The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-03
informal Hearing Before
Senate Committee.
PAGE VS.. N. AND O.
He Declares That a Paper mich Has
Grown From Two to Ten Thousand
Subscribers Ought Not to Mind
Nine Million Increase in Pas
Senger Returns.

senger Returns.
The railroad men sharp-featured
youngish, experienced looking mel
with the nervous and worldy-Wise
look of their breed, dressed in snug
| lifting sack suits and smoking large
black, rakish looking cigars were the
| central attraction at the rooms of the
orporation Commission yesterday af-
ternoon, brought together by the sup
posed session of the committees OF
| the House and the Senate on the ques-
| ton of the several bills introduced in
! the General Assembly with reference
| 10 the regulation of railroad rates.
There was trouble in getting a
quorum of the members of the House
and there We're several propositions &c
| postpone the meeting, but as some OF
| the visiting railroad men desired to
teave the city, it was decided finally
| to hear the matter before the Senate
| Committee, which was on hand by APP
| pointment, it being agreed that the
ommittee would take no action def
aitely on the bills.
While the matter of postponement
Or informal hearing was under con-
slderation the members of the House
Committee in attendance arose in a
body and left the rooms, the Sena-
! tors present some of. them inclining
TO resent the action, and deciding to
90 ahead with the hearing regardless
Of the House.
After the departure OF the represent
tatives several of the railroad men in
attendance were recognized and spoke
at some length on the matter of the
TWO bills before the Legislature, both
If which contemplate the reduction
IF railroad fares to one class, one pro-
vidins that the one rate shall be three
cents per mile instead of three and
one-quarter cents as at present and
he other that the one uniform rate of
transportation shall be two and three
quarter cents per mile, that beng the
present price of a second class passage
within the state.
Jumped on the News and Observer
The railroad men III attendance con-
stituted q brilliant company, includ-
.ng Messrs. G. Il. Ryan, of the s. A. T.;
w. j. Craige, of the A. G. L.; Messrs.
Hutchings, Potter and Pruden, repre-
5enting the Norfolk and Southern; Mr.
II. A. Page, of the Aberdeen and Ashe-
ooro; j. NJ Turner of the Raleigh
md Cape Fear: Irwin, of the Caro-
ina and Northwestern; L. T. Nichols
Of the same road; w l.. Christian of
the S. r. L.; Major Guthrie of the
Norfolk ana Western; j. A. Mills, of
the Raleigh and Cape Fear. and IL w
Miller, of the Southern.
OF the several speeches made the
prevailing argument was that by rea-
son of the lack of density of pOpula-
lion to the square mile in the State,
j reduction in passenger rates would
De unjust to the railroads and that
The passenger business conducted by
them was now run at q loss. Other
States We're cited as proof OF this con-
tention and a mass of statistics ad-
iuCed to show that North Carolina
nad Yer little il any. higher pas
Senger rates than the majority of
Northern States. Some of the speak
erS, all of whom agreed that the adj
yantages of one fare would compensate
n the reduction of necessary equip
ment for the loss attendant upon the
change of the first class passage from
hree and one-quarter to three cents
declared that the placing of the fare
IN the uniform basis of the present
second class passage would be ruinous
20 the interests of the road
These speeches while interesting
we're prosaic in that they were the ex-
oected. 1t remained for Mr.. Henry
Page, nearly at the end of the discus
sion. to spring a new argument, that
being that the clamor for the reduc-
ZION of the fares came from the one
quarter of the News and Observer. Mr..
Page declared that the paper was in
consistent in that it had grown in ten
years from one or two thousand sub
scribers to over ten thousand and that
1T was the father of the movement
which oppressed the railroads
On the idea that their receipts had
increased from passenger fares some
two or three hundred per cent, the
News and Observer, he declared, had
not reduced the price of it's subscrip-
tlon and should not, therefore be
heard to COMPLAIN that railroads did
not reduce the cost of travel
y Joyous Argument.
Mr. Pages speech was as usual
Joy. tle has in the first place a
speaking presence. His face is the
mold of an earnest seriousness that is
utterly charming. His grey eyes are
deep set and clear and the lines of
his crooked mouth seem fraught with
the burden OF the sins of the world, of
which one feels that Mr.. Page has
been compelled in the progress of
sure-footed and correct walk TO take
Sad-some cognizance. When from
THIS demeanor of the mourners' bench
there come forth the attractive epi-
grams of slow-spoken wit and the ex-
preston of unique phrases, the effect
IS at once surprising and delightful.
Mr.. Page is that best of orators, one
who uses his platform presence and
the suggested modesty of his delivery
as foil to his abilities as a SPELL
binder. The trap of Mr.. Pages die
ton is a thing that is as cunning as
the jungle snare set for the ways of
an elephant. He aims always at big
game and he measures his adroftness
oy his approach. This paper has
locked horns with him before and has
stood by his side in the trench. He
fights with sober directness that
makes him valuable acquisition to
any cause. And when he has been
thrown. as has happened in more
than one campaign, he can be de-
pended upou at least to leave in the
hide of his enemy the arrow of his
wit In attacking the News and OBJ
server, Mr.. Page made two great
mistakes First, the paper is not the
sole clamorer for reduced rates, all
though it will plead guilty to being
the chief. il not the only, voice TO
espouse the cause of the thousands
who demand them, and II has not in
the days of increased cost of living