs | certainly do not reflect a general trade or industrial revival. Some talk is heard 1 about increased railroad earnings. Some lines are reporting more cars at wofk than a few weeks ago.
 It is very doubtful, however, If the facts justify the statement to that effect which is in circulation The latest public re- port of idle cars on the Pennsylvania | system was 77,0OO, and this is one of the roads upon which there is supposed to be improvement AS matter of fact, there are today fully 100000 idle cars on the Pennsylvania, according to statement made confidentially to friend by hlSh official The continual publication of weekly and monthly reports of railroad earnings are discouraging, and record per- sistent shrinkage in traffic movement.
 Railroad managements are in dilem- ma as to what course they shall pur- sue and steer clear of the big stick. There is A disposition to attach possibly un- due importance to the wishes of the White House in this matter of conduct of the roads. If apparently well autneh- ticated reports are, to be believed, MT. Roosevelt would like to see wages main tained at tke expense of higher freight rates. and the impression seems to pre- vail that it is within the power and prov- ince of the executive to compel obedience to his wishes by sort of royal ukase.
 However, things American are not al ways done that way, and there are ilini- tations to the executives prerogatiye. For instance there can be no instanta- in, frnip prllt in schedules have to be filed with the interstate commerce commission 30 days ahead This is to give shippers or others opportunity to file protests and demand hearings. In a horizontal increase such as suggested in the Washington advlces there would without doubt De witnessed a descent upon the interstate commerce commission of myriad of shippers in op- position to the raise, and the hearings would necessarily drag on for months.
 In this connection it must be borne in mind that freight rates have been under going for several years a gradual re adjustment" in an upward direction. The increased tax imposed on traffic by req son thereof amounts to possioly sloo- 100000 as compared with the schedules of six years ago. In the single item Of bitumnous coal the increase amounts to at least s25000,000 Any further rise on top of the 'readjustments' already made is sure to arouse formidable opposition, especially as the present tendency in everything else is downward
 Illustrative of the impoteney of the President in some directions word comes from Washington that the interstate commerce commission has entirely lg- nored the White House instructions to institute an inquiry as to why railroads should cut the wages of employees. The commission holds that such an investiga- tion is wholly outside of it's official duties and is doing nothing in the matter-nor does it intend to, unless compelled by renewed activity of the big stick.
 Governmental finances are attracting in-