Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-18
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
A Quiet Sunday Chat With Colonel
Savage.
He Says Something About Rail.
roads and Little About
Law and Lawyers.
Nashville American, Is.

Il
chair, however, upon observing thu
representative of the press and await
ed the onslaught:
Colonel" asked the reporter, tel
me what you have lately found oui
concerning the railroads that you
think will interest the public?"
The Colonel replied that he ane
his colleagues, General Gordon and
Captain Turley, had lately been tray
cling in various parts Of Middle Ten
nessee with a view to learning the
wants of shippers aud the efforts
the railroads were making to meet
them. He found at Olarksville thai
there was some complaint concern.
ing the high tariff charged by the
railroads on wheat. In Gallatin ship.
pers complained that a greater rate Of
freight was charged from Gallatin tC
Louisville and Louisville to Gallatin
than from Nashville to Louisville and
Louisville to Nashville. The same
complaint was urged By the Spring
field shippers as regards st. Louis and
Nashville and vice versa.
Colonel Savage said he understood
that the Chattanooga road had recent
ly ameliorated the condition OF the
shippers between Nashville and Ohat-
tanooga. charging about the same rate
from Nashville to Chattanooga on
merchandise for Atlanta as they did
from Nashville to Chattanooga. 1t
will be remembered that it was
charged during the last legislative
session that the very reverse was the
case.
Continued the Colonel, "the railroad
companies are like good house wives
who, when they expect company, put
their homes in order and their ugly
things out Of sight"
Being asked if he knew what Gen.
Gordon, who arrived in town Saturday,
was doing, the Colonel said he was
studying the various railroad tariffs in
this and adjoining States, with view
to master the system upon which the
pro rates were allowed and charges
made. The General and Captain Tur
ley have been to Franklin, Columbia
and Pulaski, and have heard great
many complaints. Prior to the first
Of July the law did not clothe the
commissioners with much power,
the period intermediate between
that time and the date of the
passage of the law being allowed by
the Legislature to the railroads to
learn the new order of things. One
very serious complaint that enumers-
ted q number of wrongs worked by a
system in vogue on one of the roads
was presented to the Commissioners
some time in June, but the part of the
law for regulating the. railroads which
took oognizanoe of and redressed the
wrongs complained Of did not com
mence to operate until July |, hence
the complaint was dismissed. The OBJ
jectionabie system. however, is said to
be still in operation, and the complaint
will be formulated and presented
again.
Colonel Savage said he had before
him the case of Joe Clark vs. j. D
Bone, administrator Of A. Il. Bone,
filed in the Smithville Circuit Court
February 81, 1868. The money and
lands involved had been in the hands
of the guardians Of the minors all
these years, and it was just now that
the case was reached BY the commits
sion Of referees. This" said the
lawyer, cannot be called Justice
without sale, denial or delay, as guar
anteed by the constitution. Suppose
tho nine referees had not been APP
pointed, how long do you suppose it
would have been before this case
would have been reached by the Su-
preme Court"
The reporter gave it up. 80 do l"
said the Colonel.
What do you think of the theory
that litigation is very much on the
Increase III tennessee on account OF
the heavy taxation upon it, and the
delay you have just referred to2" asked
the reporter.
THAT is true to some extent" said
the lawyer, but the great cause of the
decrease Of litigation is the general
Of the times in Tennessee
together with the fact that things are
done now more on cash and less on
credit basis than formerly. Then you
must take into consideration that all
Of the matters Of difference of civil
nature that grew up between our peo
pie during war times, when the law
was imperative, and that were crowded
to the bar Immediately after peace was
fully restored, have been nearly all
settled, There is considerable truth
in the saying that the harder the times
the more litigation and in good times
lawyers keep poor
Thanking the Commissioner for the
store Of information he had impaired
the reporter retired.