The Aberdeen examiner., 1883-05-31
That Question of ..SuperY ision.' 3

That Question of ''SuperYision."
We may add, that the flilnsiest
pretence that was ever attempted
upon credulity is that supervisory
legislation is inimical to railroads and
will deter capital from investment in
railroad enterprises. In the face Of
all the experience which proves pre-
cisely the reverse, it hasn't even
plausibility. Years ago, when Hi
nois, Iowa, Michigan and other States
inaugurated such Legislation, they
had, comparatively, but few railroads:
Since then, with supervisory legisla-
ton in full force, they have been
networked with them. You had as
well say that no hacks will be run
within the limits of a corporation--or
that no rivers would be bridged-if
the owners of hacks and bridges are
restricted in their charges. When
ever, and wherever, demand exists
for an enterprise, it will be supplied.
Capitalists know that railroads pay
better than any other Investment
Jacks0m Clarion
In reply to the above we call at
tention to the fact that Mr.. Clark,
representing the combination com
posed of the Illinois Central, Missis-
sippi Central and New Orleans, jack
son and Great Northern Rail Road,
appearing before the legislature of
1880 proposing if granted a fair char
ter to build the road at once from
| Kosciusko to Aberdeen, without ask
ing a dollars worth of subscription or
aid of any kind from the country
along the proposed route; but our
contemporary will remember that he
was met by proposals to amend his
charter by the injection of certain
supervisory restrictions, and that he
at once withdrew it, saying that his
people would seek other fields for
investment until Mississippi was pre-
pared to meet the overtures of pro-
gressive men in more liberal and
encouraging spirit.
This enterprising gentleman came
to us again in 1882, and he offered to
the Legislature two admirably drawn
contracts for their consideration; in
one of these he proposed to build the
Canton, Aberdeen & Nashville Rail
Road without local aid, and in the
other a road from Jackson to Yazoo
City with provision for many branches
that if completed would bless large
portion of the Delta; but before his
company would embark dollar in
the work, he demanded that the
people of Mississippi through their
Legislators should guarantee him
the right to charge certain rates for
the transportation Of passengers and
freight. Notwithstanding the fight
for supervision that was being SO
fereely waged at that session, the
Legislature solemnly agreed to con-
cede him the following maximum,
which if fully reached will be in
excess of the charges-if we are
properly informed-of those of any of
the roads in the States cited by our
able cotemporary, to wit:
"Four cents mile for passengers.
"Sixty five cents per 100 pounds
of 1st or End class freight per 100
miles OR LESS.
"Forty five cents per 100 lbs. for
Bird and 4th class freight per 100
miles OR LESS.
"Thirty two cents per 100 lbs. for
9th and 9th class freight, per 100
miles OR LESS, and exemption from
taxation for twenty years.
We do not pretend to say that this
bargain was hard one for the State;
on the contrary, we think that she
made magnificent trade, inducing
the investment of millions of foreign
capital within her bounds that will in
the swift course of time become taxa
Bile, and at the same time opening up
to settlement and the thousand and
one civilizing influences that accom-
pany rail road building, hundreds of
thousands of acres of land that will in
their enhancement of value add vast
ly to the revenues of State, counties
and contiguous towns; but what we
mean to say is that these lines and
many others that obtained the same
charter contracts from the Legislature
of 1882, would not have been built
but for those concessions and protec-
tections.
The supervisory law in Iowa is of
comparatively recent enactment, and
our contemporary will not forget that
it has been battled over almost ever
since in the Courts, and that no rail
road not already in course of con-
struction at the time of its confirma-
ton by the Courts, or absolutely
essential to the welfare of the old
roads, has been undertaken within the
bounds of that State.
AS to Illinois, the law was regarded
as a dead letter-as it is in many