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

North Carolina complaining to this pa
per that the Southern Railway is in
juring his business by failure to fur
nish cars. by delays high charges and
the like. When requested to write a
communication detailing the wrongs,
the answer nearly always is: eff
were to do that, it would injure my
business. The Southern would punish
me by even greater delays and l can
not afford to get that road down on
me. 1 am at it's mercy"
Think of it, citizens of North Caro-
lima, of whose people Bancroft said
"they are the freest of the free
afraid to demand their rights for fear
they will be destroyed by the trans
portation trust that holds the enter
prise of large section of North Caro-
lima in such vassalage that no com
plant is whispered until it becomes
unendurable! In the report of the in
vestigation at Winston-Salem, the
Winston Sentinel has the following:
THE Twin-City Wood Company
cited that one car load of wood load
ed at Tobaccoville on the 23rd inst,
had not arrived yet. We put in q
bill for 81 last year for demurrage and
have not heard from it yet, said Mr..
Turner, who added that L was told
that if we kicked too much the South
ern would take up our side-track.'
Mr.. J. J. Norman, a wholesale mer-
chant, testified that he had lost trade
by delays i'm the shipment of perish
able goods" and declared he would be
forced to go out Of business unless
there was Improvement. He also COM
planned of "discourteous treatment on
the part of Southern employees"
But neither of these men said a
word until the wrongs had grown so
great that they must speak or see
their property confiscated. Mr.. Turner
had been told "if we kick too much
the Southern would take up its side
track" That shows the opinion of
shippers of the rule or ruin policy that
dominates the Southern Railway in
North Carolina. and that opinion
would not be entertained if there were
not good grounds for men believing it.
1t accounts for the silence of many
business men who know they are
wronged. but they are afraid to de-
mand what is right for fear their side
track will be removed or they will
suffer loss in some other way. Must
the people of North Carolina pay two
prices for freight, and be held in fear
insulted, and denied their rights by
a corporation that spends more money
in corrupting politics and legislation
than in serving its patrons? Here is
another instance of how manufacture
ers in North Carolina lost trade be-
cause the Southern is looking after
long hauls and sacrificing its local
business to cater to Interstate trade.
The Sentinel says:
"Mr. Frank c. Vogler, of A. c.
Vogler & Son, said that he had been
forced to buy goods in Baltimore and
Richmond when he preferred to make
the purchases from concern in Bur-
lington. The long time required to
get freight from the latter place was
causing the house there to lose bust
ness. Mr.. Vogler stated that he had
had freight held on the lower end
of the yard here for three days
Do the Burlington manufacturers
appreciate such discrimination against
them by the only railroad that reach
es that progressive town? Are its
manufacturers kept dumb through CO.
ercion-the fear of the removal OF
their side-tracks or other greater in
Jury to their business than the loss OF
their trade in North Carolina towns
How much longer will the people
of this State submit to such discrimi-
nations and wrongs? How long will
other towns be silent while Mr.. j. Ell
wood Cox and Mr.. Cone-both totine
Southern Railway passes-tell the
country that North Carolina wishes
no railroad regulation?
One year ago High Point was say
ing nothing and the Southern was Civ
ing it's manufacturers taffy. few
month ago. threatened with inn
Imense loss, because its appeals We're
Iunheeded, High Point had to appeal
to the Corporation Commission before
| ii got a measure of justice and relief
/ its business is injured and its future
ljeopardized 1t could get no satisfac-
ton until it appealed to the Corpora
ton Commission. Now there are
promises n plenty, but We advise the
Winston Salem people not to trust in
promises but TO trust in the laws and
demand that the Corporation Com
mission enforce them. The time TO be
put to sleep by promises is past What
the people should demand is perform-
ance. Fair promises butter no
parsnips.''
| After the formal complaint was
made by the Corporation Commission
Mr.. Coapman, the superintendent of
the Southern Railway, said: Il am
not here to make excuses. That we
have been derelict is admitted That
statement makes the Southern Rail
way liable for the losses sustained by
the manufacturers and business men
of Winston Salem. 1t shows a neglect
| of their interests that is without eX-
cOSa and the SOutha Railway and