The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-30
Henderson and Conner Diff fer on Facts Regarding
 Rate to Sylacauga
COMER HAD ASKED
 FOR A CORRECTION
But Henderson Insists That Syla- cauga Mill Was Given Special Favors on Rate by Conner
 Legislature
Fly l.. S. BETTY

Montgomery. April 29.-(Special) Charles Henderson late this afternoon received telegram from B. B. Conner, his opponent for the nomination for gov ernor asking that he correct state ment made by his campaign committee that he (Comer) had secured by legisla- tive enactment special coal rates for his cotton mills at Sylaeauga The former governor appealed to MT. Henderson to make the correction on the ground that the statement was unjust to him and that it was false.
 MT. Henderson immediately upon re- ceipt of MT. Corners telegram. replied to the former governor that he would gladly make the correction if the state ment were not true. He furthermore reiterated the statement made by his campaign committee that the charge was true. and referred to several legislative acts to prove his contention.
 Corners Telegram
 Following is MT. Corners teegram "Mr. Charles Henderson, President Ala
 bama Railroad Commission, Montgom-
 cry, Ala:
 Your campaign committee advertise in many weekly papers as follows:
 Special rates for MT. Conner. MT. Conner had one of his special sessions of the legislature to pass an act au- thorizing the railroads to give him spe- cial coal rate for his cotton mills at Sylacauga of 50 cents per ton, while the public pays 70 cents. MT. Conner now enjoys this discriminacon'
 You know this was impossible and false. The Sylacauga coal rate was given years before l was governor in eonnec- ton with Talladega, Annlston, Gadsden, Alabama City and Attalia, with the mak- ing of which l had nothing whatever to do. This rate applies equally to all the above points to anyone using steam coal. As president of the railroad commission correct this injustice done to a citizen and shipper of the state.''
 Henderson Replies to Conner
 MT. Henderson's telegram in reply to MT. Conner is. in part, as follows:
 "It is my duty and I should be glad to correct any error or pre- sent any injustice, even though by so doing you were elect ed. and I was defeated, if such error
 
 facts prove that the charges made against you are correct and true. A bill prepared by me was passed by your legislature and approved by you IS governor on Feb ruary 2S, 19OI which provided that any person, firm or corporation should not pay greater or a lesser rate than that charged to all others. Under this act of the legislature you could not have legally gotten your coal hauled to Sylacauga at any less rate than the public paid.
 Your special Sylacaugs coal rates were enforced before you were governor but this was also before I was railroad com missioner. l have never known how you managed to get these special favors, but had the act prepared which was passed by your legislature, remained un- amended or unrepealed by you and your legislature, you would be paying today the same rate on your coal to your Syla- uga cotton bill that the public at Syla- cauga is paying but on November 23, 1907, you had your legislature pass and you approved an act that again made legal those special rates for your cotton mill at Sylacauga.
 Tn adition to this your legislature in February, 1907, tied the railroad commits sion's hands by passing the maximum rate bill, which prevented the raising of any rates, and also tied the commissions hands by specifically prescribing that the commission could reduce, but could not advance any rates, thereby placing your special Sylacauga coal rates, not only out of reach of the railroad commission, but out of reach of the courts
 The further statement in your tele- gram that these special rates apply equal ly to all parties using steam coal in the towns named by you is untrue and not borne out by the facts"