The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-15

themselves. VI " WSll hbo"h th"e
Southern" is principally responsible fof
the opposition in the Legislature 10 re-
duction OF rates so long and urgently ana
Justly demanded. The Coast Lane mas
taken no ostensfble part and the Sea
board" actually gave d 80 1-3 per cent re-
duction voluntarily till enjOined at the
instance Of the Southern" The excess
cessiye rates-over and above the legtl-
mate earnings to pay running expenses,
reasonable interest, and dividends, and
moderate salaries-must amount to at
least sum more than equai
to our State taxes. Every days
delay by the Commission 10
make just reduction in railroad charges
costs the producing classes Of North caro-
lima more than $25, 900. How much
more. we shall show in a table now being
prepared for us. The Southern" is own
ed and controlled by Rothschilds and
Pierpont Morgan. They do not know our
people and care nothing about them.
Their only object is to extract every
possible cent The only time Peirpont
Morgan has ever visited the State was on
special train passing through 1T on
hunting and fishing expedition to South
Carolina. That train cost many thou
sands Of dollars to the people who pad
for it in excessive fares and fre1g'hts AND
they still remember that all other people
travelling on the line the day Morgan
passed through, and the United States
mail as we'll, had to stand on the side
tracks till his lordly train swept by for
was he not on his own property That
Pierpont Morgan allows big salaries
from $4,000 to Spencer on DOWN to his
chief overseers of hrs property, with
palace cars, private secretaries, servants,
lawyers and newspapers does not argue
that he has any Hberality. He knows that
all these expenses come out of the PEG
Pile, not out OF his profits, and he consld-
ers them necessary to keep down and
control public complaints and all move
ments towards reducing his charges and
profits. His Gberality is to himself, and
for his own purposes-not to the public
The only service the Commission can
really claim is that they increased the as
sessed taxable value of railroads, but that
is mostly due to the decision Of the SUI
preme court which caused the property of
the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
which had claimed to be exempt-tO be
placed ON the tax books, and to more
rigid taxing laws. And even now our
railroads only pay about 100000 taxes
while in Wisconsin, which has about the
area and population Of North Car
DINA the railroads with lower rates for
fares and freights) pay S1,750, 900 of taxes
annually and in Indiana which is smaller
than North Carolina, but with some
what larger population the railroads pay
annually $2,25O,OO0 taxes and Governor
Pingree OF Michigan is loudly complaining
that the railroads only pay in his State
S15O,0OO. In comparison with these and
others the 100000 taxes paid by rail-
roads in North Carolina-with their enor-
mously high fares and freight rates-ds
pitiful indeed. 1t is mot for nothing"
that the Southern" aspires to run our
party conventions, legislatures and politi-
clans.
1t is no pleasure to write these things.
The editor of this paper was one of the
earliest and strongest advocates OF
Railroad Commission and promised the
people beneficial results from its creation.
1t is right and his duty to admit its falling
short of just expectations. The people of
North Carolina did not create the Com
mission lust for fun" They have not
paid it's salaries and expenses for six
years becauset hey liked to be taxed that
much more. But the Commission was
created, in spite of intense corporation
opposition, because there was demand
for lower rates and they could not be had
from the voluntary concession of the cor
pOrations themselves. The demand for
lower rates is more general, more intense
and more just to-day than in 1891 for
money has been made more valuable,
farm products and labor is lower, and
the salaries of higher railrodd officials
have been increased.
The disappointment at the continued
refusal of the Railroad Commission to
give the reduction for which alone it was
created is turning to indignation. And
when people become indignant they go
farther than they would. If these cor
porations which are still opposing reduc-
tion are wise they will withdraw opposi-
ton to a moderate and just reduction in
rates.
TIIy TLcNrN OEETCE TEL f.