The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-30
CLEMENTS WILL BE
 IN THE L|ME[|GHT
Next Chairman of Interstate
 Commerce Commission
FINE SENSE OF JUSTICE
Railroad Men Feel That Nothing Radi- cal Will Emanate From Commits sion With Former Georgian
 in the Chair
BY CLYDE ". ENNIS

It is practically assured that the next chairman of the interstate com merce commission will be Judson C.. Clements, a Georgian who has been member of the commission for sev- eral years. In railroad circles, and in all lines of industrial endeavor the personnel of the new commission and its chairman are being looked over with more than passing interest The chair man of the commission will wield an influence that Is powerful and can be made dangerous to the railroads, if the chairman should happen to be one of those misguided persons who be- lieve railroads are little other than commercial pirates. Commissioner Clements Is not one of that kind.
 In this city Commissioner Clements is well known and there are many peo- ole here who have been in personal touch with him before they left Geor- gia.
 He will succeed to the chairmanship of the commission because of the fact that he is the oldest member from point of service and through his friend ship for the other members. He is popular. it is said, with all the com merce commission officers; and as they elect the chairman, there Is very lit tie reason to doubt but what he is to be the choice.
 On account of these facts the lean ings of Commissioner Clements and his views, as well as his expressed opin- ions, are being raked over by the rail- road people to see if he will be fla vorable to them or against the car riers. In view of the fact that 1t is the well defined opinion that fla yorable decision will be given on the rate cases for the companies, their analysis of MT. Clements must have upon some of the rate cases and has given many important decisions.
 MT Clements was reared in Rome, Ga. about 65 miles north of Atlanta. and is a southerner He practiced law In Rome for many years and is known to almost everyone in that little Geor- gia city MT. Clements went to Wash ington several years ago and has been a member of the commerce commits sion for some time.
 Among his friends and neighbors MT. Clements Is looked upon as con servative and a man who realizes the value to the community of the rail- roads He has never been in the em- ploy of a railroad so far as the young CT generation is informed, but at the same time he has a kindly feeling for the common carriers.
 In the judgments that have been passed by MT. Clements while com missioner he has shown a marked un- derstanding of intricate railroad af- fairs and has ruled in a concise man ner which displayed acute mental grasp of the most complex problems.
 He has been well schocled and Is a man that has a broad vision and one who can be swayed by just argument and he firmly believes in permitting the other fellow to exercise some small chance in the world of affairs.
 Withal the prospective chairman of the interstate commerce commission is not a stick1er for the survival of the Attest On the contrary he is known to have gonee a long way out of his path to assist the weaker one and in many legal battles has shown a marked regard for those of the losing side
 The railroad officers will come to know Mir. Clements pretty well before this brilliant Georgian has served long on the commerce bench its presiding officer. They will find that he is emil nently fair. believes in a square deal and is a man to whom may be en- trusted the awarding of just measures
 The rate cases are pre-eminently be- fore the railroad world now. Their de- cision blocks many good commerce games. It is encouraging for the rail- roads to know that the next chairman of the commission is a man of boise and justness