The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-17

| adopted in 1776. the Governor ana al
| State officers were elected by the Legs
| lature and step by step the people NAVY
secured the election of all these oilcers. III
| 1894, the populist and Republican par
| les. in the State of North aCrollna, went
| into the campaign asking that the people
| be allowed to elect the county commas
| sioners and justices of the peace wfllch
are insignificant officers compared 10
Railroad Commissioners, by the vote OF
| the people at the ballot box and to ran
| TO pass this section of the bill will be
| going back on the principles we profess
to advocate. And there is still more
| reason for the election of Railroad Com
| missioners by the people, because they
are to protect our interest against cor
lyorations If they are elected by the
people they will he likely TO represent the
interest Of the pople
The second section Of this bill pro
yides for maximum of > cents per mile
for tirSt-class passenger fare and 10
cents for second-claSs fare, and for re-
duction of freight rates based upon six
per cent. net earnings on the real value
of the property. after discarding all eX-
cessive salaries and improper Expenditures.
The rule for fixing of rates for freight is
exactly in accordance with the decisions
of the United States Supreme court. As
to passenger rates, the Rairlaod Com
mission reports that the railroads receive
on an average of 10 cents per mule,
and as they charge 3$l cents for first
class, it follows that il the large number
of free passes is cut off and every man
pays for his own riding, > cents per
mile would be n very slight reduction
to the railroads in the receipts for pas
IL,
than be made up by the increased travel
Of people who would travel at > and 112
ceits. More money is made by the Uni
ted State postal system ut , cents
letter than if they charged 4 cents per
letter, or even 3 cents per letter. 1t
costs the railroad companies as much to
haul an empty seat as it does to haul
filed seat Hundreds of cars are carried
over the roads with empty seats, whereas
if the people could go for and liz cents
per mile they would be always full
Then there is the reduction in the
numerous and enormous salaries paid
railroad officials whose abatement alone
would permit the reduction of rates.
The S. A. L. Railroad is now issuing
1000 mile tickets at ? cents per mile.
If they are able to do this they can sell
tickets at he same price to poor people,
unless increased travel TAT lower rates.
would more than make up for the re-
duction The railroads are only entitled
to net earnings Of q per cent. economi-
cally managed, yet. with their high sal
aries lobbyists and attorneys we see they
are bidding 10 per cent on North Caro-
lima Railroad, and ON top of this 10 per
cent. and high rates they propose to
make their net profits. The Southern
Railroad Company admits by their re-
ports aud BY Col Henders0n's speech
that They cleared III ,2I5,000 on their roads
ii North Carolina last year.
I'his might be largely increased by re-
tlucing salaries and other unnecessary
expenses. But even Sf2I5, 600 is about
20 per cent net on the true value Of their
roads in North Carolina full three times
and more than what they are entitled.
Pass this bin and reduce fare from 81
and ~ to and IL cents per mile and
YOU will save the people (and the most
Of these are poor people, on that road
alone 100000. and still have then net
6 per cent to send Rothschiids and Pier
pont Morgan.
The section reducing rates of telegraph
and telephones is amply justified by the
enormous profits now received by these
corporations which will well justify
greater abatement than the bill provides
In the city Of Oxford, III this State, the
telephone company made an investment
of Ssh and the net profit the first
year from that outlay was S1,320. The
Western Union Telegraph Company has
been thoroughly investigated by a Con-
gressional committee and from the eX-
animation Of it's president (Dr. N0ryin
Green, who admitted he received a salary
of 100000 it appeared that their cor
poration, which now has capital stock
of S120,000.000, on which it pays 6 to S
per cent. dividends has never paid into
its treasury by stockholders but $40,
GOO, less than one half millions. while
the other $119,500.000, its annual diyi-
dends paid ont To stockholders, have been
collected out Of the people by its Excess
siye charges. This certainly Justifies this
State in demanding an abatement OF such
tolls.
The Bell Telephone Company has al
most parallel record. 1T pays its presi-
dent S50,f00 per year and has acrumu-
lated over 100 per cent. annual dividends
added 10 it's capital stock besides the
dividends to stockholders. The annual
report Of the parent Bell Company for
1885 shows net profits Of VS., 10, $50 on
gross receipts Of &4,842,2 t5, almost 70
per cent
According to the New York World, at
rates of $50 a year, the profits Of the
Bell Company III New York city
were 497 per cent in FIVE
years, nearly 100 per cent per
year. The Home Telephone Company,
or Mobile, Alabama, earned Is per cent |
net on rates Of $40 and $50 year and |
ere now earning % per cent, though the |
Bell Company has reduced rates from
500 and $50 year down to S12 year.
The rates for kilograms in Europe av-
erage ten cents for 20 words, and in |
many countries annual rentals Of tele- |
phones is SO, as in Switzerland and also |
in Paraguay and South America.
When the rates are high enough in this |
country to be making millionaires of cor
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