The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-03-11


Railroad freight rates, if uncon-
trolled, are fixed upon the theory of
putting upon the product all that it
could stand, instead of simply putting
it a fair compensation TO the railroad
for hauling the goods
This was illustrated by the story of
the Irish cabman who, in a western
city, was called upon by two railroad
magnates to take them to a resort a
few miles from the city. 1t was just
after the papers had been discussing
the difference between people and the
railroads on some freight charges,
and the railroads were insisting upon
putting a tariff which was all that the
product could bear, and more than a
fair compensation for transportation.
The railroad men asked him what he
would charge to take them to this re-
sort. He replied S.. They told him
that they we're compelled to be in the
city at four o'clock, for they had a
trade which involved five hundred
thousand dollars, to be made at that
hour, and wanted to know just how
long it would take to make the trip
from the resort back to the city. The
Irishman told them just one hour.
Thereupon they seated themselves in
the cab and went to the resort. At
three o'clock they told the Irishman
that they were ready to return. The
cabman did not bulge. They called
his attention to the fact that the time
had come for them to return, and that
they only had time by starting at once,
to meet their important engagement.
The Irishman replied that he had
agreed to bring them out to the resort,
but had made no contract to take
them back. Thereupon the msgnates,
with a few words of severe criticism,
proposed to pay the Irishman five dol
lars to take them back. The Irishman
promptly replied, "Faith and be Jasus,
[ believe in the doctrine of charging
a price which is all that the traffic will
bear, and as l have the only convey
ance which can take you to town, and
as you have an engagement involving
$500, 600 when you get there, / will
charge you $500 for the use of my
team for the next hour. True, it is
more than my team and cab are worth,
but the traffic will bear it and you
must pay the charges" 1t is useless
to say that the railroad magnates, with
smothered~ imprecations, paid the $500
and rode back to town.
The history of our own State shows
that the railroads make rates, not in
accordance with a fair compensation
for services rendered, or to develop
the country, but to make every dollar
that they can.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
"About II years ago." said Mr..
Smith, ave established a railroad
commission. When the effort was
made to establish it, your capital city
was thronged with dis~interested (0
patriots, who urged,
First, That the establishment of a
railroad commission would check rail.
road building, that capital was timid
and ought not to be interfered with.
"Second, That the interests of the
people and the roads were the same,
and the roads could be relied upon to
develop the section and put freight as
low as possible, and that the agitation
was coming, not from those who really
felt an interest in the question, but
from demagogues and'1men who sought
popular favor at the sacrifice of the
industrial pursuit of the State.
"Despite this line of argument the
railroad commission was established,
and what has been the result? More
railroad development has taken place
in Georgia within the past twelve
years than in any other period of
twice thai length. Instead of finding
that the railroads were fixing the
lowest freight rates possible consistent
with their welfare, the commission has
been able to reduce freight charges at
least one,third inside the State, and
the cost of passenger transportation
has been also prOportionately reduced.
TRUE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE.
"These reductions, forced by the
people in the exercise of their right of
control, have Caused untold blessings
to come to our State on the way of in
dustries developed and individual
: prosperity, and the agitators who
were supposed to prefer ruling in hell
to serving in heaven, are found to
have been public b~enefactors, indeed,
who were really serving the public -
A few years later the same class of
disinterested (0 patriots and philan-
thropic sons who opposed the estab.
lishment of the railroad commission,
turned up before the legislature and
urged that the powers of the railroad
commission should be curtailed. And
the same old arguments were made by
the same old crowd in favor of curtail-
ing the powers of the commission