The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-01-25
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
,oufe rt ace with the Gcrrgin board ut
<Ts21 a eAtlanta.

--fs0 g a.su. eh''"h'h'
From .he :lQansa. c@.'nu,io, II 1h,..hy.
The railroad Commissioners Of South
Carolina reached the city yesterday Al 2
o'clock, the party consisting Of cX-(iov-
ernor Bonham cx Governor Je,er and
Capt, H. j. Walker. They were me, by
Major Campbell Wallace and Col. l.. y.
Trammrll. and were escorted to the Office
of the railroad commission. A consider
able portion of the afternoon was spent
in cOnsuitatioD, which will be resumed
to-day. In answer TO an inquiry one Of
the Commissioners said to a tDnsfitttirn
reporter last night I'VE are here 70
consult with the Georgia commission,
which is regarded as "a very able one, and
to examine into the methods of your
commission. Our commission has u-t
been created. In 1873 South Carolina
appointed one Commissioner, rxi Cover.
nor Bonham, and it is largely due TO his
influence and work that the present com
mission law was passed. He did not have
near the power that il vested in the
Georgia commission or in the present
commission Of three. The South Carroll
na Commission laws are modelled after
the commission laws of Georgia 10 Il very
considerable extent, and the provisions
of the two are about the same The
Georgia Commission laws, as well IN the
commission, stand high in the estimation
of the people Of South Carolina, and
there is no doubt that the two commits.
sions can work together to advantage
.1Hnml Constitution Of Wc,iuc,iuy.
We are informed that Governor
B0F ham, cy Governor Jetcr and the Hon
l.. j. Walker, railroad Commissioners
for South Carolina, are to hold a confer
encc with the Georgia Commissioner, for
the purpose Of considering the interest Of
the railways and the people Of the two
States.
We rejoice to hear the rumor and hope
it is true. We also seriously trust that
the present status Of the Richmond and
Danvil!c towards the people Of Georgia
will attract the serious consideration nf
these commissioners We Cannot speak
fer South Carolina, but the complaints
coming up continually from The people
OF Georgia ere gricvous and numerous =
especially with regard to passenger and
mail transportation facilities.
These gricvous complaints have been
Informally brought before the Georgia
commission time and again since the
withdrawal Of the passenger train lcav
ing this city in the early morning. The
| commission insists they have no power To
make time tables for the railroads, and
hence cannot order such changes in tho
| running of trains M the wants of the
public demand
One of the Commissioners, however,
says that one thing is very clear to his
mind, namely, that the law requires them
to make ''just and reasonable" rates,
which means fair compensation to the
ronI for the service and benefits rendered
the public In this case the public deny
that the Richmond and Danville Road
render any benefits worthy Of the COM
pensation charged in the carrying of
passengers. The Commissioners, we
have always understood, contend that
three cents 4 mile is a just and reason.
able compensation for carrying passen-
gers with safety, comfort and reasonable
dispatch, and the rate that gives the road
more income than /, y other either above
or below that figure. If the figure is
placed below three cents the income
might possibly not compensate fairly for
the work done. If it is placed above
three cents n mile you reduce and cir
cumscribc travel until the income would
fail to pay expenses.
The Commissioner before alluded to
says that so far as the Richmond and
Danville is concerned, in view of the
statements of mutitudes of its patrons,
it has become serious question in his
mind whether or not the public are re,
ceiving service and benefits worth even
| two cents Il mile.
The complaints against the Air Line,
rs we have said, are important enough tn
deserve the private Nnsideratiun Of the
two commissions, but cpar! from any ac-
tion that may be taken in regard TO this
particular matter, both Georgia and
South Carolina are 70 be congratulated
upon the fact that til" G. missions have
met for consultation
| This meeting is in the direction Of a
suggestion recently made in the Cnnsfifu.
ton in regard to the regulation of trans
portation between the States independ.
emily of Congress. In this view of the
case, the meeting between the two COM
missions is OF vast importance. 1t is
clear that by consultation and the ad-
justment of rates, the problem of regu-
lating interstate transportation as be.
tween Georgia and South Carolina can
be easily solved. As n matter of fact it
ceases to be problem the moment that
States with rcilroad commissions take it
in hand. This is what Georgia and
South Carolina :.-c about 10 Do.