Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-08-30
THE INDUSTRIAL INTEREST.
A. Railroad Commission Ncf-
eher Necessary Nor
Desirable.
Ne Conflict Between the Reads and the
Business Public.
The Farmers Safeguard Against
Oppressive Charges.

EI
The Southern Lumberman, from
whick the following is clipped, repre-
sents one of the largest interests in
Tennessee:
We have taken considerable pains to
obtain the calm and quietviews Of the
saw-min men and lumber dealers, as
we'll also thcse of promiHent business
zRen representing nearly every ia
Gustrial interest, concerning the pro-
posed Tennessee Railroad Commis-
sion, and End that they agree with
wonderful unanimity that a comE1is-
sion is neither necessary nor desirssble.
We learn that there IS no CONTEST in
this Staee between the roads and the
business public as a body, and no
serious complaintIkre made IL any
locality that have not, or cannct be,
adjusted by presenting the carse of
complaint in proper manner so the
proper persons. Railroads, li1E every
other business, are run for moaey-a
Z
profit upon the Hnvestment-4nd as
their profits are derived from the peo-
pie q. is obviously to their interest to
cultivate friendly feeling t0Hncrease
theE trade. The managers, sofhcers,
and employees are daily brought into
business contact with every class of
people, from theshighest to the lowest,
from the tramptD the millionaire, with
considerable -sprinkling Of editors
and preachers, and shower OF cranks,
anil it is a matter of profound
astonishment THAT they give such
general satisfaction as we End.
1t is said that the commission is in
tended to prevent discrimination and
extortion. We do not comprehend
how the roads can seriously Cypress
BE when it is impossible for them to
take from us any right or privilege we
possessed Before they were built.
suppose theg charge mp sixteen cents
| Ger lumber from Lebanon, Murfrees-
boro, Franklin or Gallatin, to this
sity, and then transport thessame lum-
Der from here to Montreal three hum
n-ed times the distance-dcr thirty
eents, who rs Injured? We have the
same turnptAes, in as good condition
as before the roads were bu2t, mules
land wagons are about as cheap, and
|. pike tolls much less than formerly; 30,
rather than submit to "extorton," or
have four hard earnings wFyng from
MS by oppression" we had mnch bet
ter fall back on the good old wagon
and team plan of our fathers. There
are many sections of the State of Ten
inessee where new railroads are imper-
aaEvely demanGed-must be brilt, and
that soon, or they will fall so far be-
hind the other portions OF the State
that they car never regain their
proper places $4,000
Is it Just to the citizens of these sec
items that we, who enjoy the blessings
of railroad connections, by establish
ing hostile commission forevenaebar
them from enjoying the same tbless-
incS? That, indeed, would be telass
LEGISLATION of the most hurtfUl kind
that would discriKate in, favor Sf the
wealthy sections 81 the State, which
possess all the transportation faeili-
ties they need, to prevent the peerer
sections from ever securing the sane
advantages. The fact has been demon
strated, and admitted, that, should TIE
proposed commission be established
and invested with power to regulase
the operations of the railroads in the
State, no capitalist, either native or
foreign, would risk his means in their
investment, and railroad construction |
would oease in this State, and that,
too, at time when a large proportion |
of the best and most progressive citi- |
Zens of the State are bending every en-
ergy to secure railroad connections for
xl1e.fv. II 10.
an outrage upon their rights and lib |
critics to Illustrate their honest endeav-
ors to benefit themselves and their |
sections in legitimate manner.
The Baltimore Manufacturers Rec |
ord, reviewing the statements and fig |
ures given in Poor's Railroad Manual,
the advance sheets OF which have just
been issued, makes the following state
ment, based upon the actual figures:
The aggregate railroad mileage OF |
the whole country is now 120,552
miles, against 1882 miles in 1880,
showing an increase of 37.5 per cent,
while the total capital is Sl,495, AL
81, az compared with S., 425, 722, $50
as the amount of capital given by the
census of 1880. 1t is, however, to the
South's position that we desire more
to call attention.
EFF we take the four-year period
from 1879 to 1888 it will be found that
the development of the South's rail-
road system during that time was
very rapid, and the statistics will show
a most gratifying progress; but if we
were to examine closely into the pres
ent condition of railroad building in
the South we would find that, in a
number of the States where most IN
just and arbitrary laws have been en-
acted for the control OF railroads,
capitalists have sensibly refused to
to risk their money in enterprises the
control of which is taken from them
by law, and that railroad building is
therefore very slack"