Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-20
RAILROADS

I PRESIDENT FINLEY, AT ATLANTA,
PRESENTS RAILWAYS SIDE
OF CASE
Associated Press to Bismarck Tribune. ISL
ATLANTA, Ca, March / -
At the annual dinner Of the At
lanta Chamber Of Commerce to-
night President w. w Finley, of
the Southern Railway, who was one
OF the principal speakers, devoted
his remarks entirely to the relations
between the railroads on the one
hand and the people and the state
and national governments on the
other. Without referring to any
specific action by congress or the
state legislatures. Mr.. Finley indi-
Gated his belief that the present trend
OF legislation endangers the pros
Iperity Of the railroads and Of the
4 country alike. VI
Mr.. Finley said It had always been
the desire Of the railroads to main
tain cordial relations with the people.
along their lines and that the railways
must cultivate the good will and CO..
operation Of the public by the adop-
ton and PRONUNCIATION Of economic
ally and commercially sound prin-
lciples In the conduct Of their business
Mr.. Finley reviewed the progress Of
the South and said that its pressing
need today Is for better and more
defensive transportation facilities.
IT the railways are to secure the
large amounts Of new capital re-
quired to enable them to meet the
| rapidly increasing demands for their
services" he said, their credit must
| be such as to assure investors Of a
reasonable return upon their money.
The South now has rates that enable
Southern producers to market their
Eproducts in widely separated home
land foreign markets on such terms
that they can compete successfully
with similar products from other
localities, but it has not the means
OF moving those products to market
as promptly as is desirable. Every
shipper wants lower rates. But
/ when rates are so low as to enable
him to reach competitors, prompt
and eficient service becomes OF
more Importance than rate reduction.
The imperative need Of the South
today is improved transportation
fservice. I am sure that the business
men Of this section will agree with
. me that improved facilities are more
i urgently needed than any reduction
| In charges
After referring to the public aid
Igiven to railroad construction in the
| early days Mr.. Finley said the grea
q need In the economic situation II
the South. today is that the entire
people Of that section should realize
4 that the period Of railroad construc
q ton has not passed and now there
a Is as much need of encouragement
mot financial bur Of the moral favor
and support Of the public as ever
While approving the policy Of
| improving rivers and harbors at
public expense Mr.. Finley contrasted
i the attitude Of the public towards
carriers by water and rail, pointing
| out that the former pays nothing for
i its highway; that it is maintained
i and improved at public expense
while the carrier by rail must con
struct its own highway, must pay
heavy taxes and is subjected to in
fcreasing governmental supervision
land regulation. He urged popular
understanding of the fact that rail
transportation is more important
than water transportation, expressing
the belief that when the interde-
Ipendence Of the railways and the
people is understood, the people will
be as reluctant to place obstacles In
the way Of railway improvement as
Ithey would be to oppose the improve
ment Of waterways.
4 Expressing the belief that ''there
Is danger that legislation intended to
/ regulate railways may prove to be
an obstacle to their extension and
development and may tend to make
worse, instead Of better, the condi-
lions sought to be remedied, Mr..
4 Finley cited as an illustration legis-
lation proposing to impose penalties
/ for failure to supply cars or to per.
form other services. without regard
to whether such failure is the result
Of wilful negligence. He pointed out
that the present demand for cars is
beyond the capacity Of the railways