The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-03
RATE CASE HEARING
COMPTROLLER Plant Still Oh the
Stand
Piled WITH QUESTIONS
Examination Conducted by JUS
tice for the State
Question Of Decrease I'm Net EaSnzns
of Southern Gone into-SucS ~
Road I'm Future Would DEPEND "
on Attitude OF Its Patrons-ru n-
tween Justice and Plant

Washington. August 29-Comptrot'eF
p,,rt of the Southern railway was
a-ain subjected TO several hours
and vigorous examination In the S.H1u
Carolina railroad rate case pe'on
N.-ter in Chancery Montgomery
Sneaker Justice, for the STATE SoH
ducted the cross examination anu nA"
NOT finished the inquisiion wher lhe
bour of ad diournment arrived.
Mr.. Justice failed IN his erdrt 20
5rav, from Comptroller Plant staAe-
mont that he could determine Vitn
mathematical accuracy the Cost VI
doir,, business in North Carolina an
Tho southern railway. Mr.. Plant dlo
GOV however. that he could detc rmlse
the minimum cost of doing an ihtia
state business.
The question Of the decrease In tho
net earnings OF the Southern rhi"a'.
was gone into very fully. Mr.. Jusuicc
asked Mr.. Plant If he thought the ds-
crease in the earnings of his coInp1fS
was due TO conditions peculiar 10 thO
uresent time or to conditions WhiSn'
have come to be permanent MI
| Plant replied that the Southern THY
way was confronted with two Things
which If continued, will not result An
| very much Improvement in the situa-
tion. Those conditions are, he saio,
| the constant demands for increases III
wages OF employees, together with Sn
| upward tendency in the price OF maui
| rials and n desire on the part OF ths
| people of certain states to reduce rates
| and impOse what he believed to Dc
| irproper restrictions and penalties on
| railroads. Unless the people and the
| railroad work together, there would
| not be, he said, that measure or sIc-
cess both desired. The net results to
| the Southern system in the future, nc
| added would depend very largely upon
| the attitude of its patrons toward 1t.
"If we have favorable conditions
! along these lines" said Mr.. Plant. "I
| believe the business prosperity OF tho
country traversed by the Southern
/ railway will give us sufficient increase
| in our gross earnings to overcome the
| increases we are now called on to
| make in wages and materials" ~
| Mr. Justice asked whether taking
into account only passenger tra;1e ru
| North Carolina, that is, through tufus
| from one point in the state to another.
and local trains in the state" tho
Southern operated these trains AT a
loss. Mr. Plant replied:
MY judgment is that including
those local trains running on the main
lines, with the local trains running on
the branch or local lines as dissin-
gushed from the through interstate
passenger trains. there is a loss in the
local business. but taken as a whole,
including the through passenger trains
and the local passenger trains, be
lieve there is margin Of profit In tho
business as a whole"
A sharp tilt occurred between Mr.
Justice and Mr.. Plant just before tho
noon recess Mr.. Justice asked Mr..
Plant if he could say how much more
it would cost to carry a freight train
with passengers than without passeB-
gers on the High Point and Asheboro
line Mr.. Plant proceeded To answer
in his own way, but Mr. Justice insist
ed upon direct reply. Judge Mont
gomery informed the witness that he
must answer "yes' or mo. Then
Mr. Plant replied that the cost could
not be accurately determined.