The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-06
NATURAL EFFECT Of
DRASTIC RATE LAWS
------l-----.- - !. $500
Curtaili1ent Of sSoutl,ern's Pas
senger Service Amounts to
4,514 Miles Daily.
cur in EXPENSES GENERAL
Change in Sentiments eaboard's
Troubles fastened by Re-
duction Of Revenue.
cur in EXPENSES GENERAL

IIOuDlSS I1dSteueu 10y NJ
duction Of Revenue.
Changes effective yesterday In the
passenger schedules of the Southern
Railway. meaning the withdrawal OF
twenty-five trains, reduce tile service
2.aos miles daily. Counting, the Pain,
L Limit. which vas discontinued Just ls,
the new arrangement means. that the
service is cut down ASIA miles daily.
1t is not difficult 10 estimate the,
eject. for IT throws out hundreds OF
thu. public the real burden OF the anti
railroad Legislation, directly RESPONSE
Bile for the .curtaflment. 45 +
Siaf OTHER schedules, however. have been
adjusted to take care of the business.
and ON many parts of the system the
s travelling public. Will not he put to
serious iconvenience. But this is not
true in all cases, Locally the service
will not be changed. In a measure the
Encouragement VIII prove beneficial. for
passengers leaving Richmond at 1880
be picked up. at Danville by train SO
for jacksonville. w.tnout change, and
swung on to q train operating a dining
car. In the same way, pas sengers to
reach those points from Richmond
without change of trains.
It's Revenue Affected.
Statements OF Southern RAILWAY
financial conditions, printed YESTERDAY,
showed chat the decrease IN business
e.rd the increase In expenses had
forced the; management to adopt every
possibls. measure for retrenchInent and
relief. The November business was
dull. In December II. was still worse.
on top of this there was q sweeping
reduction in passenger rates. which
naturally affected the company's reve-
nue.. To keep above water so to
spcak. the big forces In the machine
shops along The system we're cut in
half six or eight weeks ago Offices
have been abolished, the clerical de-.
partments reduced. the work Of weed.
Ing out beginning at headquarters and
reaching each division.
Some evidence of the absolute neces.
sity of this move was Indicated by the
weekly statements OF Comptroller
stead of gaining over the correspond.
i,1E weeks OF the year previous, the
Southern was actually facing 4 deficit.
Change In Public Sentiment.
In spite of the denials printed IN
newspapers, proverbtaily hpstile to Inc
xeloped q marked change OF pubiic
sentiment, business people especially
seeing the harmful results OF political al
rates without Investigation Of any sort
TO ascertain first whether it would be
Is hua cost ha an
pense. In North Carolina. Georgia
and Alabama. where the roads We're
syen sG Sax b
there is a growing sentiment that the
States went toe. far: that the peorle
States went too far; that the people have
sands Of good citizens. Employed by
the railroads. are out OF work and
must move away. In Virginia the
1asts before ,he cGr
rate order. although a flat rate OF
two cents was provided for ten rail-
roads. this being lower than the. tariff
States.
business People Deplore II.
While the General Assembly Of North
Carolina was making a sensational
hght on passenger fares, commercial
examinations org IN the leading cities were
telegrams and resolutions. urging them
10 be conservative and not throttle
commercial activity, ara advancement
py enactment OF laws which would
ity. These same commercial organiza-
tons were held up to ridicule by the
political leaders and branded as the
htrelings of railroads.
There is in North Carolina. more.
ever. the opinion that the Supreme
court Of the United States will decide
the rate cases against the Common
Wealtll. just as there is the opinion in
& firg!nia that the Corporation Commits.
sion's orfer viii be nulllfed on the
krouoG. 4. thst tito Commission Is not
clothed with Legislative power. IT Is
admitted in North Carolina, of course,
that the Ia cent rate Is excessive,
and there was demand to lower II,
nnt no demand TO put 1t at a figure
which would wipe out profits, and
thereby necessitate the discontinue
ance of passenger trains.
Blaming the Rntc Law.
In connection with the financial
troubles of the Seaboard Air Line.
Governor Glenn, OF North Carolina. dc,
ciares that the rate law can prove an
alibi. -
The seaboard of course had more
serious difficulties than that. although
the natural decrease in its revenue. d.
roctly due to its compliance naturally