The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-05
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION:
Niz ssWILMINGTON. N. c.
THAT TALK.

There have been rumors and ruIlcrs
about the compromise of the fight
on the passenger rate question between
the state and the Southern railroad.
In reference to these reports the gov
ernor said to a Raleigh Times report
er on Wednesday,:
II wish you would state" said
Governor Glenn to a representative
of The Evening Times who called at
the governors office this afternoon,
that 7 am in no way responsible for
the dispatches sent out from Raleigh,
stating ina I have made an offer.
of settling the controversy between
the state and the Southern Railway.
These reports are not authorized
by me and [ have had no desire to
contravene an act Of the legislature"
On this compromise question The
News and observer Of yesterday said:
The status of the much talked Of
and non-existent compromise of the
rate litigation between the state OF
North Carolina and the SOuthern Hdli-
way is this. President Finley mas
made a proposition to the governor
asking him to recommend to the leg
iSlature Il rate very much IKE that
Governor Conner will recommend to
the Alabama legislature. The COVER
nor will never make such recommen-
dation and will agree to nothing that
does not involve the acceptance ana
carrying out the p cent rate. Ii, al
ter a fair trial that rate should SO re-
duce the income of the railroad as
to deny 1T fair returns upon the IN
yestment, the Governor would recon-
mend such increase as might be nee
essarv to give such fair return. In
ssmuch as. since h new rate went
into effect, the southern Railways
cash receipts from passengers nave
been ten per cent more than IN the
same period under the higher rate
it VIII have to show a great change
to make any such recommendations
necessary.
AZ the governor has stated TO Inc
Times that all the reports about a
were unauthorized by him,
we do not know on what authority
The News and Observer makes the
statements that the governor Will
never make such compromise or that
he will agree to nothing that does
not involve the acceptance and carry
inte out OF the two and a quarter cent
rate" That paper must surely have
had some authority for making that
s+a+emant as to the determination OF
the governor.
In the meantime Governor Glenn
has gone to Atlanta where he will be
in conference today with the chief eX-
ecutives Of Georgia and Alabama and
perhaps Of Virginia. The object of
this meeting the. governor said, "Woul
be in the nature of a conference as to
railroad legislation" From other
sources comes the report that this con
ference is for the purpose OF paving
the way for uniform railway rates IN
the states of the governors present,
if not in all the states OF the south.
Isn't this agreement of these govern
or. to hold this conference an admIs-
sion on their part that the states repre-
sented have made a failure in their
attempts to regulate railroad traffic
separately within the borders of each
state? Does it not show that there
must be Capitalization and general log
islation to secure proper government
control Of the railroads of the conn
try? Isn't it a long step towards Mr..
Rossevelt's idea Of government con-
troll and in opposition to MI. Bryan's
plan Of state ownership of intrastate
reads? It strikes us that the govern
srs who have agreed to hold this con-
ference have come to the conclusion
that state control Of railroads to the
extent to which it has been attempt
ed by recent legislation, where each
state adopts a different set OF laws
and regulations is impracticable. We,
taking this view Of the purpose of the
conference, wish the governors there
attending all success in perfecting a
plan Or coming to some agreement
whereby there can be uniform legisla-
ton on the subject. 1t is a difficult
task. OF course the governors can
make no changes in the existing laws
Of their several states, but they can
agree upon a statute of uniform rates
and recommend its passage to the log
islatures Of their states. If this, with
some other uniform regulations, Were
adopted railroad management In the
southern states would be greatly sim