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

try to examine ana report ulOu oul Aeii
road system, it's Improvements, manage
ment and rates. They travelled in every
part of the Union, seeing with their own
eyes, hearing with their own ears, and
with painstaking German thoroughness
and attention to details. They have re-
Gently made their report to the Home
government. Among other things they
state that the average first class fare for
passengers, taking the Union through, is
2 cents per mile, it being less than that
on many railroads and in many States,
and further that the highest freight and
passenger rates are exacted in this tier
of States, or the South Atlantic States.
In substantiation of this, when the
Sea board Airline reduced their rates
33 1-3 per cent and the Southern" ac-
cording to its custom applied to Judge
Simonton for an injunction, the Seaboard
fled an answer showing by an itemized
statement that the average rates in this
section were over Is per cent above the
average elsewhere. The Atlanta Journal
at the time stated that this answer OF the
Seaboard was sworn to by Gen. X. F.
Hoke. Yet tho North Carolina Railroad
Commissioners, as we noted at the time,
feltcalled upon for some incomprehensible
reason to intervene, not in behalf of relief
to the public but to maintain high rates
and thus prevent the voluntary reduction
by the Seaboard. The INDUCTION by Judge
Simonton was judicial usurpation and
every lawyer, except hinlself-knows it.
Judge Hughes of the United States
court in Virginia, has since dissolved the
injunction but the Southern" has caused
an appeal to be taken SO as to give an ex-
cuse to continue high rates in force as
long as possible.
Recently the large manufa cturers and
shippers OF the State have held con-
vention in Greensboro to consider the
discrimination in rites against LIS
State" and possibly Difference will be
paid to their demands which has been
persistently denied to the just demands
of the public at large. The Governor, too
officially, both in his inaugural address,
and by personal interview has called upon
the Railroad Commission for reduction Of
rates, but the only answer 80 far has
been to increase the rates on one line.
The creation OF the Railroad Commits
sion, itself was caused by the public de-
mand for reduction Of rates, common
surate with the increased value OF money
and fall in prices Of produce and labor.
This reduction could not be secured by
the voluntary concessions Of huge corpor-
atoms owned and controlled by non-resi-
dent millionaires. The effort to create
the Commission, though demanded by
public opinion and justice to the produc
ing classes was defeated in four success
siye legislatures, largely as it was under
stood, by the influence of the Richmond
and Danville Railroad. Finally in 1891
a legislature was sent here by the peo-
pie with an imperative mandate to es-
ta'blish Railroad Commission. This
was done and a most excellent act was
passed, with the defect only that the
commissioners were to be elected by the
legislature, instead Of by the pcople-as
should have been the case. y
Tbo hos hany -, OF
over six years and so Tar as securing the
just reduction of rates for which it was
created it has been a grave disappoint-
ment. The people have taxed themselves
for the salaries Of the Commissioners and
other expenses to comparatively small
benefit except for the earlier efforts in
putting railroad property on the tax list.
The course OF the Commission has not
justified the expectations of the sentiment
that by an overwhelming effort crushed
the corporation opposition to the estab-
lishment Of the Commission. In it's be-
ginning it made an imperceptibly minute
reduction on some roads, while in Wis
consin, Michigan and other States bold
reduction to 2 cents passenger fares, and
reasonable reductions in freight rates
had been already made.
Last fall cheese-paring cut on pas
senger rates of n cent per mile thus re-
ducing to cents) on the best paying
roads was made but it was promptly tax
en- back and cancelled upon the "South-
ern" officials and lawyers with their
allies making objection. When the leg
islature met the popular demand for low
er fares and reasonable freight rate re-
auctions, with lower telegraph rates and
lower telephone rentals was pressed by
bills in each House. Two of the Rail-
road Commissioners-Mes j. w. and
g 0hha Wi1cor-wopf hofOrso rho 0nnY1.