The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-08-23
TWO SIDES OF THE QUESTION

To this railroad rate question Whlcn
is now agitating the people OF TINS
state as well as those Of twenty other
states in the union (railroad state
laws have been passed in tWenty-ohe
states) there are two sides, as there
are to every question that can be rails
ed which is worthy of discussion
The freight rate problem is a much
more intricate one than that in regard
to passenger fares; that is, as to the
settling of the rates to be put IL
force.
This freight rate question is the ore
the people want settled in preference
to the passenger fare act.
To show that there are two sides
to this question Of freight rates We
give our readers the two extracts pub
lished below In The Weekly Jeffer-
sonian, Hon. Thomas E. Watson pub
HsneS an article III Whicn we IND UnIS
With all of it's shortcomings our
railroad commission has reduced
freight rates about $2.OO0.0O0 during
the last few years. Consequently, the
consumers Of manufactured goods
ought to be able to buy those goods
at least as cheaply as they did a few
years ago. But can thev do 50? Not
INf,t ali. In spite Of freight rate re-
aductiOnS. the farmers and other con-
sumers are paying more than ever.
How is that?
Why, the manufacturer and the
city jobber have simply DOcketed the
S2,00OOOO and more besides. Just
as soon as our supreme court
decided that the order of the railroad
commission, reducing the freight on
stoves. must be obeyed. the price of
stoves Immediately advanced.
The stove which was costing you
$1,000 in 1905. was costing you
$1,000 in May. 1907 Then came
the supreme court decision in favor
of the lower freight rate: and the
iobbers OF the cities at once put a
per cent increase to the price of
the stove-making the $500 stove
of May, 1907, cost you $13.65 in
June. 1907.
In 1905 freight rates from New
York and Boston to Atlanta were re-
duced 8 cents per 100 pounds, or
5000 per carload Of 10000 pounds,
on hats. mems clothing. blankets dry
goods etc. On ironware. flour, bed
steads, and many other articles, ma
terial reductions in freight were
made.
Yet what farmer. or laborer or
other consumer. can buy hat
cheaper than before the freight re-
ductions of 1905? Who can buy a
suit of clothes cheaper: or a calico
dress or a pair of shoes or pair of
IL,
ness, bedsteady. chair Or barrel OF
flour?
The manufacturers and iObbers
made the railroads reduce freights
on these goods to the amount of two
million dollars. How much of this
saving did the farmers and other
consumers get? Not q red cent!
essaries of life" The manufacturer
of shoes has always been a govern
mental pet. Special privilege eX-
tended its protecting care to the
shoemakers Of Lynn. Mass, before
it did to ANYBODY else.
For more than a hundred years
this industry has been built up at
the expense of others. Foreign com
petition has been made practically
impossible. Therefore. the trust was
easily organized. In 1905 the freight
on shoes coming into Georgia was re-
duced $500 per carload. The man
ufacturers and iobbers advanced the
price S3,375 per carl
Hence, the people who buy shoes
not only failed to get one cents bene-
fit from the reduction in freight. but
are having to pay nearly three thous-
and dollars per carload more for
boots and shoes. Tough on the shoe
BUYERS. isn't it. son?
Similar ShOwings can he made as
ri Of
Whatever. politicians may say about
Tom Watson, none of them nor any
one else has ever called him a TOOL.
When he talks or writes he knows
what he is talking or writing about.
In Henry Clews & Co.'S last financial
letter We find the following paragrapr
in reference to gross and net earnings
of railroads for this year as compared
with the figures for the same period Of
last year:
The railroad situation is somewhat
perpleXing. Our roads continue to
show large gross earnings and an
abundance of traffic. The latter,
however, is noticeably less pressing
than year ago and most of the
roads are beginning to seriously feel
the great increases in EXPENSES due
10 the recent concessions made to
iaoor. During the first six months
OF the year, the gross earnings of the
New York Central Increased over $4,-
VVo'o00 or about 8 per cent, while
expenses increased $6.5OO,0O0. or
over 20 per cent: the result being that
net earnings fell off $2.5o0.O0O com
pared with the same half year of