The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-08-23
TsIE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
Thcir' Powers and Dutics-I nforma .
| tton From Candidate w. ID. May

field.
The following points arc mado Nv
w. -. Mayfeld, candidate for railroad
commissioner, In his speeches
The board OF railroad commission.
ers ID ono OF tho most important boards
In tho State. 1t has control of the
railroads, telegraph and oxpross com
panios Of tho State has power to rog-
ulate schedu los, make and alter freight
ratos and help to fix tho valuation Tor
taxation. The board Is Of great i'm
portanco to tho people OF tho State md
could be OF great benefit.
Tho board is composed OF Lhree mann
bors who hold oillce for six yenrs, ono
10 DO elected ovory two years, and onch
nom m3or gots u salary Of 81 800 Dor nm.
mum. Those salaries arc paid by tho
railroads.. Tho railroads not only pnv
tno salaries but furnish tho board an
olhcc, stationery, stamps, fuel, liphts
pay tho salary Of tho clork and pivn
oach mombor and tho clork a nnss Svnu Su
all tho roads in the State. The ueonlo
elect these ofllccrs and tho railroads
pay them. This Ia wrong. Tho State
should pay thom and tho torn should
oo mAuo Two years instead OF six and
thcy should DO made to como beforn
tho pooplo every two years, like ali
othor State oilicors, and givo an hc-
count Of thoir stewardship. This would
call forth action.
Tho people arc demanding protec.
tl0n everywhere from trusts and cor
porato power and this State should
nave free and independent board to
protect tho peoples iutorcst from on.
| cronchmcnt by thcso corporations. 1t
Will DO too l"to to lock tho stable door
"ttcF tho horse Is gone and warn tho
people to have this law changed.
IN thls State unjust uiscriminntions
arc mado by tho railroads in favor of
&c GSrt"ih towns and cities against others
This Is wrong aud should no: be AL
io"eu. Tho commission has tho power
10 regulate local rates and could pro-
vent 1t.
Certalns portions OF this State arc
well adapted to fruit growing aud
truck farming aud opportunity should
oc given tor development nnl eNtcn-
sion OF these by giving rates which
Will permit them to bo put on tho
market ON equal terms with fruit and
truck grown in other Southern States,
Inc lrult growers and truck farmers
IN tho lower portion Of the State can.
not sell 10 the people in the upper por.
tlou Tor lack q! proper rates. The fruit
growers and truck farmers OF Georgia
1oad and ship 10 the North through
South Carolina for ~ less rate than our
people have 10 pay. This is not right.
SOMEBODY got good rate for Georgia
anU somebody could get rs good a rat,
Tor South Carolina.
Ii the portion Ot the State whcre
irU.t Aud Vegetables are grown large
QAaulltieS might hc canned proitab!y
4 :. could De put on the msrket nu1
tie .NCa. rates vii. 70; permit oar p,r.
pc ~ compete with Outsiders VINO gu.
Joy better rate.
N'..er mills IL .his State should
nave rates wh!En would encourage
wCea: growing SUI tuaN,e them 10
tNWNeIe uu tTlA. terms with mills out.
s..:a u the State. Bu, Suth IS no, the
case. y ro.,tr ~. II Augusta mas y
.aS> '-t.E:: - points II south Csroiiua
:-ac = t-... II :Gis S.s.e nss 10 the
SsH.s pp.c:. > 4 follows .hat our
-C..=: :-...S s-@ u: y ..:Saivsu.sSe in
:=...cE - o.. C~c merchants. Tris Is
":c-E Sc : a. = .s..ce " c.ch should
- - = -. ;-:...I.e factories IN
-: >,ai= -.A---. = =. r,=:@ -: : actor.
=: -.:. :. 80 S:s:= = .=.c. 70
u -3,-. =: - 80 .sa:C. "a:
- D - =: .:.. ;: 80 S:ai@ .Sye
-,=.:.- :a.=: :-a- - :a,:o-.:: ST Ee.
= :=:-.:. - az - a-..= :.-c..
-: A-..:' = :-= S:a:=.
- : =: = ::-= - :-::-.:-.-= : :-l@ y.
..C- 80. - II--.--, =-C=:s "aSOc-.
nlgg.es. soap. rope, GAINED g1DIs. sg.
r.Cu.tlra. .u-p.-rLeC... all Tier. = 10
good reason way We =nCu.d no. have
good rates on a.! OF these. Some South.
ern State viii take the lead in their
| manufacture and why not South Caro-.
! lima.
The upper portion Of South Carolina
cannot raise cotton enough to supply
the mills and the mills have to buu on
other markets. The lower portion Of
the State raises far more cotton than
ls manufactured there and the mills in
| the upper portion OF the State should
be enabled TO buy from tho lower Dor.
tion. hut such is not the case. The
, rate from tho lower portion of the
State IL SO high that the mills are
forced to go to Georgia, Alabama anu
Mississippi because they can buy there
. and ship hers cheaper than they can
buy and ship from the lower por8on Of
+ this State and the farmers are forced
to sell their cotton at Il less price than
1T ought TO bring and the cotton is
shipped out Of the State and manufac.
tured elsewhere. This is an Injustice
to the people in the lower portion OF
the State.
Cotton mills should be given the
very best rates for marketing their
products. Such rates, would, with
the best rates for buying, encourage
the milling business in the State which
everybody knows Is to the interest OF
the State.
Wholcsaleing In this State should be
encouraged instead OF discouraged. 1t
Is to the Interest OF the State that
large wholesale stores be established,
1t would add wealth AMI keep money at
home. We have some wholesale stores
in the State but they are not due to
anything done by the railroad commits
sion. and have to labor at u disadvan-
tage. Wholesale merchants in Savan-
nah, Augusta, Atlanta, Richmond,
Lynchburg, Wilmington and Norfolk
, can sell to tho retail merchants in
South Carolina cheaper than can the
Wholesale merchants OF this State be-
, cause they have better rates to points
in this State than our Wholesale mer-
chants have. This Is shame and our
: merchants should have relief which
, would enable them to compete on equal
= terms. Charleston, Port Royal ard