The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-29

OurnaI.
ships his goods to New York, and
other Northern markets and there they
are re-Shipped to his patrons in this
State; the miller cannot enlarge his
plant or deal with the people of his
State except in a narrow confined ter
! ritOry, because he cannot compete with
| the rates given millers i'm other States
! Not q single wholesale house in North
Carolina can deal with the merchants
| save in q like circumscribed territory
! because he is unable to make ship
ments from a North Carolina town as
| cheaply as the same can be shipped
| from a further distance favored by
| the railroads; the retailer is so handi-
| capped that the number of failures in
| this State are above the average be-
cause of the close competition and the
necessity of keeping the various articles
of merchandise at a standard price.
If the retailers of adjoining States sell
| at a lower rate than our merchants
great influx of shoppers will con-
stantly patronize then to the loss of
both the State and the merchants.
The situation is that the retail mer-
| chants of adjoining States obtain a
| legitimate profit on their wares, while
| the North Carolina merchants has to
| compete with his prices, therefore the
advantages given by the freight rates
/ charges to foreign mercantile eStab-
| lishments causes our merchants to
make smaller profits on some articles
and forces him to raise the price on
/ others above that charged by his for
eign competitor. In such cases-and
the same is literally true in most in
stances-the people pay the freight.
Ruins Commerce.
North Carolina cities ought to have
a material advantage in North Caro-
lima over the cities of other States
because they are nearest to the con-
sumner and entitled to that advantage
which their proximity to the trade
should give them. The present rates
makes it impossible for North Caro-
lima cities to trade with other points
) within The State upon profitable
basis because the foreign cities car
deliver the same goods at lower freight
rates, anG hence lower prices. The eff.
: feet of these determinations are mos
injurious. They discourage patron
izing home industries and thus a ma.
jor portion of the commerce is car
ried on without the State; they drive
! away capital and prevent the growth
of commercial and industrial enter
prises.
Should Uphold President.
/, There should be legislation as ad
/ vocated by President Roosevelt. There
' should be no injustice done to the
railroads and exact justice should b,
: given the public The power Of cor
porations, no less than that of indi
viduals, must be restrained otherwiSG
l petition is naturally the best of al
| ractraintc If if ran ho 1ltiIiZp6 tn com
! pei fair dealings toward those who ar,
dependent on the railroads. In the
2 absence of competition, it is eSSenta
: that the public shall control thes,
vast corporations through the govern
? ment, otherwise they become greater
: instruments of oppression.
An Excessive Burden.
Il Excessive freight rates constitute:
the greatest burden that beSetS the
commercial and Industrial interests u
North Carolina. They are an incubus
E fastened upon every industry in the
, State, restricting business, lessenine
!, profits and increasing the cost to the
, | consumer.
: The Limit Reached.
There is a limit to even the power
of monopoly and the patience of the
) people will not endure forever. There
|
them. The people of North Carolina
have rights which sooner or later must
be recognized. They are entitled tC
fair treatment and reasonable freight
rates. and the fight will inevitably be-
gin for these reasonable demands and
will continue as long as there are laws
to invoke or courts to appeal to. SEN
timent for rates regulation is almost
unanimous throughout the State. The
Il I0rr
in the hands of the people and this
power is thoroughly aroused to CON-
nand nothing less than exact justice
The people of the State are determ-
ined to have as fair treatment as is
given elsewhere. They do not seek ad-
; vantag but they demand justice, and
they will have it.
The Opposition.
1t is also significant that the force
of the opposition to rate regulation
should be intrusted to one man. This
, man is Southerner and is one of the
ablest railway officials in the United
States. He is Mr.. Samuel Spencer
president of the Southern Railway
However, it could hardly be believed
{ that Mr.. Spencer would be chosen n.
, spokesman of all the railroads were
it not for the fact, that the Interests
under his control would be more large.
ly affected by rate regulation IT is
wei! known that the States most con
cerned in this question are those il
the South and the Northwest. The dis
criminations in the South are even
greater thar elsewhere while in Nortl
Carolina the determinations are great
er than are to be found in any other
State. South Carolina however, main
tains only a slight advantage ove1
North Carolina.
The opposition is no small factor The
railroads have long been the balance
of power in the politics of the South
| They are thoroughly organized arc
! are directed by able. shreWd. ant
! competent political counsel. The fail
ure of many competent men to reacl
the goal of their political ambition
: is too often due to- the fact that the.
Z were defeated by the railroads
Back to The People.
How long will the people OF TN
III Continued on Page Two.)