The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-01-12
ly and expditiously made and the bus
mess OF the State thereby greatly in
creased.

| POWER FOR CORPORATION COMMISSION.
Tie railroads have, during the pas
year Or two, in suits pending In tn
courts, set up as defense the want o
jurisdiction on the part OF the Corpo:
alton Commission to deal with tn,
matter then in litigation. ALI OF tn,
matters in litigation were the prope
subjects fer control by the State. I
the Corporation Commission has no
this power now claimed by it, the Leg
la'ature should amend the law so as tt
confer the power. 1t is wiser In my
opinion to make the power of the Cor
porat.on Commission and Its jurlsdict
| ION so clear that there can be no de
bate about 1t and no excuse for the
railroads refusing to obey its orders
TO this end I earnestly recommend the
submission to the people OF an amend.
ment to the constitution comforting
power on the Corporation Commission
commensurate with the right of the
State to- control these corporations.
Railroad accidents have been so nu-
merous In the last few years rs to
challenge the attention of the State Sc
we'll as the travelling public. 1 am
firmly persuaded that many OF these
accidents are due to the physical condi-
ton Of the employees of the railroad
and that this condition is brought
about by too many hours of service
without the opportunity to rest. II
the public we're not directly interested
in the matter it would still be subject
worthy of consid Grafton whether any
citizen should be permitted, even un.
tisr contract, to work for 80 great q
length OF time without rest as to I'M
pair his physical and mental powers,
bat where the lives of people travelling
ara involved there can be no doubt OF
the right and duty of the Legislature
20 pass such laws as will render less
frequent railroad accidents by restrict
ing the number of hours OF continuous
service which can be given by the en-
ployes OF the railroads. A law of this
sort will work no hardship upon any
body. On the contrary, by securing
better service, accidents would be les
sened, human life will be protected and
the destruction OF properly prevented.
THE SOUTH DAKOTA BOND SUIT.
Since my last message to the Legis-
!ature the Supreme court OF the United
States hes decided the case OF the State
CT South Dakota W the State of North
Carolina, Charles Salter and Simon
Rothchilds, in favor OF the complaint
ant. The decree in that case was as
follows:
"a decree will therefore be entered
which, after finding the amount due
on the bonds and coupons in suit to
be $27 ,O00,and that the came are secur-
ed by one hundred shares of the stock
of the North Carolina Railroad Com
pany belonging to the State of North
Carolina, shall order that the said
State Of North Carolina pay said
amount with costs of the suit to the
State o! South Dakota on or before the
LIST day of January, anu that in default
Of said paym~nt an order of sale be
issued to the marshal of the United
States Court directing him to sell at
public auction all the interests of the
State of North Carolina in and to 100
shares of the capital stock of the North
Carolina Railroad Company. Such
sale to be made at the east front door
OF the capitol building in Washington,
D. c., public notice to be given of said
sale by advertisement in rome daily
paper published in the city of Wash
ington.'
Recently Attorney General Gilmer
of the State moved the Supreme court
to extend the time for the payment of
the money 20 that your honorable body
might have an opportunity to pass up
on the question Of tho payment OF the
Judgment The court granted this
motion and has extended time of pay
ment until the first day OF April, 1905
A short history of this suit may not be
amiss.
In 1849 the State OF North Corolina
and chartered the North
Carolina Railroad Company by an act
of its General Assembly, chapter 81,
acts 1852, by which act it was pro-
vided that the capital stock of eald
c pany should be three millions OF
dollars, of which two millions was to
be subscribed by the State and one
million by private parties. All OF
which subscriptions we're duly made
and paid into the treasury of the North
Carolina Railroad Company. After
wards by virtue of the laws of l854-5,
chapter 81, section l, the State sub
s-rs bed and paid in an additional one
million dollars tor an equal amount
of said stock and the State is now