The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-09
Corporation Commission,
Selma Connections.
The Southern DaiIway is Treating the
People Between Goldsboro and
Greensboro as Red Headed
Step-children.
Step-children.

sion of the matter of the Selma connec-
ton. An order was issued in December
citing the representatives of the Southern
Railway and the Atlantic Coast Line to
appear befor the Commission. At that
hearing the Commission hopes that
both roads will be able to "get together"
and make the connection that is OF such
Importance to large section of Eastern
North Carolina.
When the Southern in October last an
rounced its new schedule, formally break
ing the connection. the Commission at
once took the matter up. They ascer-
taind that, though protesting to connect
at Selma, the connection was actually
made only five or six days ON the pre-
vious month. That was worse than not
pretending to make the connection. The
Commission thereupon, without waiting
for complaint to be made, took up the
matter with the railroads. The Southern
said it could not make its Greensboro
connection If compelled to wait at Selma
long enough to connect with the Atlantic
Coast Line train. The Atlantic Coast
Line said it could not get its train any
sooner at Richmond. Time was given 10
try to get some feasible arrangement. 1t
is an injustice to the Commission to sup
pose that it has been idle or Indifferent.
In truth it has given much time and pa
tient investigation to the situation, and
before any criticism upon their action
had been made had devoted many days
to trying to adjust the matter IN the
best way. The mistake it has made, as 1t
Hooks to the gentlemen making the crit
Eicisms, was in permitting the abandon
ment of the old schedule pending the in
jvestigation. 1t is due the Commission,
however, to state that when the change
was made it found that though protesting
to make the connection it was missed so
often that it did little, if any good. I'm
der that condition, it decided not to Is
sue a peremptory order, but to study the
whole situation before doing so. The
trouble is that the Atlantic Coast Line
says it cannot reach Selma any sooner
and the Southern says it must leave Sci
ma earlier in order to make its Greens.
! boro connection.
The final hearing of railroad representa-
tives will be before the Commission on
Tuesday. 1t is to be hoped that the authori-
lies of both roads will make mutual con-
cessions and agree to restore the old SEIZED
ule and maintain it without the neces-
1 sity of being compelled to do so by a per-
emptory order. The public are entitled to
this connection. If the railroads will not
get together and arrange it, then the peo-
pie look to the Commission to make a
way" The Commission is composed of
men of integrity, who are Jealous in the
tl;z.
vii Inc doubt work the matter out so that
the important and long established con-
nection at Selma will be restored.
81 will tell you how to fix the Selma
connection" said a gentleman yesterday.
Compel the Southern Railway to give
better service on the North Carolina road
| between Goldsboro and Greensboro. 1t
Is the best paying portion of their road
as far as local business is concerned and
yet it is the most poorly equipped of any
! like paying system of their owned or
leased lines They turn over their oldest
and shabbiest cars to this division, and
the engines are not the equals of those
used on their main lines They treat the
people between Goldsboro and Green's
boro as redheaded step children. If you
don't believe this, get off Southern train
at Greensboro and get on Southern
train coming to Raleigh. On the South
ern, coming either from Danville or Char
lotte, you step off of handsome, modern,
elegant coaches, pulled by modern engines
of the latest style, and get on old, di-
lapidated, dingy and often dirty coaches
that run between Greensboro and Colds,
boro. The roadbed, the equipment he
cars, the engi1es-the whole outfit il n
every way inferior to that which shot,
be used on a road that pours so man
thousand dollars into the Golfers of the
Southern Railway You feel as YOU step
from enc Southern train to the train COM
ing to Raeligh. that you are leaving lux
TRY for squalor.
The contrast is as marked if you get
Off the elegant cars on the Atlantic Coast
Line at Goldsboro or Selma. On both
llnes-to Fayetteville and Wilmington
the Atlantic Coast Line runs splendid
trains, with comfortable coaches, whereas
on the Goldsboro to Greensboro section
OF the Southern, they provide the poorest
looking cars run on any like paying Sec
ton of their road
THE trouble about the Southern's wait
ing at Selma is this: its roadbed and its
equipment isn't good enough to make the
time It ought to make between Selma and
Greensboro If it would spend small
portion OF the money it makes on traffic
between Greensboro and Goldsboro in i'm
proving the roadbed and putting on new
equipment, it could leave Selma later and
get in greensboro on time all right. It
Is because the Southern does not furnish
inc pest equipment TO the trains on the
road between Greensboro and Goldsboro
that 1t is holding out against restoring
the Old schedule. If the Corporation
commission will contrast the physical
condition. roadbed and equipment be
tween Greensboro and Charlotte with that
between Greensboro and Goldsboro they
VIII see that what'I say is true"