The news & observer., 1897-02-06

Railway, it ought not to be asked what
Il would cost to produce the road there
are a number Of elements to be consld-
cred in such a question-age. terminal
facilities, franchises, bridges, ballasts
and improvements-all to be taken into
consideration.
mo other State has so treated us. /
had the pleasure of appearing before the
Georgia Commission the other day and
they refused to allow our rights and rev
enues to be taken away, and | feel sure
this Committee will bear in mind these
facts.
The Southern's local counsel, Mr.. f.
II. Busbee, was the next speaker. Inc
committee was assured by him that the
road he represented was perfectly Will
ing to comply in every particular with
any law that might be passed governing
the issuance of free passes, ana ne ala
not think this question ought TO oe
brought into the consideration OF TINS
BILL
Mr.. Rl1sbee explained the terms Of the
reorganization of the road, and sald SINCE
that time the company had paid only
/ per cent. dividend, and in North Caro-
olina it had not even been able to earn
its fixed charges. He cOntended that the
country was too sparsely settled to permit
of this reduction. Not one-thlrd OF the
States small paulation, he said, ever
travelled on railroads at all, and there
was not a city of 25,000 population in the
State. and yet the bill proposed 80
Der cent reduction in rates, which are
already among the lowest in the coun-
| try.
Mr. Busbee then branehed off his sub
| iect to tell the committee that the press
was daily giving them an avalanche of
figures that were absolutely false. While
| Mr.. Busbee was in the heat of his denun-
citation of the newspapers, he took occa-
sion to beg the committee not to use his
road TO make political capital and initiate
| their Congressional b0oms.
| The Atlantic Coast Line was repre-
| sented by Mr.. Robert o, Burton. de
| told the committee that the passage of
| the bill would mean a loss of about 500
| 600 year to the Atlantic Coast Line,
| and an average saving to each local pas
senger of 80 cents year.
Railroads, like all other institutions,
| Mr.. Burton, argued, were laboring under
| the financial depression. For the past
| two years railroad building had been
| almost at standstill. The road he rep.
resented, Mr.. Burton said, had 702 miles
| in North Carolina, every one of them q
| developer of the country and distributes
| of wealth.
The work of the Railroad Commission
| was spoken Of in the highest terms by
Mr.. Burton. and he declared that nc
| grosser reflection could be made upon
the work of that Commission. He said
the Commission had the rate making
| power, and if the Legislature proposed
to usurp that power it ought first to abol
ish the Commission. The passage Of the
bin under consideration, he contended
meant loss, bankruptcy and receiyerships
| to every road in the State.
President Harper, of the Chester and
Lenoir Railroad, told the committee that
his road was short one and could hardly
subsist now. 1t the bill was passed his
could no longer operate.
This closed the public hearing. After
discussing the bill among themselves
for an hour, and being unable TO agree
! the committee decided TO let the Senate
fight it out for itself, so they agreed tc
report the original bill, with the above
amendment back to that body without
prejudice.