The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20

CULPEPPER EXUM
Who Has Additional Reasons for
Needing Vacation
sion. She expended several valuable
para graphs in tescrring to her own
| condition. how ]or esome at tlmes she
became, and how she .onged for a on
fidanee in whom shc could put her trust
entire, could go to wDep problems, no
mentous and awe inspiring. confronted
| her.
Mr.. Exum became sympathetic. and
! 1t is said that he registered an inward
the public has been favorably impressed
by the manly stand taken by the trans
| portation interests and feel they are en-
titled to the substantial recognition that
VIII attach to aO,OO0,00O yearly increase
OF freight revenue. The cost of opera
| ton and maintenance is claimed In
Vestors and holders of railroad stocks
are gambling on a sensational improve
ment IN securities, incident to favor
able rate decision. 1t is being already
figured in as a leading factor in the pre-
ulcteu Doom or next fall
May Allow Freight Advance
Among the background influences that
nave weight in creating sentiment is the
growing conviction that the interstate
commerce commission will grant the rail-
roads the per cent freight rate advance
asked for. Railroad officials and direc-
tors are very careful not to indulge in
indiscreet and imprudent prophecies. The
point insisted upon most persistenly by
the railroad spokesmen is that their in
| terests will be best served by the pre-
sentation Of the cold data. The commits
sioners are familiar with all arguments
and theories relating to the subject and
are only awaiting statistics that will
show the actual performance OF the past
three years. Down to that the railroads
are resolutely holding themselves.
The complete record of a three-year
test is being prepared, and that, with
only such explanations as may seem
desirable, is thought to be all that is
needed upon which to base railroads to
avoid idle predictions implying a fore
knowledge of the impending action by
the commission. The most they will say
is that they are satisfied the commits
sioners are entirely unprejudiced and will
go ahead, as of yore, and do the best
they can under existing conditions. The
street." however, is less guarded than
tory for the railroads. Public opinion
seems to be leaning that way strongly.
The threatened strike by the trainmen
has a co-relative market bearing with
the rate issue. Discussionabout one in
evitably brings up talk about the other
Another Mental Railway Merger
Having nothing else to think about
these foolish dog days some of the "sit-
ters' and tape fends7 around the
brokers' offices find comfort in blending
the Southern Pacific and the Rock Is
land systems. AS mind deal' the
proposition has it's attractions, snd it's
consummation might be within the range
OF human achievement. More miracu-
lous things have happened than the
blending of the two great systems
named, The Southern Pacific would find
in Rock Island an outlet to Chicago and
st. Louis, while Rock Island would have
satisfied its ambition for line of its
own this would be in partnership to the
Pacific. The two roads together would
have about 1900 miles of main lines and
would start off with an annual business
of S200,00O000. Rock Island with head
quarters in Chicago, crosses Illinois and
literally gridirons Iowa. Nebraska, Kan
sas and Oklahoma, and has lines cross
ing Minnesota, to st. Paul and. Minneap-
oils as well as tapping Missouri, Arlxan-
sas, Colorado and New Mexico. New
Orleans is also in reach of one of Its
long arms. Southern Pacific spreads all
over the Pacific coast states, extends
into Nevada, Utah and Arizona, crosses
New Mexico, decorates the map of Texas
and puts its eastern grip on New Or
leans. In combination they traverse 20
states that represent fully half the area
of the United States. There could be no
legal bar to the combination. None of,
their lines run parallel. The two sys-
TENS butt into each other as it were
The blend would not be a transcontinen-
tai line, but 1t would represent solidi-
| fed system from San Francisco to the
Great Lakes. and having the supremacy
over a vast area with resources and
population that will quadruple in 25
years, if there is virtue in the predictions
of the prophets of hope The deal, how
ever, will await the liberation of South
ern Pacific and the return of Dan"
Reid from his latest European tour. 1t
may also await few other things. Both
properties will be ON the ground when
wanted-either singly or collectively.
There may be depression in some of
the ndustrials, which give employment
to the skilled artisan but the condition
Isdoes not apply to low paid labor The
demand for this class of workmen was
never larger and is reported from al
most every part of the country Immi-
grafton was never on a larger scale than
it has been this year and already reaches
the grand total of nearly ZOO, 900 since the
| first of January. Immense as this figure
may appear the offices of immigration
agencies and steamship companies are
overwhelmed with applications from
cities and areas in every state in the
union for workmen. They are wanted
on farms and in construction work.
wanted by the hundreds of thousands in
the aggregate. Market students declare
there is an unbroken record of sensa-
tional bull compaign material every time
the flood of immigration wakes heavy.
Hard times is marked by a wholesale
| return of the hordes of foreigners who
had crossed the ocean in response to the
fascinations of bull labor market
This immigration factor is brought for
ward by the bullish contingent to offset
the chorus of the calamity and hard
times" which still continue.
New Idea About Bryan
Some of the deep sea thinkers have 1t
that the President is quietly encouraging
the political suicide of William Jennings
Bryan by letting him have his own way
in every vagary that is suggested, and
even encouraging fresh adventuring for
eign to his official duties. The deep sea
thinkers argue among themselves that
the executive looks upon Bryan as his
most dangerous rival for the next pres
idential nomination and that the surest
way to get rid OF him is to let him have
In ol1 of