The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-29
Had in Possession Text of Settlement Week Before It Became Final
ANSWERS INTERVIEW
 OF LOCAL ATTORNEY
Referring to Question of Coupons, Governor Says Selheimer Did Not Take Trouble to Consult At-
 torney General on Matter
Ky l.. s. BETTY

Montgomery. March s.--(special.) )-Thas
 H. c. selheimer of Birmingham was in
 possession of a copy of the text of the
 agreement in the settlement of the rail-
 road rate litigation at least one week ne-
 fore it became final. and that the settle-
 ment caused the severance of the pipe line which for seven years has lead from the state treasury to him at the rate of 5000 per month," is the substance of a statement issued by the governor of Ala bama this afternoon in answer to the in- terview of the Birmingham attorney. which appeared In The Age-Herad sev- eral days ago.
 In his statement the governor expresses surprise that MT. Selheimer should nave said that he was not acquainted with the text of the agreement. particularly al the charge which he made in his interview that the executive's words were false. Referring to the question of coupons, the governor says that MT. selheimer did
 not take the trouble to inquire of the at torney general as to this matter when | the two had long distance telephone | talk relative to the agreement. | In view of the fact that Mr. Selhemer
 Is a very able and careful lawyer" states | the governor. he must have considered l the question of coupons as of small iuo-
 ment, as he did not even take the trou- | be to inquire about 1t"
 The Bone of Contention | In concluding his statement, the gover- nor states that he does not believe that Mir. Selhemers objection to the agree- ment coudl have been actuated hy the fact that by the settlement of the rate litigation there was no longer any neccs- sly for special counsel. "I do not believe
 that any thoughtful man would have cun-
 sidered il wise or beneficial 10 the state to have continued this litigation for tie beneit of the unknown parties with un- | known interests, when the railroads wers
 ready and willing to surrender every vital question of policy and principle in the ] case. His statement In full follows:
 "DurinR theaeourse of the speech de- Ilivered by me at the Grand theatre lon Monday last 1 said the following
 with reference to the settlement of the
 rate litigation recently entered into: | Before the agreement was signed MT. Selheimer was called up at his office | in Birmingham and had the agreement l fully explained and read over to him. and eevry suggestion which he made was embodied in the agreement. Not
 one word of objection did he express to the compromised
 MT. Selheimer has taken great ex- lception to this statement and has de- voted several columns of The Age Herald to an elaborate reply in which
 he pronounces my statement false in
 all it's parts. Mir. Selheimer admits in his statement that the attorney gen
 eral did call him up and read over to him the third paragraph of the agree ment which provided that nothing in the agreement nor fin the decree of Judge Jones should be construed or pleaded so as to preclude the railroad powers in revising passenger and freight rates in the future. He does admit that he made some suggestion with reference to this and though he does not recall what the suggestion vas. as matter of fact 1t was em- bodied In the. agreement On his in- qury he was also informed as to that provision of the agreement that relates 1 to freight rates. So 1t Is apparent that Mir. Seiheimer knew that complete settlement of the rate litigation was | in progress, that the passenger rate was agreed upon. that the freight rates 1 thereafter were to be fixed by the railroad commission
 Knew of Conner Agreement | Having been connected, as he him. | self says with the railroad rate lti- gation for seven years he was, of course. entirely familiar with all the | facts relating to the holding of cou-
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