The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-06
The Southern, by Desperate Ef.
forts, Has Managed to Keep
It's Head Above Water, But
in Alabama II Is Doing Bust.
ness Yearly at q Loss.

+ + 4
The new railroad rates adopted by
the Legislature and modified by the
railroad Commission. are not the dou-
BILE blessing claimed for them by po-
litical agitators, q blessing which
would be bestowed upon the railroads.
because low rates would stimulate bus
mess, ana which would be on the other
hand q benefit to the people Of the
State who were to get all their goods
at low prices, when the rates were cut
How ready are some OF our states
men-patriots,. to experiment with
other peoples property when their owp
pockets are not touched! The faiiacy
Of this specious claim went well IN
the heat q poMslcal c s,esr,ent nssa
vailed, but when II 10 subjeeted to the
light OF experienced and investigation'
III is demonstrated to be the most dan
rerous economical policy establishes
IA Alabama since reconstruction.
The erect on the railroads accepting
those rates has been disastrous. That
much is certain. IT Il. not necassary 70
depend upon the receiyerships OF two
Alabarna roads working under the new
rates--the Alabama and Birmingham
AIR Line and the Seaboard Air Line, 70
demonstrats IT. 1t viii be shown ~
sworn statements OF omclals MAINS ~
their usual and proper reports 70 tne
state and National Government, In the
FORM the Government wanted them
Z made that the stronger roads winch
accepted the rates were only saVse
from bankruptcy by q rigid poney
expense cutting by when tneusAhus
Industrious woykmen were lasr rrs ~ as, ny
the service OF the roaus enpAtiee
~ impaired.
t,~a shot,id be paid to the claim OF the
anti-railroad politicians thar tes.s
laws would by cutting freishts ta,ss.
enable the average man 70 puy 81
goods much cheaper than unoer io
u'y Has this been donef Are not living
exnenses higher now than they ever
were before, Notwithstanding tne W
preston of the agitators panic 80
the average man been able 70 BUY ~
groceries. his dry goods, OF ms Ls
supplies cheaper gsae Tha ms e n he but
one answer to this question. Even :
nolitician. who succeeded in getting MS
oSfca fhrourh the anti-railroad aBlta-
tion, will not say that living expenses
have been reduced In the pass W.
years. And vet the people were asalh
and again promised cheaper Twins ex.
penses, cheaper rates, cheaper gooas
ana cheaper everything. But expert
ehce brings proof and truth.
1t was demonstrated some months
ago that the man who lived along the
line of one OF the railroads which ae-
clined to accept the new rates, pou ar,
lly necessities, quite a. cheaply a. the
man who lived along road which has
accented the legislative and Comnisy
sion made rates IL vas demonstrated
30 positively, that It has not been qs-
MED that the rednctipn on tee eFtielss
commonly sold through, the retei!
stores was 50 small that the retail
purchaser did not secure the slightest
advantage on It, His -four. his meat.
his meal, his farm supplies, In most
instances cost him more than they dia
before, and he was abie to buy tnem.
II he lived on the line Of contesting
railroad, as cheapIy as though he lived
on the line OF a consenting railroad.
This demonstrated fact Is brought up
only incidentally and to show that the
claim that the consumer would reap
the valuable dement's from the reduc-
ton was hollow and false. What ~
proposed here Is to present the re-
suits Of some Investigations into the
oficial figures, which deal with the OPP
Grafton OF the Alabama railroads I'M
der the new rates ana under the new
conditions.
The Two Glasses.
The roads which put the new rates
in effect, as shown by the report Of
the Railroad Commission, are the
Southern Railway, the Seaboard Air
Line, the Atlantic Coast Line the Me-
bile and Ohio Railroad. the Alabama
Great Southern. the Atlanta and Biz,
mingham Air Line, the Northern Ala
bama and the Frisco Line. Under their
agreement with the state officials these
roads put in reduced passenger ana
freight rates.
The Louisville and Nashville Rail.
road, the Nashville. Chattanooga and
st. Louis Railway the South and North