The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-01-18

0rpo, a Ralei-h.

Sensations trod on the heels IL one
another il the Railroad Commission
office yesterday.
There WAS much clai-trap. gallery
play and tiy-up-the-creek -buncombr
but there was also considerable sofa
business done.
For instance, notice was served on all
the roads Of the State to show cause
Why tie present passenger rates
en- them should not be reduced. This
is to be done on the 18th. 18th and
9th.
1t was on motion of Chairman Culd-
we'll that this was ordered. the following
resolution ben introduced by him
and voted for by the other Commits
s~iOners:
Resolved. That notice be served
upon the Raleigh and Castor Railroad.
the Raleigh and Augusta Railroad, the
Scaboard ana Roanoke Railroad, and
the Georgia. Carolina and Northern
Railroad, from Monroe, \. c., TO the
South Carolina line. TO show cause be
fore the Railroad Commission. at itS
office III Raleigh. y. c.. on the Doth
day of January. 1898, why the fares for
tie transportation Of passengers over
said roads should not lie reduced.
Resolved. That notice be served upon
the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
the Petersburg Railroad. the Norfolk
and Carolina Railroad. the Wilson and
/ Fayetteville Railroad, the TarbOro
branch, to show cause before the Rail
road commission, at its office in Raj
elGn, North Carolina. on the 9th day
of January, 1898. why the fares for
the transportation Of passengers over
said roads shall not he reduced.
"Iesolyed, That notice be served upon
the Western North Carolina Railroad,
the Atlantic. Tennessee and OHIO Rail
road. the North Carolina Railroad. the
Piedmont Railroad. the Atlantic and
Charlotte Air Line, the Charlotte. Co
lumbia and Augusta Railroad. the North
Western North Carolina Railroad. to
show cause before the Railroad Com
mission, 1T its office iii Raleigh. =. c..
on the 9th day Of January. 1895. why
the fares for the transportation Of pas
sengerS over said roads should not be
reduced.
In the hearing, If not concluded upon
the day appointed, the same viii be
continued from day TO day until dis
posed of.
Notice of similar import will be
served upon others at such time us the
Commission may Designate
Mr.. Caldwell also introduced the fol-
towing resolution reducing the rate on
fertilizers, when shipped IN carload lots,
if it IS loaded and unloa led by shipper
and consignee-the railroad only having
to transport the loaded car:
"I;csolyed. That on and after the Goth
day Of January, 1898, the freight rates
now in effect, and known a the f~ertili-
ger rates or tariff. be reduced sixteen
and two-thirdS per cent. upon al rail
roads within the State. This to apply
only to car load lots"
Though this resolution was finally
PASSED unanimously, there was some dis
cussiOn Of it before the vote was taken.
Dr.. Abbott favored a u per cent. re-
d~uction, saying he was convinced that
this would be reasonable and just, and
such a reduction would put fertilizers in
class 90 of freights.
Mr.. Pearson, Oh the other hand,
thought is % per cent. the proper re-
d~uctiOn; that this was the rate in
Georgia; that shipments were always
made in carload lots, and the railroads
had only to haul and not handle as in
other freights. Besides this such a re
duction would enable the fertilizer fac
tories in the State to compete with for
eign ones. \ IL % per cent. reduction
being just one-siXth. would be more
easily calculated by the clerks and ship
perS.
Then the entering wedge to breaking
up the uniform cotton rate established
recently by the old Commission was
driven in. This was lone by restoring
the old rate on the Western North Caro-
lima, and the Atlantic. Tennessee and
Ohio railroads. The Old rate is about -
per cent. lower thar the uniform rate.
The people Of Statesville, Morganton and
perhaps one or two other points asked its
restoration.
Also, on petition Of the citizens Of
Morgauton. the Commission directs that
the Western Union Telegraph Company
lie required to show cause why an up
town telegraph office should not he es-
tablished At Morganton. The present
office, at the railroad station. is very III
conveniently located. The receipts from
the MorgantOn office is 5000 per annum.
The complaint OF the cOloreQ people
that the accommodations for them at
the Union depot Were inadequate, were
also taken up, and inquiry made as to
why nothing had been done. Mr.. I. II.
BuSbee, attorney for the Southern, ex-
planned that though the matter did
not come within the legal department
Of the road, he happened to know some
thing of it, and that the cause Of delay
vas the fact that the depot being jointly
owned by the Southern railway, the
Seaboard Air Line and the North Caro-
lima railroad, when one of the roads was
ready to move in the matter, the others
were not. Also, there has been, he
said, 20 exact agreement as to what
chan IS Will be made.
II three roads interested were no.
tilted shat by February 1st they were
expected to come to some agreement and
proceed to make such changes as are