The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-19
CONCERNING THE KENT BILL.
The Commercial Association a
Unit Against the Measure.
Strong Resolutions Adopted in Opposition.
Committee Formed to Circulate +,
Petttion and Send a Delegation to
Richmond to Appear Before tho Na,l.
road Committee.

a strong and representative body O
citizens mot in the Commercial Associa
tons rooms last evening to take actor
on the Kent railroad bill introduced
into the legislature at Richmond
Among those present were President
Peohin, Hon. Henry S. Trout j. Aller
Watts, Jos. T. Engleby, James S. Sim
mons, d. II. Matson, Col. Thomas Lewis
DR.. %. A. Parsons and others.
PRESIDENT Pechin called the meeting
to exder and after an earnest speech of
ten3minutes introduced the following
resolutions:
We, members Of the Commercial Assoc,o,;o,
ana business men OF Roanoke, in mass mcet,nr
assemoied, desire to express our views upon the
pnhs,s commission bill now being pressed at
First;; The Kent bill should be defeated "a
wLtS,,i,y unwarranted and unnecessary, and rs
sss.lsnS deadly blow to the best interests of all
Glasses In the State. VI "''
t, nec e Ihcre is no necessity at the present
LINE tshns 1or the appointment OF any commission
Third. That while there may have been indi.
rented ,sCa the people at large have bccn
tage by the railroad companies
souTth. That the railroads of tho State have
ueen inc prime causes which have rescued Vir-
gina from poverty, have caused an enormous an
probation OF values, have Increased popnIati"pp
nra1 vaaDe on gigantc scale valuclcss mt
sue attention, thereby bringing In new blood md
capital, whereby ex raordinary results have been
pertty innugurated. fNN
me transformation OF n sleepy hamlet OF n few
hundred souls i into the busting, vigorous, pro-
presslvc city or Roanoke. with Its 2l,OCO wide
awake people is an illustration worth volumes of
words:
As citizens of Roanoke, we desire to publicly
place OIL record uDOrcciatOu NJ thn
policy pursued by the Norfolk and Western rail
road, and to enter emphatic protest against the
that tceks, directly ar indirectly, to hamper or
ocprlVc railroad company OF its inherent right
or managing Its own business without any outside
interference beyond that now lodged In tho var
ious courts OF law.
Kcsolvcd That a copy OF the above he trans
mittcd 10 our representatives. in Richmond
The sum and result of tho entirely
unanimous debate which followed the
introduction OF the resolutions was
their adoption and the appointment of a
committee, composed of Chairman Pc
chin, Col. Thomas Lewis, James S. Sim
mons, Henry 5. Trout, Jos. Il. Engleby
aI9. j. Allen Watts, to take immediate
steps to prepare petition and form o.
com m1ttee to go TO Richmond and an
pear before the railroad committee
Thursday and mako argument against
the Kent bill.
The speeches which were made were
strong and to the point. Mr.. Watts
read letter from Prof. Peters, who
said that as Virginian he was ashamed
to think such friend of Virginia, as
President Kimball had proven himself
to be should have to defend his corpora
ton before the legislature. President
Kimball, continued Mr.. Peters in his
letter, had said that the State was
merely on the verge of important de-
velopments.
Mr.. Watts continued: II favor the
resolution. This bill if enacted into
law will stop all advance. We ought to
send committee Of at least twenty-five
to Richmond to oppose this measure.
} he prosperity of Roanoke depends on
the advance of railroads. agree with
Prof. Peters that it is shame that
President Kimball should have to de-
fend the Norfolk and Western before the
legislature"
Mr.. Trout followed in his first address
before the Commercial Association II
ask" said he, what is the necessity for
this bill Have the railroads gone be-
yond their chartered rights . Have
they Disseminated to such an extent as
to require measure like this ? think
not, and am in position to speak. In
1851 l met President Kimball in this
place. What few houses there were
were on Franklin road. We walked
over in the field where Hotel Roanoke
now stands and / overheard President
kimban say that would bo fine
place for hotel. When this
was reported in Big Lick |
was appointed committee of
one to ask him not to put it there as it
would draw trade away from Franklin
road. Presiden Kimball wanted fifteen
acres for tho machine shops. My
father owned tho ground, and said that
II he really wanted that much for the
shop he would sell to him, but, unless
he really needed it, that he didn't care
TO. from such beginning Roanoke has
sprung.
Take the Roanoke and Southern.
Several years ago some gentlemen at
each END of tho liae thought it would be
OF advantage to build the road. They
put in 100000 and aftrrward advanced
S750,o00 moro. AS yot only So 900 of
its bonds have been sold The road
now desires to sell it's bonds, but finds
it impossible to do so While the Kent
bill is threatening the State
"Ra1lroads are already heavily bur-
dened. They pay a tax of $4,000 per
mile on their roudbed, & heavy tax on
their rolling stock and every time a
pennyroyain bull gets killed he imme-
diately b. comes a thoroughbred. Rail
roads never kill anything but thorough.
bred ock, and arc mulcJcd In damages
In every direction
Suppose the bin passes, who will
form the commission? There are al
ready Il hundred applicants. and not
handful know anything about railroad
business The Legislature might as
well pass bank commission bill and
let the commission run all the banks in
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