The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-02

most successful business men in my ma
tive county is man who knows moth
ing OF bookkeeping. When asked how
he managed to keep track of his bust
ness he said: i collect what is due me,
pay my bills and what is left | call
mime Mr. Carr couldn't remember items
Ion his books, but he did remember that
Iafter collecting what was due his com
pany and paying it's bills, he had IS
Iper cent. profit left"
Senator Daniel followed Capt. Day
Iclosing the argument in the case:
The only facts of which the Commits
Ision can take cOgnizance in this case. he
lsaid, are the facts contained in the rec
ord. L deny most positively that any
thing has been produced here, which,
by any twisting of the English language
lean be construed as evidence to the eff
feet that the new rates are just and real
Isonable."
Senator Daniel then proceeded to at
tack MIR. Carr's evidence and to criticize
the acton of the Commission for allow
ing him to testify without producing
facts and figures, when they were with
in an hours ride of this city.
This is the merest child's play and
toying with serious things that it has
ever been my privilege to witness in a
so-called court of justice, the justices
of the peace in the bushes of the noun
tain not excepted.
"Mr. Carr, | think, has abundantly
demonstrated the wisdom of his com
pany in not paying him a salary He is
getting no salary and taking care not
to earn any. He is a gentlemtn who
wears his office in his hat and now and
then gives a few moments to the dis
charge of his official duties.
at would be making a plaything of
legal principles to try to build up n
system and an argument on such mar
velous testimony as that. 1t is Illegal
and would be admitted in no court Of
justice =
but suppose the company is making
1S per cent. How long can it keep it
up? A horse goes by the door at rate
of thirty miles an hour. Would you
take it as an index of how fast it will
travel all day? You had as we'll take
the Siamese twins as samples of the
kind of people who are born and live
in the Tar Heel State And yet, when
all the curios of this State are gathered
together, l don't know which will be
regarded as the most remarkable and
the greater wonder of the wOrld-the
Siamese twins or this telephone com
ipany which is making 10 per cent. Il
This court has some unusual powers,
but it cannot compel a railroad to car
ry a man or a pound of freight for less
| than it costs to make the transporta-
ton. You cannot destroy by an unjust
and unreasonable rate, the property of
any person or corporation. You take that
| by which l live! You have no more
right to take the life OF a corporation
than OF an individual. Let the COM
lpetitive companies go on together. Live
and let live. Because you are virtuous,
shall we have no cakes and ale? We
do not ask you TO take our wares, but
you cannot compel us to sell them to
Iyou for prices belw the cost of produc-
ton"
Continuing his argument, Senator
Daniel styled the Interstate Company
an 'eleemosynary institution and want
ed to know if the Commission was going
to take it as a crack corporation and
tset it up as sample after which other
companies ought to be modelled.
''The very dreams Of this dreamer is
la traycsty on business. Such rare spir-
| its as Carr, of Durham, who is serving
In corporation for nothing and has mis-
guided knight-errants around him-such
birds, | say, are rare. Don't gentlemen
impose upon us the burden of finding
another similar collection of speciments
as that The day of Don Quixote has
passed.
But President Carr says he's going
to get pay one of these glorious days
after two years has passed. Then, no
Il hot
time Where is that munifcent Is per
cent. now going? Is it accommodating like
water in spring, waiting for President
Carr to come with his bucket? Well
let us hope when he does go he'll find
lit there and deserve it, too"
The speaker asked the Commission
Ito guard against any prejudice in favor
Of home capital as opposed to foreign
capital. He asked such liberality of
thought as will give to all, from what
Isoever cline they come, that justice and
consideration due from courts of justice
to the citizen arraigned.
Touching the charge that his com
pany was trying to freeze out competi-
ton Senator. Daniel said: "This Com
mission has not arraigned our low
charges. We are not the only people
who have cut rates The pot cannot
stand up in this court and call the ket-
tie black. While this Pharisee is pick
ing the mote out of our eye, let him
take care that he has not q beam in his
own. There is nothing to be gained in
such a war but swapping of epitbets,
but we insist that we have right to
give our property away if we see fit
so to do, and so have they.
There are $4,000 Bell telephones in
North Carolina. For these SIT each is
paid by the Southern Bell to the Ameri-
can Bell for the privilege of using them
and 1920 each for their insurance
These things must be taken into con-
sideration in any regardful measure of
the earnings OF the company with n
fresh field and without competition, the
Bell Company has in North Carolina
earned less than per cent. Now you
are asked to take even that away, al.
belt the telephone system of North
Carolina is now old junk and needs re-
placing with new and modern inventions.
Is this wisdOm2 And all hacauSp an