The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-14
NOW WANTS LID OFF
Have All Railroads Become Good Since
He Became Director of the Branch
Line With the Alphabet Name,
or is Only the Southern
AItruistic?

sire Interstate regulation OF Railroad
freight rates.
In The wear 1901 Mr.. Cox was hihl-
self n complainant before the Norli'
Carolina Corporation COMMISSION
asking if to compel the Seaboafd All
I inc to give him better rate on pro-
ducts used in his. Sanford lac'ory,
Not ONLY did he secure the reNioot,
tariff contended for, but also coIIcc.ou
- refund for OyePcharSeS amouiliiS
To more than S5O0.-Timothy, 10 TO-
The fact that Mr.. j. Elwood cox
tho very successful High Point manu-
facturer recently took the troupie -
90 TO washington and teStlIy pe1ol
! Senate Committee to the TACT IIld !.
as a shipper OF large qudiiIieieN 60.
freight he was perfectly willing Tor
tho railroads to have full power IN
the matter of fixing the rates, ana
that he thought it would be unWlSe'
and in every way disadVantageous 10
the shipper for the government 10
attempt to exercise any control IN
that regard, was received Win gTedt
enthusiasm in railroad quarters
throughout the country and with
even greater surprise by the genera
run of business men in the South,
freight determinations has seemed
10 have it's most fertile field of OPP
Grafton.
With Mr.. Cox and speaking to the
same effect was Mr.. Caesar Cone, OF
Greensboro, millionaire and extensive
shipper of cotton in the bulk and IN
manufactured products.
With the Associated Press devotlng
much snace to fostering the utter
ances of those two representative
manufacturers and shippers, the story
was on it's face a Carer" Especially
did il oDerate as against the RooSe-
Welt view by reason of the fact that
both were from the South and from
North Carolina, a section and State
which railroads have seemed TO re-
gard as natural fields for exploitation
that would be dangerous elsewhere.
IL so suuare deal was being handed
out in the South that her big ship
pers not only were willing to trust
the railroads, but actually resented
any interference with their powers, 1t
seemed to knock the last pin from
beneath the legs of those who were
making the claim of exhorbitant and
discriminating freight rates
Glimmer of Light.
When the News and Observer
printed yesterday the names OF the
directors of the small subsidiary roads
of the Southern Railway-lncludlng
both Mr.. ]. Elwood Cox and Mr.. M.
II. Gone. the brother of Mr.. Caesar
Cone and his business partner, along
with the searching questions of cor
respondent who wanted lthe whole
story and wanted it in detail-there
was a glimmer of light as that which
comes before the full dawn which
now may be felt imminentiy on the
way.
Mysteries, anyway, are for the most
part battling on the surface alone;
and this puzzle as to the change OIL
heart of Mcssrs. Cox and Cone bids
fair to need the services of no "Sher-
lock Holmes" Apparently, it will
be found one Of the things that can
easily be attended to from Scotland
Yard.
AS another ray of light as to the
recent nature OF the emotions pene-
trating the business sagacity Of Mr.. j.
Elwood Cox, it is interesting to OBJ
serve that he did not always snuggle
as at present to the warm heart OF
generous railroad interests, but that
at one time and but a few years ago
he did actually invoke against a
North Carolina railroad the very class
of authority which he now considers
To be so mischievous and dangerous
the Corporation Commission, to-wit:
to force the Seaboard to give him
better rates, and to refund moneys
collected from him under a tariff he
deemed eXcesSiVe-in which endeaVor
il will be interesting to learn, Mr.
Cox was most eminently successful.
Mr.. Brown on Mr.. Cox.
Hearing the rumour of this sort, the
railroad Commission offices were
sought and an interview had with Mr.
H. &. Brown, Clerk to the Commission
both as to the view taken in that quar-
ter of the proposed Federal Jurlsdlc'
ton over the interstate rate question
the attitude taken by Messrs Cone
and Cox, and particularly as to the
complaint to the commission of thy
aforesaid Mr. j. Elwood Cox. VIVA
Mr. Brown said was illuminating il
more than one particular:
First, said ne, II am, and l an
sure each one OF the Corporation Com
missioner is, in favor of such amend
ments of the interstate commerce Law
as will authorize the Interstate Com
merce Commission, on complaint anc
inquiry that any interstate rate is I'M
reasonable or unjust, and after ful
hearing. to ascertain what rate is rea
sonable and just i'll the particular
cases investigated and heard. and or
der the carriers to observe that rate
in the future.
1.-The railroad companies object K
having this power lodged in the com
mission or in any official body, saying
that rates in general are not unreason
ably high but that complaints and in
vestigations relate to particular rates
This being true. then why should the,
object to having some tribunal pas
upon the reaSonableness of thesi
rates? The railroad company is en-
titled TO such proper and needful safe
guards as will assure fair protection o
vested railway interests, but the ship
per and the public are entitled to rea
sonablc rates ample facilities ant
satisfactory service. Public regulation
bv the States has proven to be RICH
and the right and duty of control is ~
longer an open question.
Got Revised Rate and Refund.
Tn this STATE at the time of the pas