The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-16
THE CAUSE OF DURHAM Is THE
CAUSE OF ALL.

Post, having received Its Schedule and
time table from it's Southern Railroad
bosses, is now running on the schedule
made out for it. Yesterday it had long
editorial against the Fuller bill and says
it will impose unjust burdens" upon
corporations. II pretends to be doing so in
the interest of the States road" OF
course--it always gives a wrong reason
for obeying the orders Of it's railroad
owners. The States road" mas been
leased to the Southern for ninety nire
years and the State OF North Carolina S
highest interest is in doing justice, not
helping j. Pierpont Morgan & Co, TO
deny depot facilities because, forsooth,
ninety nine years in the future, the
States interests may be impaired. AS
a matter of fact it is to- the pecuniary
interest of the North Carolina Railroads
ownership ninety-nine years hence to CO.
operate in securing good union depot
line of the road. The North Carolina
Railroad is not Oh the scene 20 pull the
chestruts out OF the fire for the southern
Railway and help it to play the hog.
Years ago the North Carolina Railroad
granted the Oxford and GAINESVILLE Rail
road belonging to the Southern.
Durham. 1t refused TO let other railroads
enter and sought to bottle UP Durham and
give the Southern a monopoly of Dur
hams transportation business The peo-
pie of Durham refused to be bottled up
the town claimed the ownership of its own
streets, and was ready then and is ready
now TO encourage competing railroads to
that progressive city. They have waited
ten years for decent union depot. They
haze plead, they have begged, they have
entreated, they have petitioned. Their pc
titions have been pigeon holed, their pleas
have been scoffed at, their entreaties have
been unheeded. No longer do they
crawl on their knees and cool their heels
in the ante-room of greatness and in
sovent Indifference to requests for decent
treatment. They come now and demand,
as 4 right, that the three railroads CEN
terng in Durham shall be compelled to
build depot commensurate with their
business needs.
Under the present law, the Corporation
Commission is required to compel rail-
roads to build new depot when it is
will be sufficient to justify it," The
Southern Railway attorneys contend that
this law does not give the Commission
authority to compel two or more rail
roads to build union depot. If it does
not impose any unjust burden" upon
one corporation to build depot, how
three railroads to unite and build de-
pot, Jointly sharing the expense? 1t is
absurd to contend that if the Commission
should have the power to compel the
Seaboard TO build depot at Wake Forest
it should not have the power to compel
the Saaboard the Southern and Norfolk
and Western to build union depot at
Durham, or the Atlantic Coast Line, the
Southern, and the Atlantic and North
Carolina Railroad at Goldsboro.
In view OF the denial of the right Of
the Commission TO compel the erection
of a union depot, Mr.. Fuller, of Durham,
has introduced a simple bill to confer
that right. OF course he was induced to
Introduce the bill because of the refusal
of the Southern Railway % cooperate
with the Seaboard and Norfolk and West
ern in building a modern depot !" DIR
ham. The bill, though, is not special but
general legislation, and will apply 10 all
like cases. Moreover aad better: the
passage of such a law will tend 10 pre-
vent another like disregard OF the just
demands of the people OF any town or
city in North Carolina. and will have Il
tendency 10 curb the disposition to say
1.-The people be ID that is seen in the
present threat that Durham shall not
have decent depot until it is ready to
give the Southern Railroad 100000 Of
property and prevent other railroads en-
tering into the business centre of the
city.
The Post, established and fed by South
ern Railway bosses money, of course,
thinks it an unjust burden TO compel
its railroad to give any town full of
independent men a decent depot. It's
owners and controllers oppose any regu-
lation whatever of railroads. 1t believes
| that the best government is the govern
rent that would have AleXender the
| Great as King and Fabius as prime min
lister.
Mr.. Hiss says he is not in the race
for postmaster at Charlotte. All the
same, keep your eye on Hiss. If he is