The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-09
RAILROADS
AND RAILROAD COMMISSIONS
No G..

persons whose duty it is to see that
tie different railroads OF the State
conform to the law of the land,
whose duty it is to see that the law
pertaining to railroads IS enforced.
the enactment of statutes by the diff
ferent legislatures is of little, if
any, vslue.
The Legislature Of 1887 passed So
act, declaring, amongst other things,
that railroads should not make any
unjust determinations in the rates
ofcharges for toll or compensation
for the transportation Of passengers
or frcIghts of any description. Yet
this law seems to have been a dead
letter, for ali see that in 1889 the
legislature passed an act declaring
it unlawful for railroads in this
State to discriminate against
freights received from the Atlantic
and \. c. Railroad.
l have been told that the then
president Of the a & n. G. +. r,
complained that the W. & W. and
II. q D. roads Disseminated against
his road at GoldsboTO to the great
and serious damage of the a. & n,
G.. road, notwithstanding the Act Of
1887 lOrbiddlng such discrimination;
and that the Act of 1850 was drawn
by Gov, FOwIe and rassed at his
special request TO remedy this evil.
| venture to predict, however, that
this law will be disregarded, as the
first was, and that the two roads
running into GOldshoro Will continue
to make unjust determinations
against the A. & \. G.. road and
that only wise and fearless rail
road commission can give any subs
stantial and permanent relief for
this and other evils.
Let me give you another instance {:
A gentleman of my acquaintance
purchased o first class ticket from
Raleigh 10 Greensboro Of the r. &
D. Company at time when there
was no unusual amount of travel.
This ticket entitled its holder to a
comfortable seat N a first class car,
and upO1 failure Of the company to
comply with its part Of the contract
to furnish this passenger with a
comfortable seat in one of its first
class cars-the holder Of tine ticket
would be entitled to actual damagee
for yiolatI"n Of the contract. There
was only one first class car attached
to this train, 1t was very much
crowded, and this passenger wa.
compelled to stand up the most Of
the journey to Greensboro. Has be
any remedy for this clear violation
! Of its contract by the railroad com.
panY? Theoretically, yes-practic.
ally, no, He may sue the company,
and at the end of long and vexa,
| tious litigation, recover his aCtLal
damages-a dollar or two, perhaps
! having paid his lawyer for conduct
ing the suit from twenty-five to fifty
dollars. lie therefore quietly sub
mits to the grievance and the rall>
road company continues to crowC
one hundred people into car caps
ole of accommodating only seventy
five.
Another instance "A lady living a
depot next to Durham desiring tt
90 to a certain depot between Dur
ham and Henderson takes the r.
d. cars at her depot at ?. II. an(
as she goes into Durham at 6:3(
she meets coming out of Durham
the Henderson s. Durham train OF
its way to Henderson, and she ha'
to remain in Durham twenty fOu
hours, whereas if the Henderson {
Durham train had deferred Its de
parture from Durham only FIVE min
utes she wOlld have made conneC
ton with that tram, and had n
delay. THIS want of come ction a
Durham shows an utter disregard o
aud Indifference to the uonvcnienc
Of the travelling public, is of Il
benefit whatever TO the railroad
coGcerned,is the result of rivalry be
tween the two roads, and the peopl
are pOwerless, under the presen
lazy, to prevent it. a proper raj
road commission law would rcmed
this in short order. Thor are man
similar cases il the State, but
! would take too much time to refe
, to them in detail.
AS l believe l have said before,
] Is waste of legislative brain TO eE