The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-12
President Of Southern Says Rail-
roads and Press Are Civilian
tiol1's Greatest Agencies.
JACOB R0s AND GRAVES.
Preside, Friend and the at,
lanta Editor Also Among
Speakers.

Vsollob tllef@ annual auurcSSe OTbprcS1uent
J E.}S J,ink1n, whichwos full oflnterest,
and speeches Jacob T2iis OF New York,
und j ohn Temple Graves. editor Of the
Atlanta Georgian and News. MIR. Riffs,
WHO Is a personal friend OF President
tltoo sevelt, discussed education and tho
value OF good citizenship. Ais view
was most optimistic. Mr.. Graves
spoke on the power Of the press and
tho necessity OF maintaining its indo-
pendence. Both addresses were OK
cellent.
Tho association accepted an invita-
ton to attend reception ut the ILL.,
nois Building at o'clock this utter
noon. ss5
Address by Mr.. Finley.
The National Association and the
| Virginia Press Association both I'D
journed their business sessions early
| and met Jointly to hear an address by
President w. W. Finley, OF the South
ern Railway who spoke by special In
| vitation. 4.
Mr.. Finley referred to the newspaper
full agencies for the social and material
Development Of the country and to the
desirnbility that they. should. work
harnonionsly together for the adyanee
arc located. After referring to the
duty of the railways to give all proper
Information frankly and freely to the
newspapers and OF the newspapers to
base their criticism. Mr.. Flnle/ said:
Editorial criticism. when based on
q lear understanding Of all the facts
involved and when written in spirit
Of fairness. may be helpful to the
railway and sh ould never be resented
ny the railway manager who has u
proper appreciation Of his duty to the
public, as well as to the railway. In
fact, in this country. where Legislation
affecting railway interests IS based
50 largely on public opinion, which
ing prosperity Of the railways must
depend in no small degree upon merit
ing and receiving your suport: II
you advocate policies that result in
way income and impairing railway
credit, the Inevitable result must be
that tho railways will find 1t di1l
cult, II not possible, to secure from
extension and Improvement Of thor
lines. On tho other hand. If you id
yocate policies that are economically
sound and that recognize the ight OF
tho railways to Just and fair treat
ment there is little danger Of the
enactment Of legislation that will be
unjust Ito them, and that will react
Mr.. Finley, after suggesting that the
editors should look at railway guess
lions from the viewpoint Of the rail-
way manager and consider his diff
Of the day. declaring that the most
difficult problem confronting the rail-
way, manager, and especially the man
/ agertof a railway In the Southern
States, is that of providing facilities
~ increasing volume Of traffic that Is
offered to his road. If Southern pro-
i gross was to, continue, said he, facili-
tiles tiles would have to be largely in
Finley quoted from President Roose-
velt's Indianapolis speech his emphatic
4 declaration that Tile great need of the
hour was additional transportation
ia. ilities. lndorslng this. Mr.. Finley
said:
THE need of the hour. as the Pres.
ieent has stated 1T, Is the need for bet
ter transportation facilities. The
facilities 70 lie provided SO as to meet
the Immediate emergencies that are
4 pressing upon us tbs q question that
is daily confronting tho railway man
conditions III Csc locality after another
that are calling imperatively for i'm
i provcments ana additional facilities. to
provide which large amounts OF now
tiles cannot be produced by the touch
OF q ilasir.an's wand. They cannot be
provided by destructive criticism Of the
railway system Of tho country
! Az to capitalization.
i Referring toatho discussion Of alleged
overcapitalznt1on Of railways. Mr.. Fin
! ley quoted President Roosevelts de-
claration that there had been "muct
! wild talk as to the extent Of the over.
capitalization of our railroads." HI
, showed that neither railway charges
nor newspaper advertising charge!
could be based on capitalization or an,
other arbitrary basis, and pointed gu
the striking analogy between railwa,
freight rates and advertising rates.
!. Mr. Finley said he believed that
} study Of tho problems confronting rail
way managers and their difficultie
/. would lead the editors to arrive a
conclusions favorable to constructive
policies that would protect the proport.
rights Of Investors In railway securi
ties and establish the credit of trans
portation companies and enable then
:, to expand their facilities to meet tn
= demands Of American commerce.
= In conclusion, he said: This Is nj
! time for propagandas of destruction
0 1t is a time for building up rather thai
9 tearing down. The continued pros
q perity Of the American people mus
be based on commercial expansion an
r not on contraction. It Is time for tn
:, American people to unite In suppor
t OF policies Of construction and to worl
together for the upbuilding OF our con,