The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-08-19
THB RAILROAD
COMMISSION.
Some Mention Of What Has Been
Done and What Has Not
Been Done.

ofvss ssos riaaa Ys~S
Among the suggestions made in lhe
address issued By the Peoples Party
State Committee last week wAs one 20
the effect that the Railroad Commis.
sioneFs should be elected By Q direct
vote OF the people. This suggestion
Was made because. 10 the opi1ion Of
the committee. the Railroad Commits
sion had not dealt with the matters
which have recently come before IL.
Among these questions were an in
crease In the assessment of railroad
property and reduction in passenger
and freight rates.
The questions came before the COM
mission on the 18th Of last Juiy. At
the meeting held then, the Governor
and some other citizens. BY special in.
vitation from the Commission, present
their reasons for believing that there
sh0uld be an increase OF assessment
and reduction Of rates. At the same
meeting the railroad corporations were
strongly represented by prominent Of
6cers and attorneys. While the Gov
ernor and others addressed the Com
mission by communication, the rail-
roads addressed the Commission in per-
son and by word Of mouth.
Associate Justice Walter Clark WAS
one of the gentlemen who addressed
the Commission in writing and IA
vored reduction in rates. In his pa
per he made q statement (thinking he
was correct) that Maj. J. w. Wilson
and S. Otho Wilson, Commissloners,
had appeard before the legislative
committee and opposed reduction Of
rates.
At this point Commissioner s. Otho
Wilson filed the following statement ;
"The statement in the paper of Hon.
Walter Clark, in the matter Of refer
ence to rates and taxation before the
Commission to. day, beg to say that
the statement that two members Of
this Commission, Maj. Jas. w. Wilson
and myself, the only two members,
appeared before the Legislative Com
mittee and opposed reduction Of
rates. do not know his authority,
but SO far as am concerned the state
ment is without foundation"
After hearing the arguments offered
by those who addressed the Commits
sion in writing and those who ap-
peared in person, Commissioner 8,
OthO Wilson offered the following
resolution which was ADOPTED:
Whereas, 1t is the desire of this Com
mission to have q full discussion OF
the tax and rate question, and
Whereas, all parties appearing were
invited to do so in writing, and rs yer.
bal speeches and evidence was given
by those representing the railroads,
Therefore, We invite Hon. Walter
Clark, His Excellency Governor Rus
:-l. A.
to come before the Commission, re
view the evidence taken by stenO
grapher and reply to same"
| In the meantime Commissioner 9th,
Wilson was advocating q markell In
crease of assessment in the valuation
of railroad property, while at the sam,
should be such as would be unjust T.
the railroads He had offered and file,
the following resolution as designating
his position: -
Resolution introduced before the Boar
of Railroad Commissioners by Rdiirod
Commissioner, Hon. S. Ohio Wilson.
RESOLVED, That in assessing rail
road property, steamboat and tele
graph property, both franchises an
tangible property be assessed at sue
figures as are reasonable bJ5h to th
State and companies.
That the valuation of such franchis
es and property be an amount approx
innate to q princips. which, at 6 pc
cent per annUm, would yield til
amount Of the net earnings of sue
property.
That whatever sum such franchis
and property may earn rs incom
from operations. shall be cOnsidere
as interest on q given amount OF valu
alton and whatever sum the net earn
in2s of such franchises and propert
will pay per cent per annum up0l
shall be held to be ths- value of sue
!, franchises or property for assessmen
Provided, that in cases where frar
[chise or property or both, whose il
. come from operations does not equ,
the ply values on the basis OF pei
centage above named, such franchise
> and property shall be assessed at sue
value As said property is worth 1
items, viz: value Of iron, ties, stfuc
ures etc.
E That in calculating net earnings, Z
9 operating expenses shall be cOnsi'
l cred unless the total charges for Il
current year shall be in proportion
9 the life or duration Of property or par
s Of property yielding same. 10 illu
trate: II road 100 miles long, sha
] in one year lay 20 miles Of 20 pour
e steel rail, the life of same being
years, only miles shall be charged
: operating expenses unless some 9th
: department of Improvements shall
i less than the natural wear and tear
said road.
L. n in, thfo posnl
e tion had been adopted, the Failro'
It at about fifty million dollars; and II
d would not have been unjust, for 4
railroads in the State according
Il their own reports are making 6 p
? cent per annum on fifty million dolIa
y after paying taxes and all salaries, o
IF Grating expenses &c.
But the matter of assessment "
= deferred, and the question Of redu
tion of rates was taken up. Alth0ui
= the Commission had, by adopting {
r resolution Of 3. Ohio Wilson. invit
h the Governor and other citizens to !
'. view the facts presented BY the ra
1t roads and reply to them, these ci
ss zens were not given the oppnrtuni
D. to do 30. Before the r1ilroan side Y
s-iwritten up 90 it could be examiu
Ill and replied to, majority Of the Co
N mission decided that there should
no reduction of rates. This action =
ID not c0ncurred in BY Commissioned
IN Otho Wilson.
Commissioners s. Ohio Wilson ma
e: tained that the first thing to do Z
Ii. to settle the matter of assessment, Z
ataftef that to take up the question
~ the reduction of rates and fares
o. he did not make . protest ana put
ed on record. TIE CAUCASIAN thinks
lie should have made vigorous prot
he and set forth officially In . minol
statement his reasons for favoeini
II reduction Of freight and passen
~, rates.
Tor TIE CAUcAsIAx does nos agree =
him In this position. The nrgt th
Ich the Commission should have done
by Ito reduce freight and passenger n
me to the gold standard issue, and