The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
TO FINLEY
Legislation as
to Railways
The Railroads and the Citizens ef
North Caroiina-Tke Cau-c of In
friendly Sentiment and Who l.
Responsible Fur II


go ~
southern Railway Company.
Dear Sir.-Yours Of August l5in
duly received / heartily commend
the sentiment which II carries and
the frank names in which IL ~ ex-
pressed. As ii is OF a public nature |
think there can be no !mpropFisty IN
making a public response
Permit me To call your attention 10
the history OF criminal legislation IN
this State as TO railroads The Leg
islature did not presume this class OF
laws necessary and examine 'He
statutes OF states when railways eN-
listed for the purpose OF preparing an
ticipating Legislatures, but gave the
railways full liberty as To action. Nv
cry law which has been enacted OF TINS
nature was introduced not To- prevent
what Nigh be done. but To correct
some evil her existing As the author
II every law enacted prior 10 the crea-
ton of the railway commission on TINS
subject. think | can give YOU a true
history or the immediate cause q the
enactment OF each one
Laws Of I27A-5.-The carolina
Central road was charging as much
for carrying a sac of salt and some
other species Of goods fro mCharlotte
to Lincolnton, as il did TO transport
the same on to Shelby. nearly tWlc"
the distance. The rating was Simply
arbitrary. on the introduction OF this
bill. IL appeared that this was the GUS
tom of railways and the enactment
was without opposition.
.. Chapter 10l Laws 1S19.-Claiins
for labor. injury TO person or proper
ey and for material furnished were
made superior 10 mortgages. A me
gro in law" of mine who had worked
two years for a railroad. came home
roken down in health and without
clothes CT money. The road owed
him one hundred and fifty dollars.
~, 14nl g N / Il
there would be no difficulty in getting
Judgment but that upon execution the
negro would have to settle q mortgage
OF three million dollars which was
upon the road, before he would get
anything. The same condition applied
to all claims. one party who asked
for pay for a COW that a been kill
ed was told that the weather was too
warm and they we're not buying any
beef.
3. Chapter 1872 Laws 1S79.-Ship-
ping freight when received. The rail
roads held local freight, or that orig
mating on its line. and hurried
through" matter to its destination;
upon the principle. as n president Of
a road said who appeared before a
Legislative committee OF which I was
chairman, that they could haul the
the other freight at any time. but
'1ust hurry the through"
they received it. There was frequently
heavy loss to cotton buyers from cot
ton not reaching the market when
expected. Consequently they gave
less for cotton. The original act re-
CURED goods to be shipped in three
days on a penalty of $500 for each
article for each day. The goods were
to be sent by the route desired by
the shipper.
4. Chapter 1S4.-Freight charges
were changed and nearly always adj
UanPpd in cost without anu notice
Capt. Phifer, who at that time oper-
ated the Elm Green cotton mill, said
that he would frequently find a new
rate on Monday from that on Satur-
day. These advances reduced very
much his profits on a contract and in
terfered with arranging contracts.
Senator d. P. M~cr1achern, of Robe
son county received a letter from a
constituent saying that Colonel Ere
ment, superintendent of the Carolina
Central railroad, upon a trip over the
road, hiding a lot of ship" timber
along the line ready for t~ransporta-
ton, stopped at a station and by tele-
graph ordered an advance of rates.
The original act required thirty days
notice of a change
These acts correctd wrongs not only
in the district which represented, but
seemed to be needed in every district
in which there was a railroad.
The other acts, chapter 2o2,
1915. ard 2SI concerned railroads in
which the State owned an interest. The
later gave the Governor authority to
investigate the conditions of any OF
this class of he deem
ed it necessary. This act probably saw
ed the Atlantic and North Carolina
road to the State; at least it kept it
out Of the Federal court.
The cost Of the Railways to the Pres
cnt Owners.
This is frequently referred to in dis
cussing TIE railway problem, but an
item not generally considered is the
money the state counties and indi-
viGuals put into their construction.
]. The Atlantic Coast Line. h
state owned $500. 900 of this stock.
The road got it for less than forty
cents on the dollar. It is 10 wvery
per share.
.. The Western North Carolina Rail-
road. Every county along its line and
many individuals in each county own
ed stock for which they paid par
(s100). The state paid more than
two million dollars in addition to this.
3. The Carolina Central from Will
mington to Rutherfordton The same
conditions and result along this route.
Al the session of the Legislature in
1874. Mr.. Onderdark. who has owned
a large mount of its stock, present
q memorial concerning it's affairs To
each m He stated in the me-
mortal that the directors of the COM
pany had issued several million dol
lars of 8 per cent mortgage bonds.
which several individuals had taken at
fifteen cents on the dollar, and on de-
fault in interest had closed the mort
gage and gotten the road.
4 The road from Fayetteville to
Greensboro ir its history IS but a rep
etition of those already mentioned.
These conditions a,-a tla o1.ta
along these lines of roads to feel that
although they have no pecuniarv in
terest in them. the ~ntributio
made entitle them to demand that
the state shall protect them from un-
Just Determinations or e~xhobitant
charges.
state these matters not to arouse
or encourage i'll feeling, but as a part
or the history. worthy to be consid-
cred IN the case now before the pub
lie Of the people VS.. the railroads and
the railroads vs.. the people. With the
disposition which your letter mani
tests put in practice by the ALWAYS
think hostility will cease and that one
may expect prosperous railroads and