Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-27
Southern Sentiment Toward
the Railways More Friendly.
NO COMPLAINT MADE NOW
President Finley Points Out the
Need of Hearty Cooperation.
MUST ADMIT OTHERS RIGHTS
Believes That Good Results Will
Follow the Recent Agitation; That
Some Evils Will End.
BY WILLIAM T.. CT RTlS.

BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
CHARLESTON. s. C.. March ~. 1:eS.
There has recently been a decided mod
Grafton in public sentiment toward rail-
way corporations throughout the south.
The war is evidently over: a uniform rate
for passenger fares has been adopted in
all the states. and there is no complaint In
this section about freight charges. On
the contrary. Mr. Hemphill. editor of the
Charleston News and Courier. told me
Yesterday that the relations between the
shippers and the railway companies were
entirely amicable and promise to continue
so. He attributed the rapid expansion of
the traffic of Charleston in recent years
to the fairness OF the Southern Railway
Company. which obtained control of the
old South Carolina and Georgia railway,
one Of the oldest in the United States. and
gave Charleston the same rates that are
given to Norfolk, and are considered the
standard.
The Southern railway people did an
other wise thing said Mr.. Hemphill. lin
placing Mr.. T.. II. Shaw here COM
merCal agent. with authority to answer
all inquiries. to remedy all complaints
and settle differences. He has done
great deal to create and maintain
friendly feeling between the railway
companies and their patrons, and TO build
up the trade of the city. l do not know
that we have anything to complain of.
and we can congratulate ourselves that
we are at peace with the railway Compa
MES and all the rest of mankind.
President Finley of the Southern railway
is here. on his return from a conference
with the railway commissioners of Geor-
gia: and he also seems satisfied with the
situation. Although the falling off in
traffic and consequent reduction of
earnings give him a great deal of con-
Germ. he is confident that the depression
is only temporary. and that the traffic of
1907. which was unprecedented in volume.
viii soon be restored. Mr.. Finley calls at
tention to the fact that the present traf-
fic Is actually normal compared with
former years. and would be considered a
healthful growth of business under ord-
nary circumstances. Were it not for the
enormous business of 1906 and 1907.
which compes a comparison with those
years. there would be no occasion for
comment.
Falling Off in Earnings.
Tine earnings of the Southern Railway
Company for the period of three months
embracing November. December and Jan
nary. were SD SIG. 1O2, as against Sl4.227.-
isn for the same period of the previous
fiscal year. making a decrease of 1890
AS for the quarter. said Mr.. Finley.
Tine falling off in business which this
represents has been distributed over the
system very generally. and has affected
both northbOund and southbound traffic.
All classes of freight have shown a de-
crease but the decline has been especially
noticeable in iron. coal and lumber. Cot
ton and other raw products from southern
points to market have been moving very
slowly. and there has also been falling
off in the shipments OF merchandise from
the north to southern points. The de-
crease in passenger traffic has been a
about the same rate, and has been only
a natural incident of the business depres-
sion throughout the country.
An the other railways in the southern
states. as we'll as our own. have suffered
in a similar proportion from the same
causes The published statements show
that the gross earnings of the Atlantic
Coast Line for November December and
January were S6,6s4. S24. a decrease of
Si2S. $50 from the corresponding period of
the previous year. and the gross earnings
of the Louisville and Nashville were $40
$40. 1913, decrease of SI.646. 446 from those
of the corresponding period OF the pre-
vious year.
What is the financial condition Of the
south?" | asked.
Southern Banks Sound.
The banks of the south Atlantic states
came through the recent panic as we'll as
the financial institutions of any other sec
ton of the country and are generally, l
think. in sound condition
How much of the deposits in the
southern banks is railway money!"
1T is Impossible to asy To what extent
the business OF the south Atlantic states
IS conducted on railway money. II is the
Pol.Cy of the Southern Railway Company
10 deposit its collections in the banks of
the cities in which il does business so far
as il is possible TO do so. II has a large
number of repositories throughout the
southern states, in which the revenues
derived from its business are deposited by
its agents collected. These funds are
disbursed in the regular order of business
by checks in payments of salaries and
wages and other current expenses of the
company. They are not otherwise with
drawn except 10 facilitate US in meeting
the obligations of the company in the
payment of interest and dividends and
current bills and in making such financial
arrangements as necessary in the
operation OF the property. The policy OF
keeping the funds of the company in the
south as far as practicable has been pur
sued ever since the organization of the
southern Railway Company"
How much has been expended by your
company for Improvements in this sec
tom
since July /. 1894. the Southern Rail-
way company mas expended more tnan
one hundred million dollars for improve
ments and betterments upon its lines, and
IL was the intention to eXpend a great
deal more. The suspension of work on
some of the improvements that had al
ready beer undertaken and the postpone
ment OF projects that had been planned
have been due entirely 10 the financial
depression and the present unfortunate
condition of railway credits.
You consider this depression perma-
nent or only temporary
Only Temporary Depression.
Il feel certain that the depression will
not be permanent. but I will not under
take to say how soon We may expect a
return to former business conditions
The development of the south has not
stopped 10y any means. What has al
ready been accomplished is little more
than a promise OF what will be done.
Fundamentally conditions in the south