The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-08-27
ALEssON FOR TENNESSEE.
Georgia Farmers Receiving no Aid from
its Commission.


Georgia Farmers Receiving no Aid from
its Commission.
The Chattanooga Times, referring t.
the complaints made by farmers anC
truckmen in Southern Georgia that OF
account of high rate offreight and the
greed of middle men they have beer
unableto ship their products to
Northern markets without loss, says
And this moves US to inquire: Why
does not the Georgia Railroad Com,
mission protect the truck farmer;
against these exactions? Why does
it allow this great interest to be broken
down? If it be answered that nearly
all the shipments of melons, ETC., are
to points beyond the State and there
fore not under the supervision of the
Commission, we ask further what
good is the Commission to the great
producing interestsof Georgia? Nine
ty per cent. of those products on which
farmers and planters expect to realize
profits are sent beyond the State lines.
If railroads may make up for losses on
local freights prescribed by the Com
mission by imposing extortionate
rates on products going out of the
State, where does the gain. of the pro-
ducer come in as a result of the Com
missions supervisory power?
If we apply these facts and deduc-
tons to our affairs here in Tennessee
we shall not thereby encourage farm
ers OF this State to expect great advan-
tage from placing the management of
our railroads in the hands of a COM
mission. The local schedule proposed
by our commission fixed rates on farm
products about % per cent. higher
than those enforced by the Georgia
commission, thus putting our people
at decided disadvantage. If any
commission in the country could have
achieved success in supervising the
work of States railroads, the Georgia
commission should have succeeded.
But the facts are the other way. The
greater portion of the press of the
State bears united testimony that its
intermeddling has about brought the
of new lines to a standstill,
while it has not encouraged the extern
sion of old ones. There is abundant
proof that while the city of Atlanta
has been considerably proited through
the operation of commission rates, the
State at large has not, on the whole,
been served as cheaply by the roads
rs before the commission undertook
their direction.
There is no basis of sound reason
ing for a State Commission to
rest upon. They cannot interfere with
rates fixed in their State on cargoes
destined for points beyond the States
Whatever concessions
hey force from the roads on local
business is gotten back from local
shippers by increasing rates on goods
,oing out or coming into the State. 1t
,nly results in taking money out of
me railroad till and putting it back
q another railroad till. The people
Who pay the piper are not benefited
Unless the privilege of paying several
thousand dollars year as salaries and
of a commission may be rated
benefit.
In the case of Tennessee, the ship
'ers on her roads had no right to ex-
'ect anything of the Commission but |
hat which has happened. The law of |
heir creation was a hotch-potch of |
and compromises, and was |
worthless by our best |
awyers. The gentlemen chosen to |
nforce this law and act as umpires in /
he delicate and difficult relations be-
geen shippers and railroads was a
nique body. AT the head was placed a
ranky, superannuated politician filed
18th most extreme prejudices against
ne roads, and entertaining views on
ublic and corporate finances similar
, those held by French agrarians, by
ennis Kearney, of California, and
1stus Schwab, of New York City.
ext in order was a gentleman who
ad never resided on the line of a rail-
'ad; had not made the operations of
IT railway system any part of his
udy. The gentleman at the tail of |
lis remarkable board had, we believe,
some period in his career, surveyed
e line OF projected road and been
tive Tor a short period in the engi-
,er department of another road.
OF a man of the three knew as much
the tricks of the trade" of prac-
al railroading as an intelligent
akeman. They all knew less of the !
eat interest over which they were .
t, involving not less than S75,O00,-
0 of capital, than is known by any
vision superintendent or upper q
'rk in freight office. {
With Commission so composed, a l
.kety statute to guide them, and a
anky communist sitting at the head l..
the table, as legal adviser, is it any I
'nder that the attempt at railroad :
yulation in Tennessee has fallen into :
neral contempt? Is it any wonder =
2 courts sent the board into indef- =
70 retirement?
We are not of those who believe !
ere are no railroad abuses that :,
Ould be abolished. We know of
my that must be reformed by I
} managers themselves, or the 3
gislature of the country must :
ervene to protect the roads :
the people from the rascally
lctices of Spectators. Over these
Uses State Legislature can have no =
re control than it can reform the n
Irt of Siam. The patchwork med -
ng of States only complexities the =
lation, and does neither roads nor =
rons any good. ..
q L. 4