The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-08-19

nut ,nse>sA Of shis he aied the fol-
loving seatsoses:
irum rhs Rsroed a JAY Is
r. Coooissioe having passed spoo
- oaeaaioo Of frpiGhe and posseeees
TnriRa. Commissionsr Hon. :. osno
WIleoo, dissepting. says:
sRAfeeving % She natter Of rates esc
and ths ascssios Of The majority Of eoe
Coanissioa. I coecor in the stsse-
~ Of facss Of statistics Of compera-
dive rates froo 1891 TO 1885. also - 70
1871 &c.
AZ % the cooclusions, ! dissest. -
aay oo0porative statement OF popuis-
ton pse square mile 10 not the pecpes
oompassion, but rather . comperison
q population per mile Of road 10 toe
ooerocs standard Of comparisons-
Further, have NOS had proper ume
70 consider and digest the arGuoeots
mo and con befrFs the Commissica,
nor to examine the -eports Of the rail-
roads for the present year which are
nov in. (save for second quarter OF
1877 roW in possession OF this board
Until the judgment Of the board as
20 assessments 10 given ! cannot intel
lieently say what would be the proper
rate 90 be fixed"
After the Commission had declared
that there should be no reduction In
rates. they adjourned to meet 1t Round
Knob 70 consider the matter Of assess
ment Of railroad property. At that
meeting Commissioners Ohio Wilson
adhered 70 his original idea Of incseas-
ing the assessment to about ffty mil
lion dollars on the ground that the
railroads were already making six per
cent. net on that amount. A majority
Of the Commission. however, decided
that an increase Of three million
dollars Was sufficient, and this increase
Was made ~ already reported.
Commissioners 8. Ohio Wilson then
6led the following notice:
Il (Ffom the Record Of July 80.
i July %. 1897.
The Commission having finally
passed upon the assessment and vslua'
ton Of Railroad, steamboat and tele-
graph property for taxation, the Hon
5. Ohio Wilson flies statement as fol-
lows:
"Since the assessments are now made
give notice that l shall, a. soon a
fiscal reports for the year ending june
20 are in, move to re-adjust the rate'
Of freight and passengers in accord
ance Herewith"
II The above extracts are given Il
| show, ~ far ~ the record gives AM
light on the matter, the position takeI
on the questions which came up by tn,
different Commissioners.
A. 10 we'll known the Commission IL
now constituted - follows:
MAJ. j. w. WILSON, Democrat.
8. OrHO WILSON, Popuiist.
On. j. Fl. ABBOTT, Republican.
Maj. Wilson was elected BY Q Demo
cratic Legislature.
i Ohio Wilson WAS elected BY the Leg
: islstufe Of 95, which was controlle,
by Populists.
Il DR.. b. II. Abbott was elected by tn,
D Legislature Of 1897 BY the uoted com
: bine Of Republicans and boiling Pop
, ulists. The true and honest Populist
Of the Legislature of 1897 voted TO
I John Graham for Railroad Commits
trust there would have been q Fecor,
4 different from that which has beel
Q made BY the Commission during tn
Q year 1897.
The CAUcAsIAH 10 not pleased Wit
. the record Of the Commission. 1t ha
. not done its duty. There il wide be
! lief that the Commission has been an
. 10 under railroad and corporation in
= fuence. They certainly have not bee,
u just and fair toward the people and tn
State. They have been more than fai
and just to the monopolies. The recor
sh ows that Commissioner s. Ohio viii
son has made the best record, but tn
CAUCASIAN must in Justice to its con
\ victions say that We are not entirel,
lpleased with his work. We think b
[could have done more.