The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-12

/ pass law as a product of the Fusion
Legislature. and as a law which i'm
properly interfereS with the tranSac-
ton of private business between the
newspapers and the railroads. Neither
of those statements is correct.
1.-The prohibition against free passes
! is found in section of the Railroad
Commission Act, passed by the Demo
cratic Legislature of 1891. This sec
ton was not enforced, however. until
| February, 1898, when Mr.. J.. c. Cald-
well, of Statesville, was chairman OF
| the Railroad Commission. On the
23rd of February of that year (see
report of commission for 1889 an or
der was issued enforcino section q.
At that time not only ma editors.
but about every public official from
| the Governor down, had a pocket full
of passes, and in consequence of the
order there was a disgorging. We say
| here the order was proper and right.
If it was not the Railroad Commits
sion could rescind 1t, which it has not
done.
Section 4 of the Commission Act
was construed to prevent railroads
giving passes to editors of newspapers
but it did not prevent editors MAX
ing contracts with railroads for trans
pOrtation. IN fact it opened the way
for that very thing and as we see It,
put the newspaper transportation mat
ter on a proper and just basis. Since
then if the railroads want to advertise
in the papers-and we think they do
advertise in about all of them--a con-
tract is made with the paper for so
much space at an agreed price. Then.
in lieu of cash. mileage books to the
amount of the cost of the ad. are
given in payment. On this basis, as
we see it. the editor is independent.
When the mileage is issued TO him it
is his and he can use it while the
contract for which it pays stands. He
IS under obligations to nobody.
Under the system which existed
prior to the order of 1893. and the
system which it Is sought to re-enact
is we understand it, no contracts were
made (these facts are from Informal
ton, for The Landmark has not toted
4 pass) but the railroads issued passes
10 the editors and in turn the editors
we're expected to publish rates or such
other matter as the railroads desired
published. There was no specification
IS to amount of work to be done III
return for the pass and the matter
vas not therefore on any business
basis The railroad people considered
hat they We're giving the editor
favor, a courtes'' when pass was is
sued, and in return he was expected
sometimes these favors might take the
form that an editor would not appre-
ciate, but as the roads considered him
under obligation to them his pass was
liable to be called in if his song didn't
suit them We have heard of in
stances where this was done when the
editor said something the railroad
management didn't appreciate. We
.ecall on one occasion a railroad SUI
"a m Sf9fpSVillp
all in The Landmarks pass just after
his paper had submitted some re-
marks about his management of the
road Eut the superintendent was Sc
Jack when he found this paper had
10 pass and was in position to say
What il pleased.
Now these are the two systems.
Tor the life of us we can't under
stand why anybody would want to
hauge from the contract mileage
basis to the free pass basis which
places them in a position to be sub
jected to somebody's orders. Some
sditors profess that they can't see any
difference, but 10 us the difference i
very great.
"Thc Landmark isn't concerned
bout itself in this matter Whenever
I can't do business with the railroads
IN an Independent basis IL will do
10 business with them. 1t can easily
let along without them. Neither is
his paper condemning its brethren
We think they are mistaken. Th'
Landmark doesn't think an editor is
entitled to special rates or concessions
my more than any other business
nan aud this paper doesn't ask for
hem and doesn't want them. Let the
editor put his paper on an independ
ent business basis. demard pay for
What he does and pay for what he
rets. It's the only way TO do bust
less: the only way to be independent
THE Landmark is opposed to the
free pass system for anybody. II
links public officials should not
nave them. 1t would not want a case
which it was interested on one side
md The railroad on the other tried
before a judge with a pass in his
pocket. But if the railroads are to is
sue passes to editors why not to every
body? Lay down the bars and let the
Dads give passes to everybody they
hink they can use--and that's what
hey give passes for"
You viii hear something now around
legislative quarters. Representative
Ainbornc has introduced Il bill to pu
/ tax of 81 per dead on dogs He "il
De cuSsed from one end of the State tt
he other (by dog owners only) but l.
,ble to bear it. He is on the RICH
rail ana if he trees his bill there
ought to be a monument erected tC
mis- honor.--Greenville Reflector,
A bill has been introduced ito cause
railroad companies to deliver freigh
% consignee within q reasonable time
Il may be ell right for poet to chase
the "unattainable" but legislator
ought to have more "gump." Freigh,
s one of the things a man agrees to
wait on when he is presented with
the breath of life.--Carthage Blade.