The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-20
ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUES
 A LENGTHY STATEMENT ON
 RAILROAD RATE SITUATION

Montgomery June 19-(Special)- Asserting that no spirit of conciliation or regard for the interest of the state was shown by the Louisville and Nash vile, the Western of Alabama and the Central of Georgia railroads at the con- ference held with the governor and other state officials; that no reasonable man can believe that rates acceptable to the other roads of the state are con- hscatory when applied to the roads benefited by Federal Judge Thomas c. Jones recent decrees. and declaring that the rate fight will be continued until the just demands of the people are compiled with by these roads, At torney General Robert c. Brickell has issued a statement setting forth the result of the conference which have been held between officials of the state and representatives of the roads which have announced their intention of re- storing the old passenger and freight rates.
 The statement by Attorney General Brickell was made in answer to a direct question as to what had been the re- suit of the conference, and as to what would be the future policy of the state.
 According to the attorney general the conference on Tuesday between state officials and representatives of the Central of Georgia and Western of Alabama railroads was held for no other purpose than to inform the state that the old rates would be restored, but that the roads wanted to do so as politely as possible"
 At neither of the conferences did the roalroad officials evince any spirit of concession, or any desire to do any thing to meet or satisfy the just de- mands of the people of this state" de- clared Attorney General Brickell. In conclusion the attorney general says:
 "The people of Alabama may rest as- sured that all the power of this and other offices of the state will be de- voted to the continuation of the liti- gation to the end, in order that it may be determined what right the state has and whether a theoretical system of dividing expense and revenue between t<ae and interstate to the detriment of state revenue, and the increase of state expense. can defeat the just de- mandS Of the state.
 : Attorney General Brickelrs statement follows:
 The people of this state have right to know the result of the con- | ferences which have been held be- tween their officials and those rep resenting the several railroads which have announced their intention of in- creasing or have increased their rates, both passenger and freight, as they Iar fo dn ha of Judge Jones in what are known as | the rate cases.
 "The roads which have restored their rates are the Louisville and Nashville, South and North. Nashville Chatta- nooga and St. Louis, Central of Georgia and Western of Alabama, these being the only roads which persisted in their course of resisting the enforcement by the state of it's passenger and freight rete laws.
 The Louisville and Nashville and the South and North are to all in- tents and purposes the sa ule and should be considered as one. The Louisville 1! and Nashville also controls the Nash lville, Chattanooga and St Louis The Louisville and Nashville and the Cen tral of Georgia together own, control and dictate the policies of the Western .lof Alabama.
 I After the Louisville and Nashville lhad put its higher rates into effect .I'President M. H. Smith of that road Il came to Montgomery and made a lengthy statement to the governor. the I railroad commission and myself of why the Louisville and Nashville had raised II their rates but made 1t certain that 1.-the Louisville and Nashville was not l'eoing to meet the just demand of the l people of Alabama.
 After the decision in the Central and | aar tt-au l.x- their counsel that no action relative to increasing their rates would be taken until conference with the state of ] ficials had been held. A conference l was supposed to have been arranged but the representatives of the roads did inot appear and shortly thereafter the | railroad commission received notice that the Western would increase its rates and on yesterday the day upon which a conference had been fixed. the Central, prior to the conference. filed with the railroad commission notice that it would increase its rates.
 The conference was held yesterday, the railroad officials stating that they were going to restore the rates but wanted to do so as politely as pos sible.
 At neither of the conferences did the railroad officials evince any spirit of con cession. or any desire to do anything to meet or satisfy the demands or the peo- pie of this state, but made it clear that they intended to assert every right and
 privilege given them under the decision of Judge Jones. unless upon appeal by the state, those decrees should be reversed.
 "No spirit of conciliation or regard for the interest of the state was shown by any of these roads. Their actions and the
 spirit which controls them is entirely diff
 ferent from that of the other roads which
 four and one-half years ago met the
 state In a spirit of, fair dealing and ad-
 justed their differences to both their good
 and that of the state.
 "These latter roads. after the decrees of
 Judge Jones in the Louisville and Nash
 vile, South and North and Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis eases had been rendered, dismissed the bills which they had filed at the same time as the Louis vine and Nashville, South and North, Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Central of Georgia. and Western of Ala 4 bama, and further by the actions of their representatives, at the conference held when the bills were dismissed. evinced that same spirit of willingness to meet the reasonable demands of the state that is go conspicuously absent from the Louisville and Nashville. South and