The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-06

have already changed the classified
ton of canned goods and coffee. 9th
er changes will be made at the meet
ing of the Classification committee to
be held The last of this month. The
rate on about $50 different articles is
now being investigated with a view to
changing it if necessary
The new classification corrects
many Inconsistencies in the old, pre-
vents fraud by dishonest shippers and
favors and protects the honest ones.
In the sid classification, for instance,
the cheaper the product the higher
the rating, thus levying the greatest
tax in freights on the poorer classes
of people. This defect is corrected
in the new classification. You Will
therefore find that we have advanced
the rate on some articles, while on
others it has been reduced
DR.. Abbott-"Does this classification
reduce the rate on any of our princi-
pal commodities?''
Mr.. Emerson-"Yes; on rice, for
instance
DR.. Abolition an average does it
not increase freight rates consider
ably?'
T.. L
the whole there is a greater average
of increase than of decrease"
DR.. Abbott-'Can you give the per
cent?"
Mr.. Emerson-''I can't give you the
figures, and if / could they would be
worth little as we contemplate maxi
ing some material changes soon"
DR.. Abbott-''You arc now collect
e IL Al
ton, are you not?'
Yes, we put it into effect on June
1st, for the reason that we under
stood that all that was necessary was
to file a copy of it with the Commits
sion, and if no objection was raised
bv the Commission it was to be con-
sidered as accepted. That has here
tofore been the practice
1--WE do not now ask you to finally
accept it. but we do ask that we be
allowed to 90 ahead and work with
if and see if we can't evolve out of it
a fair and uniform classification. If
we don't, you always have the remedy
in your own hands.
''While looking to our own interest
we are also giving consideration to
that of the shipper. We can't afford
business interests of North Carolina
If we hurt business or shut up fac
tories we simply cut off our own
revenues
Mr. Neil, speaking for the South
ern, explained how the classification
had been made, and said it had not
been in effect long enough to deter
mine all of its good bad points.
said, to specially protect the farming
interests of the State, no advance be-
ing made on agricultural products or
farm machinery. Also the manufac-
turing interests have been looked at
ter.
THE interests of the railroads and
the interests of the manufacturer and
farmer are mutual. Unless they
make money we suffer-
Mr.. Neil added that the Southern
Railway had much mileage in the
State, but outside of the complaints
filed with the Commission he had
heard none from the shippers along
the line.
Mr.. Glover, for the Seaboard, ex-
planned that in the committee that
finally adopted these classifcations
FeNcTN EdllEOdU III TIE oOulH, DlS vi
little, was represented; and that the
subcommittee, in making the classi-
fication, always tried to have manu-
facturers and other shippers before
them, to get advantage of their views
and desires.
1.-THE railroads of North Carolina
are especially interested in the matter
of industrial enterprise. Factories
and railroads are the things that are
going to build up this section. When
more factories are started the rail
roads win do better and the South
will build up and prosper. We have
TO disposition, even if we had the
opportunity, to injure any branch of
industry by unjust or exorbitant
rates.
This concluded the argument. and
the Commission took under advise
ment the matter of adopting the new
classification