The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-05

sr. Iauehinel house Nurmur~ Mater
SIR. Iaughfnghou~s hrak. gno the
dis. u@slsn u say that y appeared that
railroads had mad = aas 0au MI n
North carolina ana that that -afn
@a~ about tn aFnttan * taxes ftr~s
- bv the STATE from aII sources
II e@.fa<d to hiru thar the r4f roads
ought u <" along 90 hat i c,~t -
run the state government
Judge Wowack ana others started
an Investigation Itta the Corporation
Commission reports ~ this mi Jude-
WAITS went %. ~ afterNsri- appear
ing tnat The mel reported nue nut lu-
| elusive Of fixed chang
"What are fixed eharg--1 1~euafI-
81 Mi. Laughingt1uSs.
Judge WATTS explained that th.
included iut"efs III bonds ste
water" murruurei Mr. Laughing
house.
Judg, watts resented th- impllcu-
ton. going on III give fact~ a. t8 ts-
sen board capitalization. spying mat
with the exception n the Atlantic
Coast Line h vas the lowest ~ ans
one of IL class ~ Dads. There l~
no water In the S,ab9ard he S.tld.
1t j. a stronger Iiqult.
i;uin ar Federal u~urpatinn.
"Ther IS nothing moro assurcd
declared Judgc Watt. than thut II
the states continue as proposed and
lass legislation aimed Ill railroads the
Federal government Nlii take over en-
tire control and with that assumption
Will pass the, last Eesiigc 81 What We
are pleased 10 term states lights
he referred - recent decisions tn the
Wisconsin case. In the Texas case. in
the cas-" in Virginia and stated that
this conflict Of authority. this burden
IF legislation WAS tending inevitably
towards Federal control ol- the alter
Il ff3fiNs# of q nYnlc. which u..ttfa Ia. ruin
10 all interests OF whatsoever sort.
He followed at some length Mr..
/ Finley's argument about reducing
credit Of the railroads and thus pre-
venting them from making provision
for facilities. Are you going 10 XIII
the goose that laid the golden egg
As to penGfty statutes Judge Watts
| also c~ontended as his predecessors had
done for a change in the law fitting
the ~ecoytry 70 the damage sustained
and citing instances If heavy rrcoy-
cry on small shipments as tending TO
show the injustice OF the present laws.
The effect of compelling roads 10 di-
vert cars intended for interstate
traffic to intra-state trafic To avoid
penalties, could, H. said. result only
in disaster.
He also touched upon the advocacy
Of the law making employees respon-
Sible for their negligence and stated
that ne bad no objection to the pas
sage Of the law restricting the hours
Of labor. that the SeabOard did not
believe in long hours and it was
against its policy and its rules.
"F0rGct It," Says Judge Watts.
1t was tins. said Judge Watts. for
the railroads and people to get to-
gether, and, IF there had been mis-
takes. to forget them" 1t was far
better. he said. to require efficient ser
vice than reductions. A reduction IN
rates could only come at the cost of
public comfort if not of public safe
ty. 1t would benefit only a few pco-
pie comparatively. If it passed. I'll
excursion rates would nave to be
abolished.
At the conclusion Of Judge Watt.
address he was asked Il number of
questions by Mr.. Justice, h sought
to get Judge Watts to admit that his
general opposition to any reduction
was based upon the idea that there
ought not to be d reduction on tn"
North Carolina Railroad, with net
earnings Of over $4,000 a mile. be-
cause such reduction might indirectly
affect the Seaboard.
Mr.. Justice Inquisitivc.
Asked Mr.. Justice:
Your opposition is to any educ
ton on n r~ailrOad?"
Judge Watts: Don't you know
that if the southern and the A. G. L.
reduces rates the S~eaboard has got
to? The people are going to the road
that has the cheapest rate. That is
something that neither the Legisla-
ture nor the courts can regulate. You
can't put the S. A. L. in a class where
it ont have to adopt the same rate
as other roads to competitive points,
Mr.. Justice: The southern hallway
made on the North Carolina Railroad
| 81, 900, 900, net. 1t owns no stock. on
the stock OF the road it pays I per
cent or $3.50, 900. There is left over
$500, 900 net. If the State thinks tho
Southern Railway is getting too much,
ought not the rates to be reduced?'
Judge Watts: 1T would be a great
hardship, ruin to the Seaboard. II
the State made 4 contract with T.
| Southern it ought to live uD to it. The
~Seaboard tried mighty hard to lease
the North Carolina Railroad
Mr.. Jusice: You object because it
would Indirectly affect the S~eaboard"'
Judge Watts: You may put it that
way if you want to-
Mr.. Justice: d you know that it
is a fact that the Southern Railway
gets more returns from the North
Carolina railroad per mile in passen-
ger fares than from any other of its
| lnes?'
Judge Watts: 4 don't think We
all ought TO be destroyed because the
State has made a bad bargain"
Mr.. Justice: You and the At
| lantlc coast Inc make $1,3OO per
| mile on passengers. The southern
makes on the North Carolina road
over $4,000 per mile. 1t made four
| times as much as YOU. Do you think
it just TO the people that it should
be allowed to charge the same as the
other roads
Judge Womack: = would suggest
to Judge Watts to ask the Speaker
whether it is just to destroy all rail
roads because of earnings on one di-
vision of the southern railway
Judge Watts to Judge Womack Il
am here to answer questions, not to
ask them"
Judge Watts. however. managed to
ak very interestingly for five min
uteS longer without making any fur
ther answer and Mr.. Justice finally
gave it uo.
..Gentlcmen's Agreements
AS to the letter of ex-President Barr
TO the secretary of the Greensboro
Chamber of Commerce relative TO the
Seaboard building TO Greensboro.
Judge Watts stated that he was glad
of the opportunity of saying that
in his opinion Mr.. Barr had not meant
to imply that any threat had been
made against the by the