The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-12

mortal protesting against the Railroad
Law was presented to tie :. 81 Le=is-
lature. signed By r. Il. Br.dEcrs- y ;.
Buford, \. {. Haskell, John Il. Peek,
W. G. Raoul, \. F. RaTenel, etc. When
the matter went to committee, q large
crowd attended.
Mr.. VIM. z. CLYDE, Of the famous
CLYDE Syndicate. spoke for nearly two
hours IN 3 pleasant. conversational way
He made a very striking and ingenious
argument against the commission haE-
;nr the right to tx rates. but approved
Of the maintenance OF a commission Tor
supervisory purposes He was not eN-
IRENE fiji ht. remarks. aud they were
heard with very greatintere-t. Various
questions were asked BY members OF q
committee. and answered. One OF his
main points was that the regulation 81
railroad rates bv the state, however
fairly done. would frighten capital away
and DESTROY the credit, not only oi the
roads, but OF all proposed state enter
priscs. If the effect OF the law QUO
be other than 70 iuiure the general busi-
ness interests of the State and retard
their growth. he thought that lie could
well endure the temporary loss OF
+ money, as the improvement " thc state
would enable the Danvl!le system 70
make money with a reduction 81 rates
President Haskell read an estimate
that the Greenville road would Lave H.
gross earnings reduced under the COM
mission fifty thousand dollars before
Janulry. and Mr.. Clyde said that Pres
dent Haskell had called Oh him for sixty
thousand dollars with which to pay the
January interest, the road having failed
TO earn it.
Mai. Furgusoa. Of Ggecnville. thought
that the effect OF the law hal been to
Tighten off capital.
Ex-Goycrnor Hagood said that lie be-
licvCd IN 4 railroad commission, but
thought that this Law supervised the
roads out OF existence. The power CIV
en- the commission had very seriously
embarrassed his negotiations for capital
abroad.
Mai. John G. Winder, Of the Seaboard
Air Line. said that his line wanted to
enter South Carolina. but their desire
had been much weakened by this law,
and it would be impossible to get the
money to build it until the law should
be repealed.
Col. Frank Coke, Of the Western
North Carolina Road, attributed the
none-completion of the Spartanburg and
Asheville Road to the establishment OF
arbitrary regulations Of rates by the
State. and also said that capital would
not enter the state with such a law on
the books.
ntl,,. r,aC,I,- fpp1- fhn SorNNp linn
Ex-Gov. NJ. /. Bonham, one of the
Railroad commissioners. took a differ
ent view. said he had been connected
with the commission for five years, that
he had recommended to the Legislature
the adoption Of the system in vogue il
Illinois. Illinois has the greatest mile
age OF any State, and that system is sti.
in operation there. He did not feel tina
he occupied the position Of a partisan
but represented tie interest Of the rail
roads as well as ire people of the State
In Georgia the Illinois system still pre-
walls. He read extracts from the Geor
Ola commissioners reports, showing
that the railroad law in that State haC
not been preiudicial to existing com
panies. lie said that the superinten'
dent of the Genital Railroad had tol,
him that his road made more money a
three cents a mile for passenger fare:
than ever before. There are assertion.
made that the receipts have been re
duced by the commissioners rate, bu
they are not borne out by the facts
He then quoted reports showing that il
the month of October of this year tn,
j. CLYDE roads in South Carolina made b,
freight Sc. loo more than IN the sam,
month last year, and on passengers AM
f, freight combined $1,000 more. and thi
t Notwithstanding the poor crops.
Governor Bonham vas interrupted
several times by President Haskell 0
the Clyde roads III South Carolina, Wh'
was then heard in behalf of lis road
: He said that Mr.. Clyde had so complete
!, " covered the ground that all that re
manned for him to do was to give som
figures to supplement what lie said. II
. then stated that the loss OF his road il
| October was 500, 900 in freight and SCI,
7 600 IL passenger business. The loss il
, tonnage was a little less than 10 pc
: ceat. The loss on each ton haule'
: amounts to s1.23. On every ton, u
: said, we actually lose 4l.13.
; The track Of the G.. +. 4 I. Y
r. r. is laid over three miles beyont
9 Matthews Cross Roads. --The oil
iron rails On the II. & \. arc bein
; replaced By new and heavy steel rails
The work is now going on over the sec
ton between Haw river and Osgood. tn
road bed has been greatly improved
Pittsboro Home.
The agent for a new brake for freigh
: cars is having them tested on our Stat
Roads. The brake IS fixed to the bum
} pers' 50 that when the engine gives
quick jerk it locks every wheel on til
train, without the aid of brakesmen.