The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-28

He spoke OF the CeaDOard @A1T Linz
having borrowed s5,000,0e0 some
time ago to clean up its floating debt
and of its being in the market now
10 borrow iii order to pay debts, ett-
large, add t. its equipment and pre-
pare to care better for its patrons,
improvements to be made at Raj
eigh and Hamlet in this State. This
condition CT not .akinC expenses
and the need Of borrowing showed u
loss and it further reduction in fares
would mean a greater loss.
The exception as to roads seventy
FIVE miles less he held to be not
wise, for short railroads would noI
be developed because as soon as they
went beyond the sevonty-fiye miles
the receipts would necessarily dinlin
ish. and the failure to extend would
hold back the development &C the
territory and section. IS TO other
roads the passenger service is row
run at n loss, only third of the cost
being received and in the case of the
Seaboard Air Line freight receipts
had not made it able to pay the loss
and Keep it out of debt. The lib
cral policy ard the best to develop
n country ne held to be putting on
added trains, which could not be
,4ona by decreasing receipts. The
passage OF the bill he held would be
particularly unfortur ate at this time
when it is in the market 10 borrow
money.
Bcpresentati,e Boney Against.
Mr.. J. G.. Boney, representative
from Wilmington. spoke against the
bill. saving that as he only owned one
share in the Atlantic and North Car
ouna. Railroad he was not a railroad
man. ard answering questions said
that he paid Sill about twenty-five
ve:lrs ago for this. had received $500
in dividends and that tbc
now worth about 500, though lands
he had bought along the Coast Line
at SIS an acre he had sold at the rate
of $4,000 an acre.
His opposition to the bill was based
on the thought that n. lower rate
would cause shoofy trains to be taken
off. Specially he told that the news
papers III Wilmington are benefited
bv a train out from Wilmington early
each morning. He also held that
the farmers and people along the
line of the road arc anxious 10 keep
on these "shoo tivS' threatened ty
the passage OF the bill.
Mr.. Miller of the Southern.
Mr.. Henry w. Miller. of the South
ern, next went after the bill. He
talked of the expense of running
shoe fly trains, and that not one OF
these on the Southern paid expenses.
on some passenger trains passing
through the State some money IS
made. but the average shows loss.
90 cents being the average cost
mile. with about 81 cents train
mile receipts, ~ cents being the aV-
eu4zge received III the State, including
mail and express receipts.
Mr.. Miller here read n long list or
trains and the receipts per mile, toi-
lowing this up with statistics per
ton per mite Oh freight traffic, these
showing. he declared, a decrease IN
freight rates since 1898. the greater
earnings being because of increased
business Tie decrease i'll rates, ne
said, IS six mills per ton Der Hhle'
Ansg.ring Mr.. clearinghouse, ne
said that the lower rate from New
york to Kew Orleans was caused by
water co,npetitior. The increased
business along the rnads came fraiii
thousands of dollars snent III de-
velopmeut. naming High Point as an
eaaimple 49,:
Nr. I!aughinsiiousc for the Bill.
Mr.. Laughinghouse spoke in favor
of his bill, first paying u tribute 10
Mr.. Pou's ability. Hc held that u:
ten ear, the railroads had so grown
that the gross earnings then and the
net earnings HOW, the increase be-
ing in millions. The railroads, n"
declared. was fighting his bill just as
il had fought the formation of The
Railroad Commission. that now they
were fighting and crying out ruin,
confisca ton, poverty, which, IL he be-
lieyed he would chip in So TO aid
them. as TO ability. TO carry people,
he said that years ago. free passes
we're hurried to legislators, and that
he had less respect for the roads
that did it. AS TO the Atlantic Coast
Line it cried poverty when taxes
were sought from il. but with all its
CRY and watering of stock it was pay
ing % per cent on its watered stock,
the bed rock stock having increased
40 to /. The, lower rates he believed
would be q blessing TO the roads, as
ira rel would increase and the roaoS
receive more money. As TO selling
bonds II would not hurt as Hlucl as
suggested. The selling Of mileage
books showed that 40 one believed
that this was to get the little interest,
not even the roads themselves.
CAPTAIN Laughinshoase here told
of handsome and elegant cars from
New York to Tanlna charging some
thin over IL cents Der mile per
round trip, with fewer seats naEd-
someiy equipped, and heavier cars
Here Mr.. Pou interrupted that in
place IF SEQ beng the rate TO Tampa
from Raleigh it was really $3.50,
with So extra for riding III the car.
Though round trip tickets We're SEQ.
Mr.. Pou also explained that the low
est rate ever given was to the Farm
crs Convention at New Orleans. this
in elegant, luxurious cars. Mr.
Foster. of the Rowland Company,
and Mr. Ryan of the Seaboard Air
Line in response to questions held
that there are just as many seats in
a Pullman as in a day catch.
As to freight rates, Mr.. Laughing
house said tho CUSTOMARY rule Of
railroads is that just as soon as rail-
road taxes are increased. or freight
reduced in price the schedule is
changed and freight put in a differ
ent schedule. thus charging 81 high
or rate. Mr.. 1anghiushousc DE.
nominated as "misGrahle Concerns"
the railroads. which felt an interest
in the people as long as it could bleed