The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-11

cotton and woolen goods against the pro-
test of every manufacturer.
| They decreased the tariff on ali hard
ware and on every meat product They
even came to the Birmingham district,
at. Corey, now Fairfield, and reduced the
| tariff, even to the free list, on nails and
wire goods
These things were accomplished in the
] face of the strongest adverse lobby, a
lobby in which it was shown that i'm
| mense sums of money were used in the
debauchery of not, only the voter but of
the legislators also. The democratic ar
gument used was that no interest should
| be allowed to write its own tariff, and
/ today the strongest democratic argument.
/ for Endorsement by the people, is the inn
mense sum saved from these protected
| industries in their charges against the
people.
Taxing Wealth, Not Poverty
The democratic party went further than
that and in the income tax law declared
| that taxes or money to run the govern
ment should be levied on incomes and
: not on consumption-that is, should be
/ levied on the wealth and not the poverty
| of the country.
In the reduction of the tariff, it has
been said thousand times that on the
goods reduced in price by the removing
of tariff charges the profit would go to
the middleman and not to the consumer
a statement as rotten as ever q dema-
goeue or paid hirellng got off.
The Alabama congressman and sena-
tors, all elected as democrats, are now
preening themselves on this great tariff
reduction victory and it is well. The
| fight was long, hard and costly but the
value of the victory will be immense.
All the evidence in this contest showed
that no individual or corporation could
be trusted to fix their own charges for
any service or product that in the end,
1t would be an excessive tax on the peo-
pie
Asks Governor O'Neal to Appeal
| call the attention of our national rep
resentatives. just returning home in the
full flush of their tariff reduction victory,
and ready to accomplish the further sue
cess of currency reform, to the fact that
here at, home we have also won a partial
victory in our railroad tariff regulation
| laws. The federal law requiring three
FEDERAL Judges instead of one to sit on an
injunction case, against the state law
or against the railroad commission law.
has had a most important bearing as has
had most important bearing as has the
/ impeachment of Judge Archbold OF the
| interstate commerce court for liason COM
mitted with the Louisville and Nashville
road. The abolition of the federal inter
state commerce court, evidently because
OF their interference with the interstate
commerce commission, and the decision
OF the federal supreme court In the Min
nesota. Missouri and Arkansas rate cases
sustaining the states control OF intra-
state rates. has had most beneficial eff
feet. While the agitation is now on we
| trust for speedy, successful adjustment
of our freight and Passenger contention
ana particularly that all of our roads will
speedily recognize the right of the state
to control and adjust rates / will sug-
Sest to Governor O'Neal that since this
supreme court decision the rate cases in
Alabama enjoined by the inferior federal
judge take on a new aspect and new
] Importance; that while it's true the ap-
! peal TO the supreme court would cost
quite a sum of money, yet the suit Is
so vital, of so much interest-even money
to the people involved that the impor-
tance OF the appeal would justify and
/ greatly outweigh the expenditure; that
every citizen should ask the governor to
carry these cases to the supreme court
Louisville and Nashville Claims
4 Ihe Louisville and Nashville road still
insist on the vested right to make their
own tariff or taxes against the people
/ freight and passenger fares-their own
way.
] This claim of the Louisville and Nash
] vile road is obsolete, and no longer has
i place in the government of a progressive
people.
Comparisons With Georgia
The Georgia farmer who ships q ton of
! fert1l1zer pays an average rate of 81 10
per ton. In Alabama, the same service
I is Sl.5o per ton. or Acc per ton difference.
I In Georgia. a builder pays an average
rate of $40 per car on lumber In Ala
bama, $50 per car.
In Georgia, the merchant can ship 10
barrels of flour for s1.75 The Alabama
merchant pays $40
! A farmer or truck gardener ,ships
100 pounds of potatoes in Georgia at
cents. In Alabama the rate is 81 cents.
cents.
In Georgia, carload of watermel-
ons. average distance, is $40. In Ala.
bama, $50.
In Georgia, a carload of cotton seed
hull costs $40. In Alabama, $3.50.
The average difference in the Geor-
gia and Alabama freight rates on the
ITO commodities is 81 as compared to
s1.4o. In other words, the Alabama
farmer has to pay $1.40. where the
Georgia farmer pays ST.
A Great Bankers Heresy
An eminent banker. who possibly
rides on a pass, advises the people to
stop agitation for lower passenger and
freight charges and allow the rail-
roads to name their own rates; that
we will get more railroad buildings.
which would increase our population;
4 increase our trade; increase develop
ment and thus greatly benefit the
state, and If generally practiced, would
I not cost very much to any one citizen.
He especially names the Louisville and
Nashville railroad, after the Judge of
the inferior federal court at Montgom :
cry enjoined the state passenger and
freight rate last year, as using $12,-
100000 in double tracking, and also
states that they would have built d
short line to Mobile If 1t had not been
| for the railroad agitation.
Gross Determinations
/ The Louisville and Nashville charges
out of Birmingham, going toward
Nashville, cents per mile and is con-
testing a 2k cent rate. The Louisville
and Nashville charges out of Atlanta
going toward Chattanooga and Mont
gomery, cents per mile, and the Louis
vile and Nashville charges on the no
commodities out of Birmingham to-
ward Montgomery and Nashville S1.4O,
I where they charge for the same car
riage out of Atlanta, going toward
Chattanooga and Montgomery 81. In
/ other words, there is a difference
/ against Alabama of $50 on the 500 in
! the passenger rate and $40 on the 800
/ in freight rate.
1t is strange argument that Geor.
gia is hurt and Alabama benefited by
such a diSCrimin atiop N cbaroav