The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-03-16
RAILROADS IN THE SOUTH.

{
coed II the Roads SurvIVe-As
the Necessity For More Roads
Increases the Exaeti ms Upon .
Them Increase.
Washington Post. |
TO what degree are the peo-
ole of the South responsible for
their hard times? How much
of factor in killing prosperity
has been the severe, vlndictlve
Legislation against the roi roads
and the arbitrary rulings of
railroad commissions? The
questions are inspired by the
situa ion that confr onts the
Sos thern States after ten years
of marvellous prosperity and de-
velopment. The action of the
international and Great North |
ern Railroad, in Texas, in seek
ing receivership as refuge
from threatening bankruptcy,
growing out of the arbitrary Or
der of the railroad commission
requiring the road to spend s..
100000 in betterments, has
done more than the panic Itself
to direct public attention to
the state of affairs in the South.
The Texas railroad has suffered
decrease of S1,O0O,000 III
business during the last four
months, and vet it is called up
on to expend 100000, not
according to its own judg-
e ment, but according to the
J judgment of public officers
who may or may not be railroad
= men. This is makinga railroad
a public utility with ven
II geance.
T. The South has grown mucl
g faster, relatively, than the Nortl
r, during the last ten years. It
t. appetite for railroads has bee
'e ravenous. The railroads pene
lie trating the South have been i
re the condition of a half-growl
~ boy whose ankles and wrist
are exposed. In spite of a
the efforts of enterprising rail
S, road managers, whose Who'll
interest lay in serving their tel
j, ritories adequately, the rail
30 roads have been utterly unabI
~. j. to handle the business Offered
- New regions have clamored fo
- outlets and sections alread
A served have loaded the raj
ie roads down with freight. Fro
in 1902 to 1906 the four leadin
n railroads of the South have ir
Is, creased their mileage 400
IS and added all the equipmer
IS, they could obtain from ovel
A worked factories; yet the Soul
- poured out her products
prodigally that the roads wei
swamped.
The politicians who make I
ng the Legislatures of the Sou
III took hand at discipling Il
railroads. Their method of a
na sisting the roads to cope wi
increased business was to
wv. labor them with the big sti,
ou- OF legislation-to direct the
on. how many and what kind
led trains to run each way eve
.ae- day, how many employees
place on each train, how
sit equiv their cars, when al
ar where trains should stop ,whs
and how stations should
~ built how shippers should
supplied with cars, how ma
miles day a car should
moved, how the valuati
of railroad property shot
oe be made for purpo
oiH' of taxation, and h
i"'' much the railroads sho,
't tnr charge for passengers a
in freight. Then, when TIE:
proposed to tell the railroa
,ta- how much money they sho
;om. spend for Improvements. ;
on when, where. and how t
titu should spend it, there ,
For a howl when one railr
inst. succumbed and asked the cot
the to save it from the public
this was clubbing it to death.
mere The South, evidently,
lihi'' bent upon the regulation
railroads. 1t will succeed,
ittee rond oraSt;oo r. - uoo;a.,