Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1907-04-25
A GREAT SPEECH.
RAILROADS. TRUE RELATION
TO The PUBLIC.
7. M. EMERSON, PRESIDENT ATLANTIC
COAST LINE RAILROAD GO. AT
THE ANNUAL BANQUET OF
WILMINGTON CHAM
Der OF COM
MERGE.

treatment ana T0dSOAdU
very best service that is within their
mower to give. They should aid In
building up the waste places, ana give
co-~oneration in all such undertakings
as far as their abilities, and the laws OF
tho land. hermit. Their rates should be
lust and reasonable; should not be I'M
Justly discriminative, and should De
impartially applied.
T believe most railroads, especially
those in the South, fully the
above and that the officers and agents
orrod with the conduct of railroad
affairs earnestly strive to meet al
reasonable, and at times what they
NAV think unreasonable, demands o.
the pubiic. They realize that their eN-
istence depends upon the patronage OF
tho nublic. and that full justice to the
public is essential i'll securing us pa
ronae and its good opinion. AL they
should ask in return is justice. They
should neither ask MOI except favors-
The trne relation of the public and
railroads is mutual, and the success OF
aTdl1Eodto 40
one must be the success OF the other;
and the failure of one the failure OF the
other.
we have been for some time passing
through a period of great agltation
against corporations, especially ran
roo6 cornorations. We read IN the
daily PAPERS and magazines the expires
~
sions of many people condemnlng anu
abusing corporations. That there is
justification for some of the charges l
frankly admit; but that all are true l
as firmly deny. That there are bad
noro+ions as the term chad" is US
ed in these days, I think no one Will
deny. and that laws should be passed
and enforced to punish their wrong
doings is not only a right, but a outy'
but to assume that all are bad is as un-
inst as TO call the entire human race
murderers because some commit muir
der. Railroads should be regulated py
proper laws, but should be protected
in their rights, and laws shoulo pe
sscorrective,' not destructive put
the popular idea today appears to pc 10
abuse corporations, pass adverse anu
drastic laws; penalizing them tor faults
real and imaginary; requiring them TO
do certain things, and then taking
from them the wherewhithal to do 1t.
A law passed by your present legls-
lature reducing passenger rates on GER
tain roads in North Carolina, when
applied to the traffic in question Will
cost the roads Of your State hundreds
of thousands of dollars, and would cost
the Atlantic Coast Line, based on last
years movement, over 5000, 100000 per
year, and at the same time your Rail
road Commission is ordering us to in
crease the number Of passenger trains
and build new passenger stations.
The duty of the public to the rail-
roads is to see that they are justly
treated, and this duty should be yours,
the Chamber of Commerce, of this and
other cities, as they are the am
tons representing the commercial in
terests of the country.
There is a'most remarkable wave OF
prosperity going Over this good land OF
ours, probably without parallel in the
history OF the world. Are railroads
sharing in this prosperity? The stat1s-
tics of the Atlantic Coast Line Kali
road Company tor the past nineteen
months will answer this question, SO
far as its road is concerned. They show
that for the nineteen months ending
- o. 1nn- ffc ~raSC EARNINGS in
creased over the previous nineteen
months So. $3.50, 861 90. and expenses
mot including expenditures for equip
ment and similar items charged to
capital ~account) increased $4,823 ,837.-
90, showing that while prosperity
brought in nearly four million dollars
additional h same pros
perity, took away, in he way OF In
creased wages, increased cost OF ma
terial, etc., etc., nearly five mllllon
dollars, so that for the last nineteen
months the Atlantic Coast Line Rail
road Company's share in the pros
perity'' is represented by minus $780,
$500.
There is another phase of this ques
ton, which possibly has not occurred
to you. 1t is natural for those wh'
have not had time to analyze the sub
ject to believe that the present grea
volume of traffic is created wholly p.
the merchant, the farmer. the fru1
grower, etc. It will probably surprls'
you to know that a material percent
age is created by the railroads in thel
efforts to meet the demand for NOR
equipment, heavier rails, increased
terminal facilities, etc.