The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-07
JOHNSTON TALKS
OF FOREIGN TRIP
Senator Makes Many Profta-
bic Observations
CHANCE FOR IMMIGRANTS
Believes People from Both Scotland
and England Could Be Brought
Here in Large Numbers it
Properly Approached.
CHANCE FOR IMMIGRANTS

the low cost of living and the success Of
the system of selling liquors. He declares
that if energetic agencies should get
among the people of England and Scot
land they could send over very desirable
emigrants to America, as they are all
anxious to cross the water.
Senator Johnston said he had been In
Scotland, England and France about two
weeks each; that he preferred to spend
more time in a few countries than to get
birds eye view of many. He vas never
detained a day by rain. though sometimes
he met a gentle downpour that would
have detained him indoors at home. How
ever he found that it required a heavy
rain to stop the people over there from
work in the open air.
The first thing that attracted his atten-
ton was the splendid roads he found
everywhere. In England and Scotland
the roads were narrow, barely permitting
vehicles to pass, and usually enclosed by
stone walls some six feet high, and with
out shade trees he said. I'm France
the roads were wide, some 90 feet and
llueu Will Slldue lItcS, WHiic " cii9 vi
fences were to be seen. In many places
they were straight as arrows and we
could see the roads for 10 miles. All were
maeadamzed and piles of rock were on
the side for repairs. Men were found
breaking the stones with hammers in
stead of having them crushed by ma
chnery. Few trees were visible in any
of these countries. except in the High
lands of Scotland, and not very many
there The houses were usually built of
rock
There were fewer farm houses than
in Alabama. Sometimes a distance of 10
miles could be made without seeing a
the towns or villages and In northern
England and Scotland less than one-third
of the land was cultivated and that mostly
in Irish potatoes and turnips around Edin-
burg.
There were more wheat, oats and small
grains also in France. Very little corn
was seen. The people were industrious,
the women and children at work apparent
ly all the time. There seemed to be
universal respect for laws and strict obed-
fence to it. Spirits We're sold at nearly
every hotel and barrooms were frequent
but during the entire trip 1 did not see
a half dozen drunken men, and 1 think
I saw at least 100000. The people seemed
contented, but nearly every laborer I
talked with wanted to go to America;
the wages are low, IS to $40 per month
seeming to be about the usual wage.
Rents of land were high, from $40 to $50
per acre.
Agencies that would reach the masses
would secure a great number of indus
trious and iaw-abiding people in Scotland
and England In Scotland the Sunday
laws were rigidly observed, the people at
tended church in great numbers, but in
France no attention was paid to them, as
there were no laws, and shops were open
and work going on Clothing and wooden
goods were less than half in price than
here and linen cloth, such as towels,
were SO cheap that linen sheets, spreads
and towels were found In the cheapest
hotels.
'Many American manufactures were
sold there cheaper than at home. The cost
of living was much less thai in the United
States. and this seemed strange indeed
when they do not produce near the
amount consumed. Everywhere sheep
were found In great numbers, while In
north England and Scotland the hills and
mountains were covered with them, thai
section being almost exclusively devoted
to grazing.
s'T found Edinburg the most beautiful
city and the people the most courteous
Travel is cheaper than in the United
States, and the cab service is fine, motors
and cabs having a uniform scale Of about
"a cents for a mile for two persons.
'erhe country is beautiful, especially
Scotland, but we must remember that
they have had over 1900 years in which
to dress it up. I am satisfied that in less
than so years Alabama will be quite as at
tractive.
1.-THE great cathedrals command our ad-
miration. Most of them were built OF
commenced 1900 years ago, and this gener-
alton has had little to do except to main
tain them. The galleries of paintings and
statuary We're magnificent. and the mus
Gums of London contained history OF
the world in art exhibits. The busts OF
nearly every Roman emperor was there
brought from the continent. To see these
things is to make history very real and
vastly more entertaining. But after see
ing all these things the investment made
in tickets to come back to Alabama
seemed the cheapest thing I made"
crossed by that thought and duty as to
forget the rights of others, whether prop
erty rights or not" Judge Jones' dispo-
sition in handling the cases against the
state was so partisan as to create the
impression that his court was a foreign
court, suppressing the rights of the peo-
pie. So much was this so that in a re-
cent charge to the grand jury he took oc-
casion to try to impress upon them that
his court was not foreign court. but a
native court. This would have been I'M
necessary If his conduct against the state
had not been so partisan The rate Eases
are on trial, and it Is reported that mas
tiers will be appointed and an issue made.
OF course. the evidence will in q large
measure be, ex parte. 1t could hardly be
otherwise. as most of the information
must come from the railroads themselves.
I will again cite the decisions of Justices
Newman and Brewer that the highest evil
dence is from actual experience.
st will again call attention to the fact
that the Central railroad, having two
thirds of its line In Georgia, has been
carving freight there for 30 years at
a less rate than the present Alabama
rate. The passenger rate in both states
is the same on this road. The West
ern of Alabama from Atlanta via Mont
eomery to Selma has been carrying
freight on the Georgia side of the river
for many years at less rate than Ala
bama now charges. and the passenger