The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-12-04

ER To EXPLAIN CERTAIN Prn-
IIsnED RATES.
AsHEvILLE, y. C., Nov. 18th, 30.
Editor THE CLINTON CAUCASIAN,
Clinton, y. c.: Dear sir-tnder
another cover we send YOU the Ashe-
Vile Citizen of 18th instant, and re-
spectfully ask your attention to our
application To the News and OhSarv-
er OF Raleigh for copy Of the
freight rates quoted by that paper
under date of November l9th.
These same rates were quoted by
the News and Observer in answer %
an article Of yours relative Ia "a
commission, and at this time Aug.
3lstl the News and Observer teliei-
tated itself that you did not deal ON
glittering generalities but rather gave
facts upon which to base an argu-
ment. (Nou ut that time qnoting
Georgia rates
We do not know how much fur
ther you prosecuted your enquiries,
but Immediately Oh the appearance
here Of the News and Observer with
| the article allu led 10 under date of
Nov. 18th, we wrote that paper and
asked them tor their authority for
quoting the North Carolina rates
they gave. They have never given
us their authority. therefore we are
Justified iii the belief that no such
rates are in existence applying a.
their article would make them APP
ply, to shipments within the State,
from one point to another. Some
such rates may operate in Inter-
State business, say something like
this: shipment from Louisville,
Ky, is made to Clinton, il may be
for every one hundred miles that
shipment makes in North Carolina
tina. proportion of the freight
charges is given 10 the roads in North
Carolina over which it passes under
some such rates as the News and O0-
server quotes. This is very differ
ent thing, you see, and we doubt not
that If you will make enquiry of
some trustworthy merchant in your
place, Zone in favor of IA railroad
commission if possible,l you will
find that on any freight bills he has,
say from this section or from any in
terror section of the State these bills
will show higher charges than the
News and Observer gives. In the
absence of proof Of the existence of
and operation within the State of tho
News and Observers rates we beg
you to consider how unfair and mis-.
leading the articles ofthat paper have
been on the Railroad Commission
subject. he News and Observer
evidently depended on the credulity
OF the people Of North Carolina e
accept these statesments without
question or challenge, and on this
assumption have been guilty of do,
ing that (Which to characterize mild
IyJ is very discreditabll to them
Mr.. Winburn, Division Freight
Agent of r. q ID. here, on seeing
ing our demands on the News anC
Observer for these rates, took up the
;, cudgels for the News and Observer
and undertook as he says "to furnish
the information that the News and
Observer appears not to have given
, He however, does no better than the
News and Observer does in doinl
nothing. Mr.. WinburE presents
true facts and figures which in them
, selves are no doubt correct, but w
t asked the News and Observer fo
i specific rates made use Of by then
! in and under specific conditions
, these rates and the application th'
News and Observer made Of then
,, !, are still unsut stantiated, nor do w
1 believe that the New and Ob-erve
! or Mr.. WiEburn can establish.
: Yours truly,
, THE RAILROAD COMMISSION CLUB
J J. II. Kepler, President.
S We answered the News and Oh
t server at the time calling upon tha
paper to state on what roads and be
7 tween what points existed the freigh
! rates which it published as existing
l in the State and as being lower thai
the rates in Georgia under com
mission. The News and Observe
did not answer our inquiry; but
answer 10 letter from your clul
that paper again published the sam
9 rates as existing in this State, where
: upon we again in last weeks issu
( called upon that paper for an answe
II to the same inquiry we had prev
e ously made through these columns
IS The following is that papers answe
e in its issue of las Saturday to OIL
. inquiries asking for facts:
awe are sorry to see that The Cal
casian says the News and Observ,
"took it 20 task" about its articl,
on a Railroad Commission. Thi
:, was not the spirit in which we wro
u at all. On the contrary, if we rec0
~ lect Alright, we appreciated the di
= ference between the intelligent eli
- cussion of the matter by The Cauc
ar sian and the handling of the saII
= subject by some Others: and in pr
b senting our views We had no idea
Ia "taking our contemporary IT, task
;n And in fact we may say that 0n
= shows how little The Caucasi,
~ knows about the News and Obser
ss er."-ED. CAUCASIAN.
-, STATE OF ONO. CITY OF TOLEDO. !
LUCAS COUNTY.
'o Frank ]. Cheney makes oath that
i rlap paft tf,t.y yaa sfr.n IF tto.A r