The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-15

oH 10 tnetr uOn-Sesloe0t owners the
sum Of t2,l75 600 in excess Of the fair
and legitimate rate Of per cent on
the investment. 1t must be remem-
hered that this per cent 10 net above
charges for railroad wrecks, better.
ments, repairs, law expenses, taxes,
high salaries and every possible charge
which the corporations have seen a.
to crowd into their expenses. for the
sum total OF the money received by
these three lines for their operations
in North Carolina in 1896 il admitted
TO be 81, $4,000.
Thus the sum in excess of 4 reason.
able allowance Of per cent on the in
vestment which these three systems
have carried out OF North Carolina
since the day your commission Was
established to reduce rates, the excess
above legal rates in these six years
HAS BEEN NEAR THIRTEEN MILLION
DOLLARS,
exclusive Of interest. This sum under
the decisions Of the highest court in
this land could justly and properly
have been kept here and its presence
to-day would make this State blossom
like . rose. Talk about frightening
capital from coming into the State by
maintain them!" What we need is to
keep just part of our own capital in
the State and not to permit it to be
CARRIED OFF TO BE USED BY WALL
and London bankers to wreck other
corporations elsewhere; to bid them
in at an under price and thus repeat
the process over and over again.
1t may be adroitly urged that you
cannot reduce through rates. True
| enough but you can protect our own
people by reducing fares and freights
between any two points in this State
SO that the gross receipts Of all kinds
through and local, shall not net more
than per cent on the value of the
money invested. Peik vs.. Chicago, "a
L. s. 1874.
and. But there is another proof that
rates are too high. The value of money
began increasing with the demOnetiza-
| tiOn of silver and went on increasing,
as evidenced by the fall in the prices
Of everything else. till 1891. At that
time your commission was established
to reduce railroad rates. 1t is impos-
debates for and against the measure in
that and in previous legislatures nor
the
INTENSE STRUGGLE BY THE RAILROAD
LOBBY.
and the railroad newspapers against
it upon any other basis. Indeed the
power to do that is the very kernel of
the act creating the commission.
Whatever changes your commission
felt able to make did not amount to
any substantial "cut", for comparing
the Railroad Commission report Of
1892 with that of 1891, 1T appears that
while gross earnings had increased
$50, 600, the net earnings had ;ncre as
ed $4,000.
GREATER PROFIT THAN BEFLaE.
II the public demand as evidenced
by the establishment of your Commits
sion could have been complied with,
there would have been a substantial
cut in 1891. For a stronger reason
there should be stronger one now.
Since the repeal of the purchasing
clause of the Sherman act the value OF
the money in which we pay our
freights and fares has gone on in
creasing but
RAILROAD CHARGES HAVE REMAINED
-r' THE SAME.
Cotton, which for the six years end
ing 1891, had averaged IL cents, in the
six years since-has averaged barely
Z; fail Of over 80 1-3 per cent. The
railroad rates ought in fairness to be
33 1-3 per cent less than the figure to
which they ought to have been cut in
1891. We know that the great rail.
roads contributed great sums In the
last campaign to maintain the gold
standard. We are now
PAYING THESE SUMS BACK BY HIGH
And thus paying them to increase the
load resting upon US. A commission
established by our people ought, it il
respectfully submitted, to have thai
mercy upon us which We can not ex
, pect from the nonresident owners O.
, about us and care as little, as the Eng
lish landlords do for their Irish ten
ants or their HiDdoo subjects.
One of these great systems saw tn
Justice of the public demand and tn,
wisdom from business standpoint o
recognizing the enhanced value o
, money by reducing rates. It made
very handsome cut with great prof
: to themselves and to the qualification
OF their patrons.
WHY THOSE REDUCED RATES WEIR
STOPPED.
and the public and the line deprived
. of an arrangement 80 highly satisfac
! tory to both and by what methods j
u was done is known by your Commits
= sion already
3. There is still another demonstra
J, ton that rates are too high as to pas
}, senger rates. The rate now, as il
1891, is still 3 IA cents per mile, an
it is higher than that on some of on
9 roads, yet the railroads report the av
Y erage received per passenger per mil
8 2 1-5 cent.
= Clearly therefore there is vas
" number of people who ride either at
J. solutely free or at less than the gen
8 eral public pay. The Railroad Com
mission act contemplatcs that Their
shall be no discrimination, and c0ul
there be worse discrimination than t
. pile up IA cents on the general put
% lie so that they shall pay enough nc
= only for their own riding
: BUT FOR REDUCED RATES AND FIRE
RATES TO OTHERS?
d There are OCCASIONALLY excursion
y and the immense crowds which 6
l. upon them show the demand for lowe
Is rates. IT. reasonable permanent rat
"a of two cents per mile were given q
e the time, it would save the public grea
inconvenience from overcrowding an
the railroads the pressure for cars Q
d these semi. occasional fits of c0nce
q sion. There would be steady strea
J. of travel which would be equally an
a. probably more remunerative to tt
railroads Gas has been the experient
elsewhere) and it would be far mo-
IS satisfactory to the people, who after q
y are the only support of the railroad
o. Then the system of granting 900 mi
al tickets at cents or Ia cents to me
who have $40 to $50 to spare, aud e:
a, acting 8 IA cents =
1T FROM THOSE WHO NEED THE REDUCTIe
Ie still more is only less objectionab