The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-07-30

present course is an effort 10 prevent
IL. At the time when the building Of
the Georgia, Carolina and Northern
Railway was inaugurated the Rich
mond and Danviiie Railroad Com
pany. the East Tennessee. Virginia
and Georgia Railway Company and
the Central Railroad and Banking
Company 81 Georgia were three great
competitive systems centering at At
lanta, Ga, and each under indepen-
dent control. The Western and At
lgntic railroad was an independent
line, and the Georgia and the Atlanta
and west Point railroads were suxili-
airy lines OF the Central system.
COMPETING LINES BOUGHT.
How is it to-day? The Southern
Railway Company, corporation Of
Virginia. holds each and every one OF
the line. formerly held by the Rich
mond and DanvilIe and East Tennes-
see, Virginia and Georgia railways,
including the Georgia Pacific, and, as
Is well known, owns every share Of
the capital stock Of the Central Of
Georgia railway. which now includes
the Macon and Northern. II has pur-
chased the Atlanta and Florida-a
road parallel 10 the Central between
Atlanta and Fort Falley-and has abb
.Orbed by stock ownership or other
wise the Macon and Birmingham, the
Georgia Southern and Florida, Geor-
gia Midland Gulf-and it il said con-
trolls the Columbus Southern.
"Of the lines centering at Atlanta,
only the Seaborrd Air Line toward the
east and the Western and Atlantic TO
the west are free from the domination
of this corporation. 1t parallels each
Of these lines. Its ownership Of the
lines OF the Richmond and Danville
Railroad Company and of the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Rail
road Company, and Its complete stock
ownership OF the Central of Georgia
and through il Of the Ocean Steamship
Company give it the domination OF
three competitive lines to the east
Its control through the Central Oye7
the Georgia and the Atlanta and West
Point gives it the ability to prevent
those roads from according to the com
petitOr Of the Southern those facilities
which, If in independent circumstances
they would doubtless accord. The
southern Railway Company controls
three competitive and parallel routes
from Atlanta to Macon in this State
| There is not a competitive line at Ma
con, Ga, which it does not control, in.
GLIDING each of the four possible route:
for reaching Florida. The line made
| by the Macon and Northern and tn,
SeabOard Air Line to the east, and tt
and from Florida via Macon over the
| Macon and Northern and Georgia
Southern and Florida Railways ha.
been renared an impOssibility because
these roads are a part of the Southern
Hallway Company's system, and will
not deal with the Seaboard Air Line
upon terms which, if they were con
trolled by Independent stockholders
they would be glad t. make. Wher
these roads were acquired the SOutber
Railway and its predecessors alread,
controlled parallel and competin:
lines.
| DEFYING THR CONSTITUTION.
at will clearly be seen that tn,
Southern railway company has &C
qulred control of railroad after rail
road In Georgia, and holds the stock O
railroads in utter defiance of the pro
visions of the constitution of thi
State-prOvlsiOns of the supreme cOur
OF the United States has quite recent,
held to be valid, cOmmendable and en-
forceable, even where it was elaine,
that the previous charter of the offend
ing corporation authorized such trans
actions, and where they held that
control through stOckOwnershipW was a
obnoxious to the constitution as a Ci
rect control by lease or purchase.
refer the commission to the case wher
kentucky prevented the Louisville
ana Nashville railroad company from
securing control Of the Chespeake
| ONO and Southwestern system. ant
the union of the Northern Pacific rail
way aud a competing line was pre-
vented. The cases are reported in tn,
l6lst Volume of United States Su
preme court reports at 646 to 7O4.
| The purposes of this hagrant viola
ton of the law of this State are paten
TO all who have watched the course O.
similar mOnOpolies in other States
The first purchase is to crush connect
ton by placing themselves in posi.
ton where business cannot move any
distance without being compelled t,
traverse their lines. in this manne,
they can, by demanding local rate,
ana refusing to make proper through
rates, except upon their own terms
absolutely dictate the cost of trans
p0rtatlon and the routing of all bust.
ness coming into and going out of the
State of Georgia. 1t is easy to ner.
celye that with this control of the in.
terstate business they can force shin
pers upon business which might be
transacted over the few remaining in.
dependent lines to give such business
TO tnen. They can, in like manner
oy their overwhelming influence, force
independent connections to accOrC
Them facilities and to route bushes;
oy their lines while they refuse like
facllltles to the lines of their Weake,
rivals. 1t is well known fact that
the Seaboard Air Line railroad has ,
passenger route between Atlanta and
ashlngton upon which superior time
could be made between these cities
than 1t is possible for the Southern f.
make. Ii the SeabOard Air Line wert
able TO secure from its southern con.
nectlOns proper through car arrange.
Inents to New Orleans and intermedi.
ate cities all the benefits of comment.
tive travel by two routes. with enual
service between the South and the
East, would be afforded the peOple OF
this section.
The southern owns the route tC
New Orleans via Birmingham N. Through
its control of the Central railroad II
compels the Atlanta and West Point
railroad and the Western railway ot
Alabama to refuse those through car
arrangements to the Seaboard All,
Line which they accord to the south
ern, while at the same time il owns
ana has practically closed the route
via birmingham.
AFTER THE STATE ROAD.
Further instances of great discrimi-
nation might be given and the history
OF the Southern railway is suffice nt
to show that if it is permitted to car.
ry out its policy every railroad inter
est in the South as well as the com.
merce of this country will be entirely
at Its mercy. Besides the crushino
OF competition above detailed as hav,
ing gone on in this territory, the south
ern railway has recently acquired the
cincinnati Southern railway. The
road Is the property of the CITY of Gin