The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-17
South Carolina,s Railroads.

| South Caroliua's Hsuroads-
1t Is not a matter of wonder that those
who are interested in South Carolina rail-
road property and all who are anxious 70
see the state prosper are greatly alarmed
! at the prospect which the passage OF what
/ is known as the Wilson bill presents. The
| bill amounts virtually 10 confscation OF
] the railroads of the state. 1t not only gives
/ a commission authority 10 make all
! traffic rates, arrange schedules. assess dam
ages against the roads and supervise their
contracts with connecting roads. but Il also
provides that the commissioners shall be
elected and that there shall be no appeal
from their decisions. The bill, in fact,
takes he management Of TIE roads out OF
the hands Of their owners and puts it in the
hands of inexperienced men chosen by the
people.
It's pretty safe to say that those who own
the securities of South Carolina railroads
will sell them as quickly as they can, at
whatever price they can get. And there
will De but little railroad building in the
state as long as the Wilson law is in force.
People will not invest their money in a
state that virtually takes private property
"AbASAN poJ AK VIC OWAoAo AOA AS'
There is no assurance whatever that the
men chosen to administer the law will be,
in any respect, qualified for the discharge
of their duties They will be popular men
IN their respective localities, because only
popular men have a chance Of being elected,
and to retain their popularity they
will have to respond to about
every demand the people make relative to
traffic rates, schedules and other things.
The only thing the railroad officials will
have TO do will be to operate the roads as
the inexperienced commissioners direct.
Under such conditions it will not be long
before the roads will be so overwhelmed
with debt that it will not be possible TO keep
them in good repair. They will render poor
service, accidents will be frequent and the
employees will find it difficult TO get fair
wages.
The bill will hurt the state in other ways.
1t will turn investors aud immigrants away
from her and will so hurt her credit that
she will find it difficult to fund her matur-
ing obligations except at q high rate Of In
terest.
The class Of people who are insisting upon
ouSl cElslhbiOu al tulb Dlll 1861 LQc
hard times, and they are acting as if they
thought the railroads were responsible for
their poverty. Their attacks upon she reil-
roads appear to be made in a spirit
Of retaliation, though they would not
admit. probably, that they are hostile %
the railroads. Instead of benehting them,
however, the Wilson bill will have the
effect Of making it more difficult for
them to better their material condition. Be
fore two years have elapsed the men who
| are responsible for this bill will be de-
manding that it shall be repealed, or at
| least greatly modified.
1t hasn't been long since congress passed
law preventing pooling by interstate
roads What is the resultl Numerous
trusts are being formed and manufacturers
and business men along the great trunk
lines are being ruined. The other day MIR.
Depew. the president Of the New York
Central, said if the law against pooling re.
manned in force ten years longer there would
be no manufactures except at the terminals
of the great railroads.
Congress yisldsd to the clamor for law
prohibiting pooling and the law has done
vast amount Of harm. The
law will be repealed by this
congress or the next. 1t was enacted with
out full inquiry as TO what its effect would
be. and in response to the demand Of those
who thought they would be benefited IL
competition were not checked by pooling.
It is now believed that pooling is a good
thing, aud it will be permitted.
II the courts do not promptly declare the
Wilson law TO be unconstitutional, the peo-
pie themselves will ask for its repeal