The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-22
AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE IN
V0LVED.

The Fuller bill was not reported to the
House yesterday. When reported today
without prejudice" it will be stated by
the acting chairman that the vote on a
favorable report stood { to .. He viii
not state-and, of course, ought not to
state in the IIouse-that the Republi-
can members of tho committee were
done voted as the railroad wished.
Republicans always vote as the Southern
Railway folks direct. Perhaps it was be-
cause of such favors that Southern Rail-
way folks contributed $250000 to the Re-
publican campaign fund in 1896, and
Southern Railway officials in North
Carolina voted for Mckinley. However
that may be, the vote of the Democrats
on the committee stands to in favor
of the Fuller bill.
There is an important principle in
volved in this bill, to-wit: Whether the
pei the granting of necessary and practi-
cable depot facilities or whether it should
be left to the railroads to provide accom-
modations at their option. There are
instances-not many-when it is abso-
lutely essential that a union depot should
be established in order to give the neces-
sary accommodations. The situation at
Durham affords such an example. Sepa-
rate and scattered depots by the three
roads at Durham would not give the ac-
commodations needed. Nothing but a
central union depot will do this. So far
Durham has asked in vain for such de-
pot. Finally after ten years of pleading,
two of the railroads.&c. Norfolk and
Western and Seaboard Air Line-have
agreed to pay their part toward con-
structing a union depot. The Southern
Railway, wishing to play the hog, refuses
to join with the other roads, and denies
to Durham what every man in that city
demands and what every voter in the
State, uninfluenced by the Southern Rail-
way, would declare it ought to have.
Here comes this condition: Shall one
railroad, mad with a community because
it secured the building of competing
roads be permitted to thwart the reason
able demand and pressing needs of
community that pays it something like
100000 a year? Durham has patiently
waited for twenty years for this depot.
1t is now told by Vice President An
drews that it shall have no union depot
until the ten-year-old litigation over
Peabody street is settled. 1t is only
when the alternative, of giving the South
ern Railway a street dedicated to public
purposes or being denied union depot,
Legislature for relief.
Here is a principle involved: Shall the
State exercise the power to compel rail-
roads to provide adequate accommoda-
tions in a union depot-(a right it ought
to exercise and which is inherent in the
State)-or shall it permit railroad, for
spite or SelrShneSS, TO WanlOuly refuse W
give the necessary accommodations? The
State has conferred large powers upon
the Corporation Commissioner hundred
fold larger than the one proposed in the
Fuller bill These powers have never
been abused. Who says the Commission
will abuse such powers if granted to
ompel union depots when practicable
Much is involved in the Fuller bill. Its
hefeat will encourage the Southern Rail-
3way, which is it's chief antagonist, to try
vyo regain its former domination OF leSis-
lation in North Carolina. Those who are
opposed 20 government by railroads. OF
railroads and for railroads should unite
to pass the Fuller BILL both because it
.nis a wise and necessary measure and in
with the principle of railroad regula-
bns in vogue in North Carolina, and
also because the pernicious activity OF
Southern Railway officials to defeat SO
just q measure deserves to be rebuked.