The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-22

Away and beyond all other matters of
Importance affecting railroads upon which
there was fight, was the attempt of the
railroads to repeal or amend section so
of the Machinery Act passed by the Gen
eral Assembly OF 1901. The objection OF
the railroads to that section, which pre-
scribes the method of arriving at the
value of railroad property for taxation
was given a hearing and consideration
and the Legislature very wisely and by
an overwhelming majority refused to cross
a IT. CT dot an 'i' in that section
Inasmuch as that section had been really
adopted as a logical result of the corn
promise of the tax suits. the railroads
really had no ground for their fight; and
when the matter was fully discussed
nearly all the legislators regarded the
contention of the railroads as asking an
unreasonable thing.
There was an attempt to secure the
passage of bill requiring the railroads
to furnish free passes to every State
officer and judicial officer, as an addition
al tax upon franchises. Some of the rail
roads were willing to do this, so it was
said, but the act as a legal requirement
would have been unconstitutional. 1t mad
islature could compel a railroad to give
passes to a public official in lieu of any
taxes, that the State could not transfer
from the railroads to private individual
anything in the nature of a tax. There
fore, if the bill had become law, the
railroads would have given passes only
where they choose to do so, and would
have declined to give them to all the
q I'M. 4 ~ I,aNr
been simply to repeal the law allowing
railroads to give free passes to upblic
officials and return to the old demoraliz-
ing days of free pass bribery and cajoling.
The Legislature, when it was shown that
that law was unconstitutional, defeated
the bill.
There was another free pass measure
that was introduced. 1t provided that
the railroads should have the authority
to give a free pass to every Confederate
soldier in the State. 1t was amended in
the Senate to say that no Confederate
soldier should be given this pass unless
his name was on the pension roll. No
mans name can be on the pension roll
who is worth over $780,
There was quite a fight over the bill
making some change in the charter Of
the Carolina and Northwestern Railroad.
That railroad wishes to extend its road
north of Lenoir. 1t had surveyed a line
leaving Lenoir off the main line of the
road, alleging that it would cost large
sum of money to go into Lenoir, and
then out again, because of the high grade.
The people of Lenoir, who had originally
subscribed a large sum to this road. Wig
orously objected to not being on the
main line and the Legislature passed an
act requiring the road when it extended
northward to go through the town OF
Lenoir.
An Act to amend section 1864 of The
Code, makes it read as follows: Agents
Or other officers of railroads and other
transportation companies whose duty it.
is TO receive freight, shall receive all
articles of the nature and kind received
by such company for transportation
whenever rendered at a regular depot
station wharf or boat landing, and shall
forward the same by the directions given
by the person rendering the freight under
existing laws ana the transportation
company represented by any person re-
fusing to receive such freight shall for
felt and pay to the party agrieved the
sum of fifty dollars for each day said
company refuses to receive such ship
ments of freight, and all damages ac-
tually sustained by reason of the refusal
to receive said freight.