The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-07-23
PRESIDENT FINLEY. oRATofN
AND LETTER WRITER

railway mas RS<&A&F 'H
er ~ circular letters to the public.
as well as a travelling orator. lie -
engaged now IN a broadcast episto-
Larry effort to convince the paopie that
the southern railway r doing the
South Justice by maintaining its rates
FOR passenger and freights. in place
OF obeytng the Ia@s passed 70 govern
these. or q proceeding ~ the rega-
lar channels Of the State courts e
show thar the rates made are unjust
Mr.. Finley writes IN sof; phrases
for the eye Just as he speaks IN pleas
ant sounding words to the car. ous
through both speeches and letters
there runs n same thread OF money
making for n stockholders and
bondholders Of the railroads IS 80
chief thing 70 be considered. ne
pleads for the cooperation 81 tat
people along the lines OF the South
ern railway with that railway. and
yet when the time comes that he and
the Southern railway should DO their
snare IN reducing passenger and
freight rates. in the furnishing OF
proper facilities 70 handle the busl-
ness. and in the ending OF the freight
determinations which affect h cities
of North Carolina there is no CO.
operation from them. Rather u
way means TO annoy and harass the
people, to hout them and the laws
la by their legislatures.
In a letter just received by Col
Z. P. Smith, of this city. editor OF
The American" the official of
the National Council of the Junior
Order United American Mechanics.
President Finley in what is evidently
a circular appeal. asks for aid in
turning public opinion into his way
of thinking. He says that the ten
dency on the part OF some Of the
States is to subject the railroads to
legislation OF such a character as to
put investors in railway securities
TO fright and alarm, and to keep
them from investing in railroad Sc
curities. Especially does President.
Finley rail against reduction OF pas
senger and freight rates, but in do
ing this he makes one remarkably
colossal blunder with ~fallacions,
through pretty sounding. reasoning.
For President Finley say OF these
reductions in freight and passenger
rates that they are being made "arbi-
trarily." He has in MIND, of course. in
writing to parties in North Caro-
1inQ tho Tau-c a ffaatipp roiJraadc mace
ed by the North Carolina Legislature,
and he fails to take cognizance of the
fact that the reduction in rates on the
Southern and other railways came
as the result of long study Of condi-
tions oy men who are familiar with
the status of affairs Of the road, and
nat these reductions were based on
the earning capacity Of the roads, as
sworn to by officers Of the the roads.
President Finley is entirely wrong in
this, for it is not in the
spirit of an arbitrary exer-
else Of power that these reduc-
tons have been made. but on the
basis IF the sound policy hat rail-
roads should only realize legitimate
returns and dividends on their actual
investment. and that watered stock is
not an investment to be considered
in the calculation.
President Finley writes fair. but
the actions Of the Southern railway
belle President Ftnley's fair words.
If the Southern railway is really anx-
ious to secure harmonious
ton on the part of the people Of the
South, let it treat the South fairly.
All 1t asks is strict justice and i'm
Partially, no special favors. but so
long as in North Carolina the people
see that every effort to properly on
troll the Southern railway is met in
antagonism by hat road, and that
it fees the State courts and nestles
in the bosom Of the Federal court at
every opportunity that is afforded,
they AVE little faith in orations and
letters. What they wanz is com
pliance with law and a square deal.
Nothing less will satisfy them.
Mr.. Smith. in his reply to Presi-
dent Finley, agrees that the Southern
railway presidents letter is very skill
full, and calculated TO deceive by its
sophistry in the manner in watch 1t
represents the position of this high
handed law-breaker, the Southern
railway, his full reply to President
Finley being as follows:
Your circular letter of July 9Th,
received / am not at all in sympa-
thy with the position you have taken
IN this State recently, nor can / be as
a ~neWspape man and public speaker
use my influence, and l admit my in
fuence is not much, in defense OF
your company.
so far as you position raltes to
southern progress and all that sort
OF thing, ! am in full accord. | don't
believe in Gripping or placing upon
useless restrict ons. Your
company, however, has placed itself
on record in this State, and you stand
before the people TO-DAY as a defer
of law. Had you followed the ex-
ample of the Seaboard Air Line YOU
would have gained friends, whereas
you have made enemies. No one
could have blamed you for testing
the matter in the courts, but you are
not only testing the matter in the
courts which is your right. but you