The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1908-01-23

railroads, / have had the advice and
assistance Of some of the State
truest, abIest and best men. However,
| discharge my duty by obeying the
Constitution and laying the matter
before You, as you alone can enact
laws. I think it wise to settle the
matter. / believe the terms are fair
to all, and, therefore, ask you, the
lawmakers of the State, if consistent
with your sense of right and duty, to
approve what has been done.
Rate Fixed Not C~onfscatory.
The rate fixed by your body at its
last session, in may Judgment, though
less than the amount recommended in
my message, was not coniscatory, but
was just and based on the report of
the railroads themselves, and, there
fore, was in no sense a wrong; and,
if the railroads had given the rate a
fair test, without having made the
people hostile to them, / firmly be-
heve, as shown by the evidence taken
In the pending equity suit that said
rate would not only have proved
both equitable and remunerative, but
IN excess of the previous earnings.
But times have changed since you
last met, and all business has suffer-
ed by the structure In the money
market. Disclosures made in the fin
aneial world fraud and corruption,
gambling on the stock market, the
withdrawal of money from ~circula-
ton, thus bringing about unrest and
district, together with many other
causes, which have seriously affected
all securities, making stock values de-
crease and credit hard to obtain, until
not on account of the little reduction
of fares to 2 IA cents, but for the
reasons above stated and many 9th
Hers, railroads, like individuals ana
other corporations, have been Grip
pied in their operations, have had in
many ways to curtail their expenses,
cannot borrow money to carry on
their business, and, therefore, need
all legitimate help that can be given
them, not inconsistent with the rights
of the people and the State. They
claim that, if all matters of differc-
ence between them and the various
States can be adjusted, confidence
will be restored, their securities more
easily placed, and they be enabled to
continue their contemplated improve
ments.
No one but a demagogue would de-
sire to injure railroads simply becase
it can be done, but should only wish
to require them to deal justly with
the people; and now that the rail-
roads have recognized the sovereignty
of the State and come forward, agree
ing to terms alike fair to the State
and themselves, it behooves the State,
through its lawmakers, to meet them
in the same spirit of equity and do-ail
it can to aid them, provided it in no
way destroys the rights of the people.
Again, 1 trust you will solve this
complex question by approving the
terms agreed upon, thus restoring
peace and harmony and putting all at
work once more for the upbuilding Of
our beloved State.
Freight Rates.
In regard to freight rates, / suggest
one amendment to section 1, chapter
217, Laws of 1907, by adding at the
end of the said section these words:
Crowded further, that this act shall
not apply to Independently owned
and operated railroad companies in
North Carolina whose mileage of road
in said State is one hundred miles OF
less" The reason for this recon-
mendation is, that the amount of
freight shipped on one of these little
roads from one station on its own line
to another station on its line is mol
over five or ten per cent of its ship
ments, while from a point on its line
to some point on the line of another
road its freights would amount to
from ninety to n~inety-fve per cent
of its shipments; while the shipments
of the large roads to points on their
own lines is from seventy to, eighty
per cent of their shipments, while
their shipments to points in the State
on other roads would not exceed
twenty or twenty-five per cent, being
a discrimination so largely against
the small roads as to most seriously
affect and injure them, and, there
fore, demands relief.
Determinations.
One of the most serious complaints
now existing against railroads is the
determinations made by them against
the cities and towns of North Caro-
lima in favor of like cities and towns
in other States, notably Virginia, by
reason of which jobbers and whole
sale merchants in Virginia a under
sell the same class of merchants in
North Carolina. The cause Of this
is the rate given by the Norfolk and
Western and Chesapeake and Ohio
railroads to Roanoke, Lynchburg and
Richmond, being the same rate given
to Norfolk, Va, on account of its
water-rate competition. To meet the
rate of the railroads above named,
the Southern, the Coast Line and Sea-
board railroads had to give the same
rate, and so haul freight through
~