The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-19

4Fet -F+ $3.50
earnings in Iowa To show that Inc
gross earnings were less than III
North Carolina. while the net earn
fngs pecre a little longer.
In adopting a graduated rate. sae
committee had in mind the judicial
construction Of the courts as 10 VIVA
was 2 reasonable rate. and on this
subject the United states Supreme
Court had decided that the gradu-
atcd scale Of rates based on earnings
was fair and reasonable. R~cgardin@
the fixing Of one class Of fare. he said
n a when Virginia, South Carolina.
tennessee. the daughters Of North
Carolina, had abolished the two class
IS Of fares, North Carolina presented
a singular spectacle in presenting the
two fares on the idea that some chiv-
alrous mems wives might be compel
81 TO ride on the same coach with the
wife Of a person Of more obscure
station.
Corporation Commission, recon-
mended this change. N Commits
sion had said that it could not wei
order q reduction Of rates while .2e
two classes Of fares We're maintained.
on the subject of abolishing the s5c-
ond class rate. the vote IF the COM
mittee was fourteen II one.
The bill provided that a mileage
book should be issued and the names
Of all the parties desired rs the Dur-
chaser should be Written therein
when it was issued. and the parties
could travel on that mileage. Thesa
books are good on all a OF the
anne class, or on all of Il lower Class.
From the most reliable information
obtainable il would be difficult To get
any appreciable reduction without
aboIisfing the second class fare ana
aside from this, the time had come
when all white men and women n
NOrth Carolina were entitled 10 first
class accommodations on trains.
In adopting the plan of graduated
rates, the language OF the statute Of
the State of Michigan. which hal
been approved by the Supreme Court
of the United States.
If the basis had beer on the basis
of net earnings, II would have opened
the door to in~terminable investiRa-
ton, as to o of salaries PAID
railroad officials, and would be a dis
tinct invitation to them to 50 increase
salaries and expenses as to wipe our
net earnings entirely and transfer The
fight between the railroads and their
stockholders. Mr.. Manning, after eN-
planning other features of the bill,
concluded by saying that the commit
tee had devoted it's very best attention
to this whole question and had pre-
scented this bill with the present cor
viction that it was fair, just and rea-
&onable to the people. and the rali-
roads.
Mr.. Laughinghouse said when he
realized the determinations practice,l
by many Of the railroads against the
people of North Carolina he could not
would like to feel. He wished he
could discuss the question as impair
TALLY and iudiciallv as did Mr.. Man
ming. The only objection he had TO
the bill was that the eaboa AT
Line was not included in the two cent
oInc. nut no N-1 N,i11inyr tn Weld %
the Judgment of the committed. He
then related instances of imposition
by railroads on shippers and passen-
gers, and declared that North Caro-
lima had prospered in spite OF the
railroads. and not because of them.
They were taking $S,000,G00 a year
profits out of the state ana discrimi-
mating against every city in it.
Mr.. Morton, opposing the bill, sail
if it were not for the railroads in de-
veloping the mining and factory in
dustry of the West and the trucking
the Fast. the State would be twenty
years behind its present development.
The people. do rot desire to Cripple
the roads as this bill would do. They
are not demanding a reduction 81
fares. but they do desire better &C
~Commodatons on trains. moro safety
appliances and safer travel. He made
his campaign against any reduction
Of railroad fares, but for improved
service. He then explained the bad
schedules of trains coming to Will
mington, and said the putting on of
new passenger trains with better
schedules for local travel would suit
his people better than the present &C
commOdations. even II they had %
pay ten cents a mile. You could not
decrease the passenger rate without
making the passenger rate more mad
equate than now. TIL people would
rather pay railroad fare than SO
much for hotel bills. He then READ
how much the Southern railroads
were doing now to improve the tram
ervice, and the immense sums OF
money being expended, the total
amount already spent for the Soutl
alone for ears alone beng $135,oVo'-
600 a year to- provide for transporta-
ton Of freight and passengers TO re-
.lievc the congestion.
He read the resolution of the VII
nlingtOn Chamber Of SuS-
tanning his position that passenger
fares should not be reduced at the ex-
pense Of improvement of tram service
and read and commented on an article
in the manufacturers Record showing
tina on account of the enormous IN
cleas of products. h railroads would
need five million dollars in the text
few wears, n if their credit was hurt
- 1iII lil1tl N ~ Sc
ting of this one impossible. the
whole Dun would be thrown into
4 wide spread business depression.
He next dissected the provisions OF
TIE bill, showing the rank injustice Of
giving special privileges to the Sea
board Air Line, and said If the bill
were a perfect one he would still op-
pose reducing fares and thereby check
the progress Of the State.
Mr.. Douglass moved to amend by
striking section (4) relating to
mileage books. and substituting a sec
ton providing for passenger fare cOu-
pOnS Of the value of $25 and $50.
Mr. burlington, speaking against the
committee bill and in support Of his
substitute, said the substitute had q
bigger daddy than he. as it was mod
died after the Senate bill introduced
by Major Graham, except tha, at his
suggestion the rates in his substitute
were somewhat higher han in the
Graham bill.
Although the committee had agreed
to abolish the two classes. he believed
there were some members of this
House, who We're entitled to their opin-
ion on this subject and he was one of
them. Referring to the fact that for
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