Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-06-06
Postum Ridge Reporter Kicks
Against Railroads
PossuM RIDGE. May Is, 19O9.


what manner Of things we read about
now in the meny newspapers They are
mostly about trusts and such. Sinco
Uncle SANS boys rounded up lot Of
Life Insurance" fellows, they've gone
after let of other trusts, and fellows
that were getting rich quick off the
hard earned coins Of the common peo-
pie. The beef trust, the Standard OH
and several other big corporations
have been called In to answer for differ =
emit Irregularities. Now as for the beef
trust, Standard Oil, etc., / have moth
ing to say in regard to them just at
present, later on l may offer my OBJ
jections to their doings but just now l
want to pass in some remarks on the
railroad trusts as they are buzzIng
about oul ears just now. Now In the
first place let me remark that from our
point OF view up here on the Ridge we
think it pretty hard to get anything
like justice for the part OF the common
people when they back up against a
corporation the size of railroad comp
any.
If you recollect some three or four
months ago there was certain bill
up before the General Assembly Of this
State, called the Cburchman Bill, con-
corning a two-cent per mile mileage
ticket on all railroads Ia this State, for
500 and 1000 mile tickets. This bill
passed through the Legislature quick
er than creased lightning would run
off tin roof, and swift on the heels OF
the Churchman bill cane the Booker
resolution, for the two cent fiat rate.
Now these bills, resolutions, ETC., went
over TO a certain commerce, or some
kind of a committee, and since then
the people no brighter than your hum
BILE servant have been very much be-
logged. but as far as we are able to Sc e
the whole thing seems likely to drop
like a wet dish rag on kitchen floor,
and the likelihood is that as far as we
are concerned we will until cur dying
day, go on paying the same rate for
the privilege OF riding few more miles
in dirty, dusty, smoke-begrimed, rail
road car.
At the present day the common peo-
pie can't cut lauch ice without the rail
roads and as that self same trust is we'll
aware Of it they make us fellows pay
the freight both ways. Only one draw
back with the railroad trust:they haven't
quite all gotten together yet and Of
course 50 long as there is competition
there is some hopes for the cOmmOn
people.
Woe be unto Us though if through
mutual consent the whole thing con
solidates. OF course | am willing to
admit that such thing Is not likely to
happen, but it is hard to tell what
might happen. Then instead OF 3, 81
and cents per mile the likelihood is
the rate will be G, or cents per mile.
II you will take the trouble, gentle
reader, to look up the matter, you, l
think, will find out what happened to
Danville, Va, when the Southern sys.
tenn, like an eagle, swooped down
and gobbled up all the railroads in that
city, Danvllle and PittsylVania county
have contributed to its five railroads
(The Va. D., the Rich. Dan. Piedmont
r. r., Dan. & West, and Atlantic Il
DAM something over 100000. Each
railroad company from time to tine
by one way or the other fell Into the
hands OF the Southern system and those
that bought the original stock never
realized a dollar. The Southern com
bine now holds all Of the five railroads.
The city of Danville itself raj sed
something like $36O,0OO in cash for
these various railroads which the
Southern gobbled up and today the
Southern pays taxes on an assessment
OF less than $152. 900, less than half the
amount raised to build these roads by
the good people OF Danville.
But some body may ask didn't this
make freight cheaper, as the Southern
acquired the roads on cheap scalei
Over the left, yes. With the except
ion Of few manufacturing plants In
that city, who by influence have bee
able to get special freight rates the
freight rates on all goods shipped in
or out over the Southern system has
been raised. In the fret place, the
rate on sugar from New Orleans ship
ped over the Southern to Danville is
43c per hundred pounds, whlle the
same car will carry sugar to Lynch
burg merchant GO miles farther and
charge the Lynchburg man 32c per hun
dred, lie per hundred less for the prevl.
!ege OF hauling a hundred pounds Of
sugar sixty six miles. Nearly if not
all rates run just that way. Now why:
can you tell, docs 1t heppeng Simple
enough, Lynchburg has two rivals OF
the Southern, the G. & o.. and the N.
g. w. h. r.. Competition makes cheap
rates. Now 1t isn't for ne to go into
1stail as to the condition Of things at
Danvllle, Sufficient to say that about
95 per cent Of the people are kicking
hard an strong against the Southern,
and they have room to kick, too. /
will allow you, Mr. Editor and Mr..
Reauer, to think about this for a while,
and | will push on another step.
Now suppose the different railroad
systems combined, get together and
fix up general freight rate, a general
passenger tate, and In manner become