The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-02
Vice President st. Johns Views
on the Decision.
HE SCORES THE SOUTHERN
Says it is Trying to Destroy
the Seaboard.
CU1 RATES WILL CONTINUE
MIR. St. John Says the Southern Must
Sooner or Later Learn to Deal
i4onorabIy With It's
Competitors.

Iof6SIhOuUn3 Ndss D6pC. IL > oI)eclSAl.)
"A reporter called to-day to see Mr..
L. st. John, Vice President and Gen
eral Manager of the Seaboard Air
Line, to ascertain his views about
Judge Simonton's decision.
Reporter: "Mr. st. John, my paper,
and the people it represents, desire an
interview with you on the decision just
rendered by Judge Simonton in the
now famous railroad injunction case
brought by Receiver Averill."
Mr.. st. John: "The injunction case
was brought by Receiver Averill of
the PortRoyal d Augusta railroad, un-
dcubtedly at the solicitation of its
probable future owners, the Southern
| Railway, who desired to find some
means of enjoining solvent and pros
porous railroad (the SeabOard Air
| Line), from making reduced rates in
it's own protection, and also of enjoin-
| ing itself against making an eighty
| per cent reduction, which it voted for,
and demanded in the Southern Freight
| Association together with the Port
| Royal and Augusta railroad, who
voted by proxy, but which it never
| intended to put into effect, has come to
an end, and the victory Is with the
| Seaboard and the people. Notwith
standing the efforts of Southern at
| tcrneys, and those who argued from
their standpoint in favor of a per-
manent injunction against solvent
railroad controlling it's own property
| in its own way, and in the interest of
| its owners and tie people whom it
| serves throughout the South, no ono
| for moment could have seriously be-
| lieved that the decision would have
| been otherwise than as rendered. We
| live under a republican fOrmof govern
ment, and a decision other than that
rendered by Judge SimOnton seems
1 impossible In dissolving the tempo
rary injunction, tine Judge himself
/ states that he finds that his limited
/ jurisdiction stops him at the very
! threshhOld from the temptation of
entering upon discussion of the in
teresting points involved" etc.
| Reporter: The injunction has been
dissolved; will une Seaboard return to
rates in effect previous to the issu-
ance of the restraining order?
| Mr. ST. John: why should it not?
The same conditions exist now as at
the time it was first issued. The
| Southern continues its efforts to de-
stroy the revenues and property of
/ the Bay Line and the Seaboard Air
Line by maintaining line of steamers
/ up the Cheasapeake, which it
can never hope to operate but
at heavy loss, while at
the same time causing very
great loss to existing lines upon the
Bay, who have offered to handle the
business on the same equal terms on
| which they can handle it for all other
rail lines, and yet they will not assent.
| (See published correspondence They
try to throw the gauzy veil over the
eyes Of the people, by asserting that
| it is necessary for them to handle their
| business in steamers owned by them
selves, even at great loss. in revenue
to their stock and bond holders, UNI
| doubtedly arguing that the losses on
| the Bay amount to little when distrib-
uted over Southern Railway mileage
| in comparison with the injury they
| will infiict upon the Bay Line~and the
Seaboard Airline if the people will
only rest easy while that process is
going on; and when the money of
their bankers permits the control of
the Norfolk and Western Railroad, the
Merchants and Miners, and possibly
the Old Dominion Steamship Compa-
nies with the Bay Line and the Sea-
board Airline as possibility, it
might then be in position to devote
additional time and attention to State
governments, and the people would be
within it's possible control"
Reporter: ''It is limited that the
Southern States Freight Association
is preparing a tariff on the basis of a
fifty per cent reduction to Seaboard
competitive points, ignoring the long
and short haul clause of the Interstate
Commerce law. In this event, what
viii be the position of the Seaboard?'
Mr.. st. John: 1--WE also have heard
of this rumor, but believe that the In
terstate Commerce Contmission will
enforce in it's own way a law which
demands that no higher rates shall be
made for a shorter than for longer
haul. The Seaboard win obey this
feature of the law in tariffs to be is
sued as in the past. So far as the AS
sociation is concerned, and that means
the Southern Railway for it can con-
troll the votes of a majority, we may be
compelled to question it's legality here
after in the courts as the people may
have to test the constitutionality Of
certain consultations, purchases and
leases of railroads in Georgia and
North Carolina a little later on, for it |
would seeem that present conditions |
which the people are commencing to /
understand can not much longer con- /
tinue. The present disturbances i'm |
rates resulted from the Southern's eff /
forts to destroy our revenue and busi- /
ness. after which the results likely to /
follow may be easily imagined. The /
responsibility is theirs, and the rene