The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-30
SOME WEEKEND GOSSIP
 FROM THE STATE CAPITOL
By HERveY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, May 29-(Special.) 1.-The ae- ton of the supreme court in the case of Judhe Ham vs. H. H. Blackmon, from the circuit court of Coffee county, last week, affirmed the position taken in the beginning of the controversy by Attor- ner General A. M Garber. It being sug- guested to Governor Conner that the term of Blackmon had expired and the legisla- ture, whose duty it was to fill the va cancy, having adjourned without doing so, it was his duty to fill it by appoint ment, with which view Colonel Garber found himself in accord. As result Governor Conner named MT. Ham, who is now established in the position.
 New Rates Soon On.
 Next Tuesday the freight rates of the Alabama legislature, the first adopted and enforced by law, will be installed on all the lines of the state, with the 21a-cent passenger fares The installation is for the purpose of testing the charges to see if they are confscatory, charged by the railroads After the supreme court of the United States refused to interfere with the ruling of the circuit court of ap- peals, the railroads secured stay of the mandate until June 1 to give time to get the new tariff sheets made up It Is not known how long it will take to test the rates, possibly six months.
 Pink Slips No God Yet.
 There will be no return to shippers or passengers of differences in the state and the road rates until the matter is finally determined. Some believed that as soon as the courts held the roads obligated to put the rates in the pink slips for rebate on passenger fares would be available for cashing in. But this is not so Not until the test is made and it Is finally decided that the rates are reasonable will there be any returns made. While passengers will be able to get at the rebates due, if any. by the slips given with each tick et sold, freight shippers must have saved shipping receipts to make proof
 All Be In Line Then.
 Thus it will be that while the test is being made all the rail lines of the state will be charging the same rates for tl:e first time in two years. Following the passage of the laws all the lines save the Louisville and Nashville, the Central of Georgia and the Western of Alabama, agreed to put the rates in, pending trial by those roads that were fighting. If in the end there is discovered that the rates are too low, those who agreed IS well as those who fought will get the benefit of the raises.
 Lighting the Capitol.
 Montgomery and the state in general are interested in movement now on foot to light the state house with elec- tric bulbs according to what is known as the outlining plan. This is the idea of a number of men who are interested in the suggestion and a subscription is being raised over the state to get up the money to pay the expenses. The lights will be run along the corners and the raised parts of the building so as to give the effect at night of a great uith dome rising in light to the skies. Mayor W. M. Teague is receiving the subscriptions.
 Teague On Tuskegee.
 Mayor w NJ Teague, who Is one of the trustees, and a good friend of Book CT T. Washington school at Tuskegee, is greatly pleased with the work that has been done there the past year. He has long ago concluded that the plans and idea carried out at this school make for the best interests of the negro in every way. In his opinion the good effects or the school are seen in many ways arsong the negro men and women who have come from the institution. A number of other Montgomery citizens who went to the closing exercises take the same view, having found that this year made an es- pecially good showing.
 Southern Insurance.
 It is interesting to know that of the S14.161,4 475 in life insurance carried in the state in 1908, southern companies had $14,125552, and Alabama companies $2,537,- 69e. Of the premium collections of that year the state companies received $92, ,361 and the southern companies $342, ,559 In 1906 there were only four southern com panies, while there are dozen or more, only one of which last year wrote under a special board contract. Insurance Commissioner Frank N. Julian, who has fnt.t .tr,rr tnt 11rx,..