The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-22
FIGHT AGAINST
 RAILROAD RATES
 NOW ORGANIZED Herman Beck, Chairman of Campaign and Commit
 tees Appointed
.COMER AND M'CARY
 MAY STUMP STATE
Former Governor Was Main Speaker Again at Meeting Yesterday. State Being Descriminated
 Against by Railroads

Otdte DelHg DtoCflitlHdtcu
 Against by Railroads
 definite fight against the restora- ton of the old Louisville and Nashville rates is on.
 Former Gov B. B. Conner was the main speaker at the second meeting of tho wholesale dealers of Birmingham yesterday afternoon at the auditorium of the Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of outlining a plan of cam raigni to fight the proposed restoration of the Scent passenger rate and n list of freight schedules by the Louis vilel and Nashville railroad.
 The main business of yesterdays session was the election of Herman Beck to the permanent ehairmanship of the campaign and the appointment of a committee. consisting of B. B. Conner ". D. Nesbitt and J. H. Goodall to draw up statement of the case and have 1t published in the papers of the state J. T. Slater was elected sec retary and took the names of all those present 1OI lHt pOSt Ol pAahhAhS o definite fight against the rate increase. The same committee, appointed for the purpose of securing publicity. will send resolutions to the state railroad com mission.
 MT. Conner had the following reso- lutions read yesterday and 1t Is likely that they will be sent to the commis- sioners:
 Conner Resolution
 "Whereas, his excellency, the gov ernor, does not deem it an expedient time to assemble the legislature to re- enact the laws regulating the pas senger and freight rates of the Louis vile and Nashville. Western of Ala bnma and Central of Georgia railroads, which statutes were ordered tried by the appellate court. and after three years successful trial were set aside by the inferior federal court; and.
 Whereas. within the law the rail- road commission can take up the pas senger and freight rates item by item, we hereby petition them to hold con- tinuous session on the freight and pas senger charges of the above roads un- til some just equalization has been made.
 We thank the attorney general and the governor for their statement of active interest and cooperation In this matter and we feel that no injustice can be done these roads when we in- sist that Alabama is entitled on these items at least to the same rate these roads charge in our neighboring state -Georgia-for many years.
 Georgia Rate a Success
 "That the testimony of the success of the Georgia rate. both the shipper and carrier will forever destroy any theory of intra and interstate rate di vision, and we further believe that any theory of passing a state rate that takes no account of the production of that state is false in fact no matter what the theory may be.
 Alabama raised last year 100000 bales of cotton, manufactured tens of thousands of car loads of lumber, and the Birming ham district alone furnished more tons of railroad carriage than any two of the other southern states combined, and yet for all this we get practically no credit in making the local rate for our people"
 In his speech before the meeting yes terday Mr. Conner gave careful explana- tion of the history of the railroad rate reform fight of the past eight years.
 What Alabama secured two years ago." he said. Georgia had 27 years ago. The tonnage of the Birmingham district alone Is gerater than the tonnage of the states of Georgia and Carolina combined, and if a man says that the condition of Alabama Is not as good as that of Geor- gia he is blind to facts. The condition of Alabama is as good as that of Georgia was 20 years ago, 15 years ago or five years ago.
 Alabama doesn't get particle of credit for single thing that goes out of the state. No man in Alabama believes Alabama had a fair trial. We are up against the shell game in law. We can get all the evidence we want if we go to the Chattahoochie river crossing, where the railroad crosses into Alabama and the rate is increased. The same road charges the cent rate in Alabama and the cent rate in Georgia. The roads that are leased by the Louisville and Nashville charge the 3 cent rate in Alabama.
 If this is not discrimination. l would like to know what is? The way we are to get at the matter is to hold sessions of the railroad commission year in and year out until the rates are restored. This state should be discriminated against no longer and we can see that it is not"
 MT. Conner said that there has never been a progressive people anywhere or any time who did not believe in the re- call" and that it was "up to the people to see that no more inferior judges were appointed for life"
 MT. Nesbitt Speaks
 At the conclusion of the former gover- nor's address, Chairman Beck intro duced w. D. Nesbitt, who said in part:
 "The governor has given careful ex- planation of the history of the fight. want to add that when the fight started there was no sentiment in this state about it. Many people felt that reduction in rates would hurt the railroads. The re- duction in rates has been beneficial to the railroads and the state in the last hve years. Every railroad has increased its business and there has be1l more gross and net revenue than under the old rates. If we honestly believe that the railroads of the state should furnish us for $1 what our competitors get, we should fight for it.
 T say we ought to have meetings like this held all over the state and get the opinion of the business men everywhere. We should suggest to the commissioners how we stand"
 J. H. McCary and w. E. Derby gave short talks heartily indorsing what the other speakers had said.
 Mir. Beck stated that he would send out circular letters next week to all inter St ted rla Nn-