The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-03-19
Time to Call a Halt.
Let Strife and Chickering's, Agi-
tation and Oppressive Leg
isIation, Hurtful Alike to
People and Railroads, and
Other Corporations, Cease,
and Let Justice and Reason
be Enthroned and Govern in
the Dealings Of Each With
the Other.
Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Observer.
The Manufacturers and Producers
Association OF knOXvilla. Tenn. is to
be commended OH account OF the
preamble and resolutions which it
adopted Tuesday evening reciting
the injrny which has resulted to the
South from the crusade against rail
roads and other corporations and
calling for IL halt in legislation of
this character. 1t is all well enough
for political purposes in some local
tiles and for consumption 10y some
classes, to eXclHim, "T ell with the
rhllroads. but suppost. We conced-
the justice of sending TIL m all there,
or TO modify the proposition, sup
pose We say Good for them! They
have gotten no more than they de-
s"rVel' We have still to think OF the
people along their lines who are get
ting reduced ami sufficient service.
and who are thus suffering along
with the rallroads. Before these pat
rons, however, We ought to consider
I he railroad employees who have been
laid off, those who are working at
Ieduced pay, and the others whose
hopes Of advances in salaries and
wages have been disappointed.
TO take Il specific case-that of the
Southern Railway Company: Rep
sentatives of the Inachinists' oryani-
, zation Informed the officials in Wash
lngton the other day that 30 or 20
per cent. of their number have been
dismissed and those who remain are
suffering IL reduction of about 30 per
cent in pay i'll consequence of the re-
ductiOn OF their hours. This takes
no account OF the crews which have
been laid Off on account of the dis
continuance of trains, of the men at
stations and in yards who have been
discharged or OF those of other
| classes who have suffered in one way
or another.
1t would be foolish and grossly
MUST to charge all these misfortunes
Of the men to the reduction Of passen
ger rates in this and other States
! The panic resulted not only in Il
stringency in money which was but
short-lived, but in a general recession
in business, and the railroads did
not OF course escape the depression
but were among the principal victims
TO be sure a reduction in rates Gu,
Il very considerable figure, reducing
the revenues OF the road by three
quarters of Il cent on first-class fares
| reducing them also on mileage books
and abolishing the second-class fares
i'll the interest of a fiat rate, which is
lower than second-class fares were
But general conditions have haC
more to do with the reduction of rev.
enues than the reduced rates have
Yet upon the question of reduced
rates it is no sufficient answer tC
those who complain of them to say
that the railroads assented to them
They had to. Anything was preferred
by them, would have been better fol
them, than being harried perpetu
ally and frightened by the likelihood
OF the screws being turned again anC
made tighter.
But all the aforementioned cOnsid
erations aside, hostile legislation an(
the fear of it, together with u pur
posed hostile public sentiment, have
most if not all to do with the present
stagnation in railroad improve
ments-double- le-tracking, depot-build
ing, etc. Money is abundant in New
York and elsewhere, but who want!
to buy Southern Railway securities
seeing that its preferred stock has
deprecated practically 6GS per cent
in twelve months and that it's pre-
ferred is now quoted at 36A while it,
common is scarcely worth picking VI
in the road? Do you? Thus un
friendly sentiment has very practi
cal side of the thousands of common
laborers for whom there is no dou
ble-track work to do, to bridge-build
ers, to carpenters who might be en-
gagged in building depots; and al
this reacts upon merchants along
the line who would be selling supple.
for the differerent classes of labor
enumerated, and upon farmers who
find lower market for their product.
than they would have if the railroad
company had the money with whicl
to prosecute its contemplated i'm
provements and extentions and which
could get the money If investors wer,
satisfied with the security; satisfied
that this property is assured OF pro
lection against legislation which
would destroy it.
A moments consideration of these
facts will bring any one to the in
evitaUle conclusion that however
good a thing it may be to have {
giants strength and however great
the desire to use it like giant, The
punishment does not necessarily stoI
with the punishment of the object o
ones wrath.
1t is we'll to pause occasionally anC
reflect upon the inter-dependence o
our varied interests. If a merchant
fails who suffers more than the clerks
How many banks fail and leave thei
depositors hide-whOle? Ii the cotton
mill stops who feels it first? The op
eratives, and after them the small
merchants from whom they buy. l
the foundry shuts down the mechan
les income stops and his children
hunger. If crops fail the farmer can
not pay his taxes and his supper
withdrawn, trade is paralyzed. In
stances could be multiplied indefinite
ly. 1t thus behooves us all not tt
conspire, through envy, hatred O
malice, against any legitimate inter
est. but out OF simple seltishness,
from no better prompting, to foste
all in behalf of the common interest
Of all the various agencies of ou
civilization and progress, the chiei