The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-13
ONCE HOT TO FIX RATES

Now Mr.. ]. EIWoOd Cox of High Point
and MIR. Caesar Cone of Greensboro
Declare That They Are Opposed to
Giving Any Government Commission
Power to Fix Rates On the Rail-
roads. Why This Sudden Flop? Does
the Story That Here Follows Offer
the Solution OF This Palpitating
Mystery?
Once in every hundred years The
News and Observer breaks its rule
requiring every communication to be
signed by the name of the writer
The time to disregard that rule is
this May thirteenth, 1905, in order to
do a great public service.
Twice this week the newspapers of
America have teemed with big head
line stories giving the testimony of
Carolina who went all the way to
Washington city to appear before
the Senate Committee to tell that
august body that the cotton manu-
facturers and the furniture manu-
facturers are opposed to any change
of present railroad situations Mr.. Cea
sar Cone, whose brother, a director in
one of the Southern Railways branch
lines, said he represented the cotton
manufacturers in North Carolina in
opposing legislation that would con-r
fer the power to make rates. A few
years ago-to be exact, before his
brother was made a director in a
Southern Railway line-this same
Mr.. Cone was organizing and agitat-
ing to secure reduction of freight
rates and proving that North Caro-
lima was Disseminated against. Now
he wishes present conditions "to re-
main." Why this flop?
Next in Washington appears Mr.
]. Elwood Cox a rich man from High
Point, who says the furniture man
let the governmental authorities fix
rates. Didn't Mr.. Cox once apply to
governmental authority to enforce
lower rates? It turns out that Mr.
Cox is also director in a little subor-
dinate road belonging to the South
ern Railway.
1t is a right remarkable coincidence
that both the North Carolina manu-
facturers who have gone to Washing
tor to protest against any possible
rate reduction are directors of a little
side line of the Southern Railway.
1t is also a strange coincidence that
some years ago they favored what
they now oppose.
Some '.Sarchine'' Questions.
Here is the communication The
News and Observer breaks it's rule to
print in full:
To the Editor: Many people here
abouts were surprised Wednesday
morning to read in the Associated
Press dispatches, the announcement
that Mr.. Caesar Cone had testified
before the Senate Investigating Com
mittee in regard to freight rates. that
any interference whatever with pres
ent arrangements or rates made by
the railroads would bring disaster to
business in the South.
Fully as many were glad when
your editorial came out in Thursday
News and Observer. whose editor
seems never to tire in keeping abreast
of thought for the great public, ask
ing why Mr.. Cone had Iiopped."
Yesterdays papers brought the in
facturer and shipper, Mr. j. Elwood
Cox, of High Point, had also testified
before the committee that freight
rates had better be left as they are,
or left for the railroads to fix as they
please. In your editorial on Mr.
Cones flop you seemed to lose the
point which several. have made here
that his testimony carried it's own re-
futation, and furnished additional
ammunition to our president for his
wat on monopolies. Mr.. Cone tes-
tilted that he had. in addition to a
large manufacturing business, a large
cotton commission and export busi-
ness, which controlled the output of
IWenty-seven mills, amounting to
fifty millions Of pounds of freight
edch year. OF course freight rates.
which have enabled him to monopo-
ilze this immense business to the eX-
ciusi0n OF competitors who haven't
got them and can't get them. and
dhcrefNre can't compete, are sIitis-
factory to him. But how about the
fellows vino have been run ous, or de-
sire to go in the business? These
are the American citizens President
Roosevelt was thinking of when he
declared that freight determinations
We're the basis or foundation stones
of trusts and unhealthy monopolies