The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-11
Other Cities Are Giving
Greensboro Support.
THE CAUSE OF ALL

T., ,<DREU JoYNFR

~ G'At-a al ana E4fAt lf4ffEtNT Doing
manifested al over The state IN the
suit gently instituted - tn. cham
Der Ct Commerce Of the CITY II Greens
borD against The Southern Railway AMI
the Norfolk and Western Railroad in
the interest 81 obtaining an equitable
rate - frelght from points North and
East ~ Greensboro and from Green's
horo t. points on the Southern Rail-
road and the Norfolk and Western and
other state roads. Secretary kuvken-
dall. Of the Chamber OF Commerce. is
receiving every day Endorsement from
boards Of trade and merchants asso-
Citations in every direction, even from
outside the state.
Another matter which is arouSing
interest IS that of the Carriers liability
clause Of tEe rate Law. known as Sec
ton 20. SnCaking II this today. Sec
rotary k~uykendaIl said.
1t Is highly essential to the interest
of the shippers Of North Carolina that
every shipper. juhber and other citizen
interested in receiving and shipDiag Of
freight should Join in this action. as
IL means more for North Carolina than
probably any suit which has been in
stituted along this line. There was a
suit instituted with the Corporation
Commission at Raleigh where the
railroads maintained that where loss
Was sustained hv shippers that said
lose must be borne by the carrier ac-
tua1lE responsible for the loss. The
Corporation commission at their hear
ing in Raleigh decided that the rail-
roads should be the loser. whcreuDon
the railroads carried the matter to the
Interstate Commerce Commission
which meets in Washington. d. C..
June 18th 1907. The Interstate Com
merce Commission has called q meet
ing to be held at Washington on that
date and it now rests with the shippers
of the South to support the decision
recently rendered in order to make it
binding.
From time TO time. there has been
considerable interest taken Dy certain
shippers looking toward the obtaining
of better freight rates, but never has
there been a time when a general de-
mand by all the large shippers of the
state was being made and a more
unanimous action taken for these
shippers recognize the fact that there
can never be in North Carolina any
great enterprise built up unless some
relief from the railroads is obtained
and the more unanimity of action
there is taken. che sooner will relief
be had.
Test Eases Settled.
The New Work Parker says that
III the decisionTecently made at Wash
ington. ID. c.. yne p3wer of the inter-
state Commerce. Commission to fix
railroad rates and the constitutionaIity
Of the railroad rite law were both af-
firmed by the sApreme Court in the
most important decision vet rendered
respecting c~ontrof of interstate com
merce Dy the Federal Government.
Neither of these questions was direct
ly at issue in the litigation Just deter
mined, but the effect of the courts
action IS 20 ~ernCye all doubt concern
ing the rate making powers of the
government and tho entire cOnstitu-
~tionality of the law which ~confers that
power upon the Interstate Commerce
Commission
"A Grim of lumber dealers in Geor-
gia appealed TO the Interstate Com
merce Commission against an increase
of two cents per hundred feet in the
rate on lumber from Georgia to the
Ohio river of the Southern Railway.
The Commission decided the increase
to be unjust and unreasonable. and or
dered the railroad not to collect it.
The railroad tool the matter to the
courts, and although a decision in ia
vor of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission was rendered in the lower
outs, continued the case in the Su-
preme Court. The latter, in the
opinion handed down by Justice Nc
Kenna, afirms all the rulings of the
court below and thereby declares un-
~equivocally the right and power of the
Interstate Commerce Commission to
set aside a rate it considers unjust and
unreasonable.
Unreasonable RATES
ne new rate law dc1lOn makes any
rate Illegal which is shown to be an
just and unreasonable, and makes the
Interstate Commerce Commission both
executive and judicial body in
that ii may FIST decide nDap the
character of the rate investi-
gated and then upon its discontinuance
in the event of its own adverse
decision. The opposition to the rate
bill commended that these two functions
could not be united in one body and
the aCk of power by Congress to en-
act a law that would stand the con-
stitutional test in court providing fo~
such conjunction Of these two powers
In the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion was positively asserted by the
railroad side.
The decision not only remove tho
final doubt regarding the right Of Con-
Sress to confer rate making powers
upon the commission. but it apparent
" opens the way for any additional
legislation that may be needed .
strengthen and make effective the ex-
$sting law. no matter how drastic.
No more important matter has been
decided recently in the interest of ship
pers and all shippers and receivers Of
treight who possibly can, should SOC
tnat their interests are being ookad
after at Washington on June 18th, at
the meeting to be held at that point"
Three Cities Eiectrics Line.
The Board of Aldermen and Mr.. T..
V. Taylor. representing Mr.. W T. Van
Brunt, of New York. held a conference
yesterday afternoon 10 try TO get to-
gether on a proposition by which Mr..
Nan Brunt viii have his i~nterurban
line connecting High Point and Win
ston also touch greensboro. The
members Of the board were not dis
posed to ak about ehe results Of the
conference, feeling HAT it would De
best to wait until Monday night when
a public meeting WHY he held.
Benzine Bugsies a-ad High Balls.
In The Supreme fCourt here, the
case of Paul L:nfley against the
Fries Manufacturing and Power Com
pany of Winston, Is being tried and
will probably not be concluded be-
fore Tuesday of next week. Mr.. Lind
ley is seeking to recover $4,000
damages for personal injuries. he hav-
ing been injured in a collision between
an automobile, in which he was rid
ing, and a street car. He is repre-
sented By Col. John a Barringer and
Ex-Judge w. p. Bynum, Jr. while the
defendant company is represented by
C. B. Watson Clement Manly. \. j..
Brooks and King. kimball and Bea!I.