The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-16
Especial to The Messenger.)

court room and the importance of the
session was made evident by the attend
ance. Every leading railway official in
the state was present, including acting
President Andrews, Of the Southern.
Clerk Brown of the commission read
first the letter of Associate Justice Walter
Clark, urging increase in valuation and a
reduction in fares, the letter being, as
Justice Clark announced it, lin the name
of the 900, 600 voters Of North Carolina
A O of a newspaper containing gov
ernor Russell's letter was laid before the
commission by Chairman Wilson. Then
Clerk Brown read a letter from Editor
Daniels Of The News and Observer, in
which he urged material reduction in
rates, and stated that Caesar Cone said
freight rates in North Carolina were
higher than elsewhere.
s.. 9th Wilson, of the commission, filed
a statement which was read, that Justice
Clark's statement that he and Chairman
Wilson had appeared before a legislative
committee at the last session and OPP
posed reduction of rates was untrue.
President Elliott said the papers read
were expressions of individuals and were
Az ~ I'M p|"pA~s - S"AA
Justice Clark stated IN his letter that
there was no hostility on the part Of the
people to railways. There are no COM
plants on the part of the people here to-
day. He declared it seemed to him that
this showed the commission had made
just rates and were serving the people
properly, and that the railways are pay
ing their full proportion Of expenses of
O,l- H. r.o,, -Lo
have said and written so much against
railways have come forward, though the
entire state was invited. In no state is
property assessed by it's real or cash
value for taxation, but at it's taxable
value, and this is recognized by the peo-
pie as attaching to all property. 1t is
about 60 to Go per cent. of the real value.
Railways are as much entitled to this as
land owners. The assessment of railway
property is really now higher than that
on other property, and why should rail-
way property be singled out for still high
er taxation? The gentlemen who filed
complaints want the gentlemen who have
vesting their capital in North Carolina.
They want, in other words, to defeat any
successful investment of capital here.
49, NN'NN >'I'N' - oONh SitNho liz
Legislature, directly from the people, refused
to pass an act reducing passenger fares.
Lands outside of towns, %, 600, 900 acres in
the state with a yielding capacity of
$50, 900, 900 annually are assessed at only
$40, 900, 900, while railways are paying a
valuation equal to 261A per cent. of these
county lands and go per cent. of the valua-
ton of all city and town lots in North
Carolina. He asserted that the references
in the letters to foreign capitalists were
for the express purpose of creating preju-
dice against the railways. Their claim
that 49, O0, 900 is yearly carried out of the
state is q fiction. The investments vastly
outweigh sums carried out of the state.
President Henry Page, of the Aberdeen
and West End railway, made a very
bright speech. He expressed regret at the
fact that Russell, Clark and Daniels were
not present. He wanted to ask them
some questions. He wanted to know why
Clark was so concerned about railway
taxation and not concerned about taxes
on other property. He intimated that
really all these complaints favored gov
ownership. Russell having, re-
Gently attacked the courts, was placed
beyond reasonable counsel. The railways
are willing to nave the roads assessed at
their full value, but they want other
property to pay tax on it's value also. He
ridiculed Ohio Wilson's plan that rail-
way valuation be an amount approximate
to the principal which at 6 per cent. an
nually would yield an amount of net
earnings of such property.
President w. c. Petty said the Carthage
road could not stand an increase in as
sessment or reduction of rates.
General Counsel Henderson,, of the
Southern, took the same view as Mr..
Elliott and declared the railways ought
to bear only their proportion of the public
burden. Anything else is unfair. In fact,
the law requires that railway property
shall be taxed as other property. He at
tackled the plan now being pursued of
constantly bringing up this rate matter,
and of putting it in politics as ruinous.
The whole policy is: Go for the rail-
ways, put burdens upon them, and take
away their revenues"
President Elliott asked the commission
to take into consideration some of the
inaugural remarks of his friend, Governor
Russell. The latter said then that this
state had derived more from railways in
the past fifteen years than any other
SSNhNNs "Al' NiioN IN poSoNiSSi "StS
so low he did not advise the legislature
to make any change in them. Mr.. Elliott
also quoted Governor Cars last message,
to the effect that rates here were lower
than in 90 per cent. of all the states.
John d. Shaw spoke for the Seaboard
Air Line and turned his guns on Walter
Clark, saying in 1874, when the latter was
a director, freight rates were S. cents
per hundred pounds, yet he did not quar-
rel; while now with a rate of SO cents he
raises a row. Then the rate for passen-
gers was 6 cents per mile; now it is 211a.
He expressed surprise at Governor Rus
sells declaration that private property is
taxed as much as railway property. No
other man in the state will make that as
sertion.
w. A. Guthrie spoke for the Norfolk
and Westerns ~Lynchburg and Durham