The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-06
The Matter Discussed Before
the Railroad Commission.
THE DECISION is RESERVED
All Leading Railroads Repre-
sented by Able Counsel.
A PROPOSED CUT OF IA GENT
Express and Money Rates on the At
lantic and North Carolina Railroad
to be Reduced 30 Per Cent
After November.

After November.
The Railroad Commission yesterday
had under consideration the matter
of reduction Of passenger rates over
the railways in this State. The South
ern Railway Company was represent
ed by Col. A. b. Andrews, First Vice
President; Mr.. w. w. Finley, Second
Vice-President; Col. w. A. Henderson,
of Washington, General Counsel; J. NJ.
Culp, Traffic Manager; w. A. Turk,
General Passenger Agent, and f. ii.
Busbee, attorney, of Raleigh. The At
lantic Coast Line System was repre-
sented by T. NJ. Emerson, Traffic Mana
ger; the Seaboard AIRLINE system by
ex-Judge James G.. MacRae, w. II. Ray
and j. b. Bachelor; the Cape Fear and
Yadl1in Valley by j. c. MacRae, George
NJ. Rose and j. +. Kyle, Assistant Pas
senger Agent; the Atlantic and North
Carolina railroad by S. L. Dill, Gem
eral superintendent.
These gentlemen argued for several
hours before the commission, alleging
that they could not stand the proposed
reduction of "a of a cent per miles
claiming that it would be r-uinous to
their business. The Southern repre-
sentatives claimed that the reduction
on its main line alone, to say nothing
of it's branches. would mean to it a
loss in revenue of 100000. Col. Hen
derson, the SOuthern's general coun-
sell made the statement that in 1891,
when the commission was organized
in this State, and reduced the passen-
ger tariff, the reduction made rates
here lower than in other Southern
States, and that other States had since
made reductions in accordance with
the figures fixed by the North Caro-
line commissioners. He added that
if now the board made the proposed "a
of a cent reduction it would be fol-
lowed by like cut in other States and
utterly ruin the railway business in
the South. The representatives for
| the other roads made similar argu-
ments against the reduction, claiming
that the roads of the State ran through
| agricultural districts and at best were
not very profitable, as compared with
such enterprises elsewhere. They
stated that i'm North Carolina rates
were now lower than in other Southern
| States and very little higher than on
| the roads from Washington to Phila-
delphia and New York where the travel
| is immense. 1t was stated that the reg
ular rate from Washington to New
| York is nearly cents a mile. They
said further that while there was no
| increase in earnings their expenses
were much higher, from the fact that
| they had now to have much better
trains, depots and road-beds than for
merly.
! The Commission listened patiently
| to these arguments but reserved their
decision until all phases of the ques-
tion can be carefully gone over and
| considered. 1t is probable that a de-
| cision will be rendered in few days.
1t was nothing short of touching,
| as the well-fed, handsomely dressed,
| sleeking-looking railway officials and
! owners sat around the room, to hear
| their respective counsel plead in elo-
: quent terms against this reduction
/ which would wreck their roads, cripple
/ enterprise in the districts through
! which they ran, impoverish their
! clients who were nothing less than
public benefactors and philanthropists
and cause widows and orphans to suf-
/ fer. Some of these appeals would have
been truly touching had they not been
so ludicrously absurd.
The Commission yesterday decided
to reduce the express tariff over the
Atlantic and North Carolina railroad
to the same rate now applying on the
North Carolina railroad and other
main lines in the State. This order
is to go into effect on and after No
vember 1 and means a reduction of so
per cent on the charges now made on
the Atlantic and North Carolina rail-
road. This will give the State cheap
fish and oysters.
On complaint of the National Bank
of Newbern the rate on money ship
ments on the Atlantic and North Caro-
lima railroad were reduced to so cents
on $1,000.