The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-27
THR "FULLER BILL"

II ooksa as If the legislature was go
Ing to force the railways. where two
Or more enter the same town. TO give
the people of that town proper 1acll-
Ees n c~onveniences in the way Oh
uaion depots. What is known as the
-Fuller bill" had almost the unanl-
NOUS support of he house OF repre-
septatives of the state legislature ana
we sappos the senate Will pass inc
bill by the same majority. TINS was
n bill introduced by Representative
Fuller. of Durham county, adding TO
the powers Of the state corporation
commission that Of requiring, in its
discretion, two or more railroads en-
tering a town to erect a suitable un-
len depot in thai town. This action
on Mr.. Fuller's part in introducing
this bill grew out of the fight between
a Southern railroad and the Sea-
board Air Line for the right OF way
through one of the principal streets OF
Durham along which have run since
its construction the tracks OF the
North Carolina railroad. for many
years past operated under lease by
the Southern. The right of way en-
braces the entire width of the street
and the Seaboard Air Line has tried
to secure entrance into the central
part of the town over this right OF
way. This the Southern has fought
In the courts for twelve or fifteen
years.
nrYrham has w VS.
taken sides with the Seaboard in this
fight and. we believe, has been made
q party OF record in the several suits
which nave been instituted in the con-
test
For some time the Durham people
haye been trying to get the southern
road to build a depot in their town
commensurate with the business of the
road at that point. They claim that
they have always been treated with
great lack of courtesy by the Soutn-
ern's officials whenever they approach
I'd the latter on the subject. the com
nny positively refused to do any
thing in the matter and would Hing
I'm the peoples faces their coalltloI
with the Seaboard in the right OF way
"AAAA ~~G
matter.
At last the Durham people became
aesperate, or, perhaps, angered beyonC
measure, and the introduction OF Uni:
sil extending the powers of the stat
CORPORATION commission was the re
suit. This bill was not introduced o.
advocated for the purpose OF the gen
eral good to the people or the state
b,t that the town of Durham mlgh
roroa the Southern to DO what the.
nod for a long time been trying un
successfully to persuade them 10 u"
It is eally a personal hSnt pet"ec'
She people of Durham and the South
ern railway. 1t may be that the DuF
hamites. because of the amount o
traffic they have with the SontheFI
road, are entitled to better depot ZACH
titles. If that be so then the corpora
tion commission has the power, unoe
the laws reating it, to compel I'll
road to furnish the proper accommo
dations: but when it is taken into con
alteration that this bill Is intenoeu I
secure to another railway compah
alleged rights which it has for year
tried in vain to establish through IN
courts the legislature should so slo'
and should thoroughly understand IN
situation before acting on the prt
posed measure.
We nave no interest in this matte
one way or the other more than lh1
Of any other citizen of the state II
terested in legislation for her goo
We think it is a dangerous prececel
to establish for the legislature 20 ena'
laws general i'll their scope which al
Intended only. to apply to 4 partlcula
case. Had not this fight been brougi
on between the town of Durham ar
these two railroads it is safe to ga
no such bill charging the powers
the corporation commission Won
have aver been introduced. In IN
matter the Legislature is treading {
dangerous grounds and should be car
full what presidents it establish
along this live Durham probably,
fact we have no doubt, does need
better depot at the hands of the Sout
ern railroad. put we are afraid TT
measure ia rather for the purpose
whipping out that company and 5
curing a victory for the ~Seaboard
fhe I~onE-contested law suits than +
the purpose of gaining larger dep
facilities from this road. In such M
tiers the legislature should go slow.
pwINrSrp .Trox MEASURES,