The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-02-24
THE COULTER BILL.
Views Of the Railroad Men on
the Proposed Legislation.
DIM Elties In tho Wsy.Of State Super
vision.
nashville American. Feb. sth.I

terday, relative to the proposed legis-
Iative regulation of railroads, taking
rs busis the bill introduced in the
House of Representatives, few days
since, by Mr.. Coulter, of Gibson, which
was published in the American yes
terday. This measure has for its OBJ
ject the regulation Of railroad freight
and passenger tariff, and the appoint
ment of three commissioners, one OF
whom shall possess legal experience,
one experienced in railroad sqfairs,
and the other be conversant with the
agricultural and commercial interests
of the state. The commissioners are
to make tariffs which are to be OBJ
served by all railroad companies doing
business in this State, ''such rates to
be equal, reasonable and just" The
railroad men say that if such a sched-
ule of charges could be arrived at, it
would be satisfactory not only to the
people, but also to the owners and
officers of the railroads. The task,
however, to be imposed on these three
commissioners is thought to be imprac-
ticable; for, if the rates are to be equal,
it implies that they are either to be the
same upon all classes of freight, ire
speetive Of their value-that is, the
same rate per mile upon ton of coal
worth three dollars as upon a ton of
merchandise worth five thousand dol
hrs or the rates to be in the State,
for similar articles for like distance;
and, while given rate might be rea
sonable for road so constructed that
Its engines could pull twenty-five load
ed cars, the same rate would be IN
reasonable upon road where its en-
gines could only pull five. In this
view, could any rates be equal and at
the same time be reasonable and JUST?
The very fact Of their being equal
either as to different kinds of merchan-
disc or upon different roads make them
necessarily unreasonable and unjust
upon some classes of freight or upon
some roads.
There are about /, 200 miles of rail
roads within the limits of the State of
Tennessee, which cost, in the aggre-
gate, $50, 900, 900, nearly one-half of
which. in mileage, have become hank
rupt and the capital invested has been
lost so far as the original stock holders
are concerned. This would seem to
prove that the rates charged have not
been remunerative, but have been as
unsatisfactory to the stockholders as to
the public. The State assumed con-
troll of over one-fourth of the railroad
mileage in the State and undertook to
operate the roads by its receivers, and
there was as much complaint against
the rates charged and facilities furnish
ed by the roads when under the direct
control of these agents of the State az
against those controlled by the officers
of the roads. It seems, according to
the view of leading railroad officials,
rather unfortunate that, if the Legs
lature should desire to undertake the
control of the details of railroad man
agement, it had not done so when so
large a number of the railroads were
under the immediate control of officers
appointed by the State, as, in the
event the rates were not remunative,
the party fixing them would then have
had to furnish the capital to make up
the deficiency necessary to operate the
roads. This, however, was not done,
and it is now proposed that the State,
through its agents, board of railroad
commissioners, shall fix he rates to be
charged upon all railroads, and, ifthey
are net remuneratiye, then the rail
road companies are to supply the de-
6ciencY required to pay the operating
expenses. In business point of view
/ it is deemed rather unfair that the
State should name the rates and other
parties foot the losses, if any; and it is
hardly to be expected that those own
ing railroads will consent that $780,
100000 capital be placed entirely at
the disposal of lawyer, a merchant
and theoretical railroad man.
The passage of any bill giving arbi-
trary powers to commissioner to fix
rates will. it is predicted, put an end
to all railroad extensions within the
limits of the State, and there are quite
a number of such extensions desired
by counties that are not now favored
with railroad facilities, for it is hardly
reasonable to expect that any company
will expend 100000 per mile in build
ing railroads and then have a commits /
sion fix the rates on such roads. If a
commission be advisable, would it not,
the railroad men ask, be we'll to have
their powers advisory only, to hear
any complaints made by the commu-
nifty, advise the railroads, and. by ne
gotiations, endeavcr to cultivate bet
ter feeling between the people and the
railroads, as in the case Of the Massa-