The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-10

munica1ion with the Ohio and Mis-
slssippi River gateways. AS Char
lesion is the principal seaport il
South Carolina, your city has eve,
had the united support Of the state
and the legislative enactments o:
Eouth Carolina show that since 1882
it has been the continuous, persistent
and cherished policy Of this state te
establish a railroad from Charleston
through Columbia, over the noun.
tains to the valleys Of the Tennessee
and Ohio rivers. The carrying out OF
! this policy was delayed not only by
the difficulty Of surmounting the pny'
sical obstacles in the way, but, al
so, by the Civil War, which left all
Of our industries PROSTATE and the
railways Of our section almost de-
stroyed. I hope it may yet prove
that the Southern Railway Company,
by the amalgamation into a single
system Of disjointed lines, by the con-
struction of connecting links, and
through projects under way, has
brought about the realization Of the
persistent dream Of Charleston and of
South Carolina Of great highway
connecting your port with the interior
Of the south and with the gateway
Of the west.
I realize that Charleston may not
in the past have obtained the full
benefits that were expected to follow
from the establishment of through rail
communication with the west, and
with the interior Of the state, but
/ hope that the results of a arecent un-
dersanding between the representa-
tives Of the City Of Charleston, un-
der the lead Of an honored member
Of TINS society, your able and ener-
getic mayor, and the representatives
Of the railways, who met, not in a
spirit of antagonism, but mutually
recognizing the interdependence of
their interests, will inure to the ad-
vantage Of Charleston and Of South
Carolina, and, through the advance
ment Of your prosperity, will be
beneficial to the railways. The
course that was followed in this
case is, T believe, the proper one to
be adopted in all cases where ques'
tions arise between communities and
carriers as to transportation rates
or service. In such conferences
where each side has ample opportun'
ity to present its facts and arguments
and to have them considered as pure.
ly business questions, I believe thai
it is almost inevitable tnat an agree.
me1t will be reached which will dc
substatial justice to all the interests
involved and Will be based on sounc
economic principles. In the cases ir
which it may be found impossible tc
reach an agreement in this way, I Dc
not think there is reason for agita
tion which, if carried to extremes
may disturb business and he injurious
to the community, as well as to The
carrier. There are Federal and State
tribunals with full authority to hear
these questions and to settle them in
accordance with the principles of JUS
ice and even-handed impartiality.
It is of the utmost Importance, ]
believe, that, in the consideration of
all questions affecting transporta-
tion, and in the determination of
public policies affecting transporta-
tion agencies, there should be kept
constantly in view the two basic
economic principles that efficiency of
transportation facilities is essential
to- the prosperity Of any community,
and that the prosperity Of the COM
munities served by it is essential to
the prosperity of the carrier. When
these two principles are thoroughly
understood, and are consistently act
ed upon, I am convinced it will be-
found tnat, in every instance, the
ultimate interests, Of the community
and Of the carrier are Identical, This
being true, all that is necessary for
the settlement Of any question is
that the community and the carrier,
in the spirit Of the St. Andrews So
ciety, shall have "a good understand
ing and acquaintance with one al
other" and,' keeping in view the
economic laws which control the sit
uation, shall debate it out until they
reach a conclusion as to the settle