The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-30

crease of profits is to be followed 10y an
effort to cut them down?
But our exceptions insist that we have
not had the equal protection of the laws.
Our rates are reduced, while the North
Carolina road and the Raleigh and Gas
ton road are not touched. The Whining
ton and Weldon runs through no such
prosperous country as the North Carolina
road BY the report of 1897, the gross
earnings of the Wilmington and Weldon
were 74S13.65: of the North Caro-
lima Railroad Company, Sl,592,21I93;
of the Raleigh and CASTOR Railroad Com
pany. $500 .304.23.
The Wilmington and Weldon receipts
from passenger service were $3.50, i9l.IO;
North Carolina Railroad Company, $3.50
S6t. O5; Raleigh and Castor Railroad
Company, S142,636.Sl.
This gives gross per mile of road: VIII
mington and Weldon Railroad, S3.l2Ioo:
North Carolina Railroad, SI.1To.0O; Raj
cigh and CASTOR Railroad, S5,6S2.0O.
In the light of these figures | submit 1t
is not just and equitable to reduce
rates on the Wilmington and Weldon
road. and leave them rs they are upon
the other roads. Why the Wilmington
and Weldon should be reduced on busl-
ness of So. 90 per mile, while the North
Carolina goes free on a business of So
1880 per mile? The reason assigned Is
the remarkable one that as IT is leased, a
proportion of its rental, instead OF APP
pearing on its credit side, should be put
down as Il loss.
| appeal to your sense of justice, gentle
men. do not mean to say that the
rates on the other two roads should be
reduced. / do not think they should be
But | do say that if ours are reduced,
theirs should bc-al should stand togeth-
cr-bc fed out of the same spoon | APP
peal to you in the name of that even"
handed Justice. which sooner or later
works out its own vindication.
l know of no process Of reasoning
which can justify Il reduction Of our
rates. while those of the North Carolina
road are untouched while it stands with
Il rental of 100000 in its hands. clean
and free of taxes and representations
Il dollar of debt or an hour of trouble to
earn it.
Agur the son of Jakeh. said: There be
three things that be too wonderful for
me- yea. four which know not: the way
of an eagle in the air; the way of ser
pent upon rock: the way of ship in
the midst of the sea: and the way of a
man with n maid. Had he lived in these
days he might have added II fifth-the
process Of reasoning which reduces the
Wilmington and Weldon rates, and
leaves the magnificent North Carolina
road untouched.
COL. HINSDALE'S ANSWER.
Col. John w. Hnsdalc counsel for the
State, replied to Mr.. Burton and said:
THE counsel for the railroad company
has said nothing new. lie has simply
reiterated old arguments. His figures
are prepared upon an erroneous basis.
They assume that the whole Of the local
passenger receipts are involved i'll the
proposed reduction. whereas the railroad
company reports show that its average
receipts per passenger per mile. are now
2.05 cents and the proposed order re-
duces only to the average rate Of 10.
''The counsel objects that the Whining
ton and Weldon is singled out and is dis
eliminated against. Not so. The Ran
road Commission have not ordered that
the rates shall not be reduced on the
Raleigh and CASTOR railroad. And they
have held in favour of the North Caro-
lima Railroad. only on account of ats
lease. which. as held by the Commission.
distinguishes it from the case of the W IL
mington and Weldon Railroad.
In reply to Col. Elliott he said that
If was impossible for the reduction of
local passenger rates on the Wilmington
and Weldon to affect such rates on the
North Carolina Railroad.as at no point IN
either of them. did they come in compe-
tition with each other in respect TO local
passenger travel.
~ company with present net in
come of nearly S1.00O,00O year IS
making too much fuss over an insignia
cant reduction of $4,000 or less in its
income The formal exceptions which
have ben filed have already been maturely
considered and overrulcd. 1t IL now III
order to ovcrrrulc them again, and let
the case go to the courts where 1t be-
longs"
Mr.. Douglass, of counsel for the state,
understood that this case had been heard
on its merits and settled If one man
gains Il law suit and another loses, that
fact does not reopen the case of the
loser. The Wilmington and Weldon lost,
the Southern won. The cases are differ
emf and each stands on its own bottom.
Colonel Elliott. President of the Will
mington and Weldon railroad, closing
the discussion. said that his road had
not been furnished with the reasons for
the discrimination against it, that they
came before the Commission with per
feet confidence in their case and in per
feet candor. "If the Commission has
furnished their reasons" continued Col
onel Elliott. ''they might have convinced
us As it is we are in the dark lie
suggested that in view of the fact that
the Commission having decided that the
Southern could not Justly reduce rates.
if the order as to the Wilmington and
Weldon reduction went into effect, the
Southern would have also to reduce N
competing points. This would work an
injustice to the Southern, and Colonel
Elliott presumed that the Commission did
not desire to indirectly cause Il reduction
which it had declared could not he done
directly in fairness. He said that through,
rates were based on local rates, and if
the Coast Line must haul ut and OF
n mile and the Seaboard and Southern
charge 81 and 81 they would be forced
of their own account to come down to the
Coast Line rates or lose business.
Chairman Caldwell said that the point