The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-06-04
The Railroads and the Farmers.
Their interests are Not
Antagonistic.

NEWPORT, Tenn, May 23rd, 1884
To the Editor of The Morristown Gazette:
In a former communication t
your paper l endeavered, very brie1
ly, to show that all attempts to an
tagonize the intereEts of the rail
roads and the agricultural classe
are unwise, and especially hurtfu
to the latter. That both industrie
were mutually dependent upon eacl
other for success, and alsS adverteC
to the fact that in my humble judg
ment the Railroad Commission Bill
enacted by the last General ASSEM-
bly,, will prove a failure, and be pro-
duetive Of injury no less to the pro-
ducing class than to the reads them
selves.
Thus far the bill has been pro.
ductiYe Of expense to the State, and
has been productive Of litigation
also. The solution of the railroad
problem is beset with difficulties at
every step, and repressive IegislaN
ton is not the panacea for the evils.
In an able and exhaustive essay on
the subject of estate Legislation
Regulating Railroad Traffic." writ>
ten by Chauneey c. Savage in the
February number, 1884, of the
american Lar Register, the writer
truthfully remarks that, "a review
"of railroad regulation in the United
estates shows that no solution of
"this perplexing problem has been
attained. x x \ From an
''infexible system Of repression the
western Legislatures have come
"tO recognize the truth, that there
"must, and finally may be, certain
inequalities in rates." Our own
Supreme Court has expressly rec-
egEized this principle. In the case
of Regan and Buffat VS.. Aiken, de4
eided at Knoxville, September term,
1882, Judge Cooper in delivering
the opinion of the court held, "That
"a eommOn>carrier may discrimi-
"nate in favor of persons living at
"distance from the end of the route,
"where the object is to secure freight,
(which would otherwise reach it's
"destinatiOn by a different route,
"and other customers, not in like
condition will have no right Of ace
''tion because of the discrimination,
eff the charges made against them
care reasonable" In that case,
Aiken, the owner of the Rogersville
and Jefferson railroad, as an induces
ment to certain merchants in Lee
Virginia, and in Hancock
Tenn, to have their goods
shipped to Rogersville, over his
road, entered into contract with |
those merchants, not to charge them
exceeding 10 cents per 100 pounds,
IN any, and all articles of carriage,
over his read. Complainants were
merchants of Rogersville, who filed
'he blu against Aiken, alleging that
his discrimination was illegal, and
'ought to enjoin him from so dis
eliminating. The court held this
vas not illegal discrimination, but
vas such that a commenscarrier
'ould lawfully make. The object
If Aiken was to get business for his
Dad, from persons at a distance
rom its terminus. The learned
Iudge aptly remarked, "That charg-
ing one party too little, is not
charging another party too much.
Determinations, If fair
and reasonable, and founded on
grounds consistent with the public
interest, is allowable. The consid-
Grafton for the statutory toll, or
freight, which a railroad company
is authorized to take, is not merely
the transportation ever the road,
but the services performed, aecom-
modations offered, and expenses inA
Cured in and about the running,
loading, and unloading the goods,
and as their services are the same
on like shipments for short, or for
longer distances, it is obvious that
the charge for short distances mag
be larger than for long distances
nd yet be reasonable" 9 Lea, p.
10.
The Commission Bill" as it is
ermed, prohibits, by severe penal~
y, any unjust and unreasonable dis
riminatiOnin transportation against
ny individual locality or corpora
ion, and vests the authority in the
commissioners to determine what is
easonable, or unreasonable, just or
MUST, and authorizes furthermore
uits against the companies in the
anne of the State, should the com.
anies charge more than the rates {