Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-23
FINLEY ASKS FAIR DEAL
PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN
MAKES STRONG PLEA.
The Development Of South Depends
Upon the Railroads, He
Declares.

W. w. Finley OF the Southern Railway
Company was one Of the principal speakers
at a banquet here last night After refer
ring to the Importance Of the Mississippi
river to the city of Memphis. and declaring
that he was in favor Of most liberal pol
icy of river and harbor improvement. Mr.
Finley said:
All that I ask for the railroads Is fair
play and the same active and aggressive
public interest in their welfare that is
manifested In behalf of water transporta-
ton and all other business enterprises con-
tributing to the growth and prosperity Of
the country. You are striving constantly
to locate new Industries and new business
establishments In your thriving city. You
assure them perfect liberty to develop their
business to the utmost and to assist in
building up this community under the pro-
lection Of just and fair laws. The railways
ask no more: they are entitled to no less.
They rely upon the sense of right and JUS
ttce of the American people to assure them
this fair treatment
In some of the states, owing perhaps to
failure to understand the true relations
OF the railways to the business of their
communities and the identity of interests
between the public and the roads. there is
a tendency to regard the railways as differ
ent from all other business undertakings
and as the propore objects of burdenSome
restriction rather than Of helpful encour-
agement. This tendency is being manifest
ed In legislation that would universally be
recognized as destructive IL applied to any
other business. 1t has been carried to
such lengths that thoughtful business men
who recognize the Importance of efficient
transportation agencies to the success of
their own business may well consider what
are to be the final results.
May Destroy Properties.
lis antagonsm to railways to be carried
to the point that will destroy the properties
or only to the point that will cripple them?
What will be the inevitable effect on the
general prosperity of the country of either
Of these degrees of destruction? These are
questions that every business man should
ask himself and that he should PROFOUND
to those responsible for enacting and exc
cutting legislation. If these questions are
answered without prejudice it will be found
that in every case. legislation that goes
farther than proper regulation cripples
every business interest along the lines of
the railways affected as surely as it cripples
the railways themselves
Mr.. Finley pointed out the unwisdom of
Gripping the power Of the railways to i'm
prove their service at time when in
creased transportation facilities are urgent
1y needed. He approved such regulation
Of carriers is necessary to prevent dis
elimination and unreasonable charges, but
said that legislation going beyond this and
becoming destructive should be condemned
in the interests of the public. as well as of
the railways. He quoted Chairman Knapp
of the interstate commerce commission, as
to the effect of the hostile attitude of the
states on railway development, and as ex-
pressing the opinion that much of the state
legislation was unconstitutional. He OPP
posed it because it was economically
sound. and would hamper railroad and
business development, and said:
Public Policies.
eff you will look into this matter
thoughtfully 1 think you will agree with
me that every business man should be an
active, militant advocate Of such public
policies will allow the strong and
healthy growth of the railway systems of
the country. and that he should be an &C
tive opponent of everything passing the
bounds of reasonable and proper regulation
that would tend to retard such growth"
Contending that the future growth of the
south depended, in large measure on the
attitude of southern communities toward
railway development, Mr.. Finley said:
II cannot conceive that the people of any
locality should deliberately favor policy
that would restrict Investments, but bust
ness men will not put their money in any
locality unless they are assured that its
transportation agencies are strong enough
and prosperous enough to expand their
service with the growth of business. Since
the construction of railways first began
they have ever been the forerunners of In
vestments. In this day, in localities al
ready supplied with railways, further in
vestments depend on the assurance of the
adequacy of railway facilities. For these
reasons southern industrial development
and southern railway development must go
hand In hand, in the future, as they have
In the past. Stif1e or restrict railway de-
velopment in any section, and the inevitable
result will be to stifie or restrict all indus
trial progress and material advancement in
that section.
II think that no one who studies the sub
ject carefully and without prejudice can
differ with me in the conclusions that the
interests of a railway and of the DeODle
depending upon it for transportation are
identical. and that, while the public in
entitled to the best service that the railway
can give, the railway is equally entitled to
just and fair treatment at the hands of the
public. think that it must also be as
clear to the business men of the south
it Is to me that. If the railways of this
ton are to increase their efficiency as
transportation agencies and as allies with
southern communities for southern devel-
opment, they must spend large sums of
money within the next few years. The
practical question that confronts the rail-
way managers of the south is: How is
this money to be obtained?' This is not
only a vital question for the railways. but
1t Is also vital question for the southern
people"
Railway Income.
Mr.. Finley pointed out the utter made
quacy of railway income to provide funds
for betterments and extensions, show
ing that il every dollar of the net income
of the Southern railway from its organza
ton had been used for this purpose 1t would
have amounted to only about $500 per
mile, whereas the road has actually spent,
or contracted to spend. for capitalized bet
terments and improvements. more than
100000 or within a fraction of $4,000
per mile on its present mileage. He showed
that adequate funds could be obtained only
by borrowing, and that every attack on the
earning power OF a railway through legs-
lation reducing arbitrarily its charges or
imposing orerous and restrictive condi-
lions on it's operation Is attack its
ability to maintain and improve its service
and reacts on those 1t is intended to bene-
fit.
Mr.. Finley referred to propositions to re-
duce passenger fares in the southern states
as an illustration of the character of leg
islation that crpples the ability of rail-
way to perform service and improve its
facilities. He showed that passenger rates
that might be profitable in states with
dense population and heavy passenger
traffic. like Massachusetts, New York
Ohio, would be impossible in states like
Tennessee and Mississippi, where the popu-
lation is so sparse that heavy traffic cannot
be built up at any rates. He contended
that all laws imposing penalties rail-
ways for failure to perform impossible
services We're iniUical both to the RAILWAYS