The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-01
New State Freight Rate Law
Is Now In Effect
MAY CUT PASSENGER SERVICE
Commission viii Probably Allow
Reduction of 346 Miles a Day
on Southern Instead
of 438.

Montgomery, December 31.-(Special -
R. C. Brand, traffic manager, and McD.
Davis, general freight agent of the At
lantic Coast Line, were in the city most
of Tuesday arranging for the establish
ment of the new state rates of freight,
which that line, in accord with an agree
ment made some time ago, will adopt
on the first day of the year. They spent
the day with the officers of the railroad
commission going over the checking in
order that the new rates may be under
stood.
AT the same time George r. Browder
of Atlanta, assistant traffic manager, ana
r. L, Simpson of Birmingham, general
freight agent of the Southern railway,
were in the offices of the railroad COM
mission checking over schedules ana
proving the new rates accepted by the
system some weeks ago. These duties are
imperative because of the many possi-
bilities of error in the multitudes of tariff
sheets and other data that go to make
up freight schedules.
So far as is now known none of the
roads now on the low rates will increase
the passenger fares of a quarter of
cent on the first unless it be the Coast
Line. By an order of the commission
the state rate is made pa cents a mile,
but the roads which have accepted the
state rates have been on 2h cents and
will not change until the whole question
is settled. The three system fighting the
state laws VIII remain on the S-cent basis,
giving coupons, until the courts rule on
the right of the state to reduce it.
Passenger Train Reduction.
An interesting feature of the motion to
reduce the passenger service on the South
ern railway is the fact that the commits
sion will very likely agree to taking off
346 miles of passenger train travel per
day, instead of 43S, as is asked, this being
probably as much as the road expected al
the beginning. With the number agree
able to the commission there would be no
special injury to the service, though that
much train expense can be saved to the
roads by the extension of other trains
and the stopping of through trains to do
local work
The matter of taking off passenger
trains will be taken up at special ses-
sion of the commission tomorrow at
which time the whole question will be
thrashed out. j. S. b. Thompson as
sistant to President Finley of the South
ern, is here ready for the presentation of
the roads side of the case. So far no
other line has asked that trains be taken
off. A report that the Western will do
so has not developed. unless it is that the
management will go along without re-
ferring to the matter to the commission.
which it will hardly do. This road is to
cut down one freight a day to Selma.
but that seems to be all.
For Better Farming.
Commissioner of Agriculture J. A.
Wilkinson has called a meeting of the
presidents and agriculturists of the &
ricultural schols for January II and
49, at which time many subjects of
interest to farmers and planters Will
be worked out. Special attention is to
be given to the science of seed breed
ing and the best way to get the best
Plans of elimination practiced by some
of the schools will be studied and no
doubt adopted. The work of the We
tumpka school along this line is par
ticularly successful.
At the same time the necessity for
soil study will be emphasized. To this
end number of experiments are being
made by w. @. Smith. soil expert of
the department at Washington, now To-
Gated In Alabama, which are to be
available for the information of the
teachers who are coming. Among the
speakers will be j. +. Duggar, profess
sor of the science of agriculture at
the Polytechnic Institute of Auburn,
who will talk of the practical needs of
the farming classes. A test is now be-
ing made in the office of Commissioner
Wilkinson of seed corn, the idea being
to aid in seed selection.
There are nine district agricultural
schools which have $4,000 year each
from the state and the Auburn institu-
tion of higher education. All are
bound to teach agriculture and it is
proposed to have them do the best work
possible.
Safety of Convicts.
President J. Craig Smith, of the state
convict bureau, has given orders that
will be carefully observed. that no
sh ooting is to be done ia mines where
state convicts are employed save at
night. This comes out of extra pre-
against 'he loss of the lives OF
the wards of the state from possible
explosions or other form of danger.
Mr.. Smith who has just returned from
q tour of the mineral district, where
men in the mines were ieclassihed,
makes the following statement;
THE board is seeing that extra pre-
cautions are taken for the lives and
safety of the convicts in those mines
where they are employed. These places
are much safer than tn ose worked by
free miners for the reason that the con-
Victs can be made to obey orders. and,
as a result there is much better dis
cipline. To guard against all possible
danger I have ordered that shot fir
ing be done only at night so as to al
low the dust and smoke to settle be-
fore any considerable number of the
convicts get inside for the day."
In this way it Is made almost Inn
possible that any explosions from dust
take place, as has been the case In the
Virginia mine district. When there is
no day time shooting there Will be no
dust to be fired. At the same time
extra care is to be taken that all en-
tryas ara carafully SDrinl<led and ALI