The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-08
If so, it Should "Shoot
Luke or Give Up Gun"
CONNECTION WANTED
The Arbitrary Withdrawal by the
Southern of Schedule Of Twenty
Years Standing Causes Gen.
eral inconvenience TO
the People.

About two months ago the Southern
Railway, which had been connecting at
Selma with the Atlantic Coast Line about
twenty years, arbitrarily put up its sched-
lue about half an hour, thereby deliberate
ly denying to the people of Eastern North
Carolina the opportunity to reach Raleigh
or any point west of Selma upon any rea-
sonable time or upon any decent schedule.
A person living in Tarboro can go to New
York much easier than he can get to and
from Raleigh Last week lady teacher
in the State Normal College, who had
been accustomed to leaving Rocky Mount
about 1890 p. m. and reach Raleigh about
p. M, took the Atlantic Coast Line train
at Rocky Mount, as usual and did not
know until she reached Selma that she
would have to remain there until nearly
midnight, and could not reach Raleigh un-
til about midnight. That happens with
ladies every day and is a great inconven-
ience and a great expense
! was talking yesterday morning with
prominent gentleman about other matters
and he said:
by the way, is the Corporation Com
mission worth its salt?
."Why do you ask? 1t is composed Of
good men who are conscientious
II mean this: For two months now the
people of Eastern North Carolina
have been denied decent schedules to Raj
eigh and the western sections of
the State. 1t was published that the
connections would soon be made
The railroads havn't noticed the Commits
sion and 60 right on, disregarding
it and the accommodation of the public
If the Commission cannot compel the
Southern Railway to restore the connec-
tion, am in favor of abolishing the
whole concern. 1t isn't worth its salt if
twenty year old connection can be destroy
ed and the people subjected to the great
inconveniences they now suffer"
Il will tell you how the every day folks
look at it, he went on. "The Southern
Railway has been connecting with the At
lantic Coast Line for years. without so
much as noticing the Corporation Commis.
sion, the Southern changes it's schedule
one half hour and breaks the connection.
What then? A member of the Corpora
ton Commission goes to Wilmington to
see the Atlantic Coast Line authorities to
see if they cannot reach Selma earlier.
An answer is promised after the annual
November meeting. They cannot do SO be-
cause they cannot get the train at Rich
mond any earlier The Southern is re-
quested to restore the old schedule. The
reply is, I'VE will be id if we do We
have been running too fast anyway
What does the Commission do? Nothing
at all that gives the public any relief. 1
say that if it can do nothing in such a
case 1T isn't worth keeping in existence.
The law is dead letter. If it can do and
will not, the Commissioners are subject to
censure for not using the authority That's
exactly what the folks are Saying every
where.
Let me show you how it affects me. I
wished to bring my daughter to Raleigh
to enter the Baptist Female University
1t isn't pleasant to get up before day when
1T is made necessary only by the action of
the Southern Railway. We had to get up
and travel without breakfast, or be up
half the night. Do you wonder feel that
the time has come for plain speaking when
/ and all other Eastern North Carolina
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