The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-20
RAIL LINES
 AND PEOPLE Notable Address by President Finley. HE SPEAKS IN ATLANTA Appeals for Fairness to Common
 Carriers. Head of Southern Railway Asks Pub lie to Believe in sis,erity of Managers and Encourage
 Corporations.


 A4,anta. March 10. --The proper att <,t,,de toward each other of the rail- voads and of the people, acting through the State and Federal governments, was the subject of a notable address Al the annual dinner of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce tonight fy Pres ident W. w. Finley. of the southern Railway Company. MT. Finley advo- cated very strongly the development ! If harmonious relations and cordial eo-oneration between the railroads and fhe public and the application Of busi- ness principles to the solution of trans rortatfou problems in accordance with economic laws rather than attempting to solye them by statute laws which might work to the injury of the gem erai public as well as of the railways
 President Finley spoke on The Re- Iations of Railways to the Public" An attendance of 400 representative citi- gems. a number of prominent railroad men. and a large representation from the Seed Crushers' Association of Geor- xia. made the occasion of more than usual interest
 Beside President Finley, the speakers were: President James A. Ayccck ~ the Seed Crushers' Association on The Cotton oil Industry" and the retiring and incoming Presidents of the Cham Der of Commerce.
 Among those present were Governor !, M. Terrell, President J. F. Hanson of the Central of Georgia Railway, C. A. wickersham. President of the Att ianta and West Point Railroad. and other prominent railroad officials.
 Mfr. Finley said in part:
 You expect me to talk to you to- night on the relations between the railways and the public. You doubt less already know that this is a sub fect 10 which l have devoted much time and attention. Cordial relations with the people along their lines have always been desired by the railways. Leaving aside the question of whether railway managers in the past have ai- ways adopted the best course to se- cure such relations 1t may be accepted now as admitted that the railways of the present and of the future must cultivate the good will and co-opera- tion of the public. They must do this by the adoption and promulgation of economically and commercially sound principles as to the conduct of their business. Their policy must be one of frank publicity. in which the people dependent on a railway system for Transportation must be taken into its confidence. They must be made ac- duasnted with what the road is doing and with what it proposes to do. They must know the limitations upon it's ability to meet tho demands made upon 1t and the difficulties that stand in he way of expansion of It's facilities. and they must be frankly informed of the reasons which compel the adoption of policies that, unexplained. might seem 10 be dictated by caprice or indiffer- encc.~
 Railroads in the south
 Mfr. Finley reviewed the progress of the South since the civil war and the part played by the railways of that section in making its industrial and commercial development possible. He declared that the pressing need of the South today is for better and more extensive transportation facilities. and said:
 If the railways are to secure the large amounts of new capital required Co enable them to meet the rapidly in- ereasing demands for their services, their credit must be such as to assure investors of a reasonable return upon their money. Credit, in turn. depends upon income, and income depends up- on the charges made for transporta- tEon--the only commodity 6 railway has for sale. The South now has rates that enable Southern producers to market their products in widely separ-
 
 terms that they can compete success fully with similar products from other localities, but 1t has not the means of moving those products to market as promptly as is desirable. Every ship per wants low rates, but when rates are 90 low as to enable him to reach com pefitive markets on terms at least as Favorable as those of his competitors. prompt and efficient service becomes of more importance than rate reduction. Freight rates in the United States are the lowest in the world, and in many eases, when compared with the value of the commodity transported. are tn- appreciable. The imperative need of the South today is improved transpor- fation service and the margin of profit is now so low that any material re- ductioD of rates would impair earn ings and credit. In the nature of things, the South cannot have both low rates and better service. The choice must be made between the two. and ] am sure that the intelligent business men of this section will agree with me that improved facilities are more urgently needed than any reduction in charges"
 After referring to the public aid given to railway construction In the early days, President Finley said: "The great need in the economic situation at the South today is that its people not a few here and there, but that the whole people-should recognize the fact that the period of railroad con- Btruction has not passed, but that there Is as much need of encouagement-not now in the shape of financial contribu- tions, but in the moral favor and sup port of the public-as there ever was to railroad enterprises. Former gen erations favored the building of rail- roads, and the single track railroads of the South are the result. They were adequate for their time, but the en- larged energies and productive capac- ity of the people now can no longer be adequately served by existing faoili- ties, and enlargement and improvement of existing facilities are as much need ed now in the interest of the people as the establishment of railroads was fifty years ago. This enlargement and improvement of facilities can only be created if the public purpose is favor able and the public sentiment cordial and cooperative"
 Waterways and Rail Lines.
 While approving the policy of the improvement of rivers and harbors at public expense and declaring himself heartily in favor of the improvement of every Southern waterway, MT. Fin ley contrasted the attitude of the gem eraI public toward carriers by water, and the attitude toward carriers by rail, pointing out that the carrier by water pays nothing for his highway; that it is maintained and improved at public expense, and that he is not sub Jected to State or Federal regulations, while the carrier by rail must con