The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-01-21

tions OF the state and worthy of most careful
consideration and more vigorous policy inaug-
uratcd. He also recommends that yos make
suitable investigation of the Fish and Game
laws and pass a bill which Will be for the
best interests Of all the people. He also sug-
gests that you memorabilia Congress and espe-
cially Representatives TO spare no pains
in working for and passing some measure FOR
the improvement of our inland Waterways
| AgoL1ShMLNr OF STATE LAND OFFICE.
The Governor recommends the Adjustment
Of the State Land ONCE declaring 1t to be
only Legislative office and asserting that the
State has suffered from the disposition OF its
lands at the prices received In the past two
years l17 .S25 acres Of land have been sold ana
on October /. 1908, only 2T9,32S acres remained
For the III SO acres the amount Of cash taken
in only $50, $500, because The amount oil
cash taken in is much less than the number
of acres disposed of, the Governor assumes
that the number of acres disposed of was large
~ IN the way of redemption rather than sales
thai many of the lands remaining are SUBJECT
10 redemption, and that the amount subject TO
donation, entry or sale is very small lie
therefore. suggests that further sales be pro-
hihitcd at once, and the lands held available
only for actual settlers who desire to donate
or homestead thrm under restrictions which Will
prevent their being utilized for any other pur-
pose than actual settlement The abolishment
uf the Office will net the state $20.eo1po
bienuially well the lands which In the
future VIII become Of much value for the
actual supply
RAILROADS.
Governor Donaghey begins discussion Il the
railroad question with plea for less antagun-
ism against the railroads. declaring them to
be essential TO the industrial development Of
the State. He admits, however. that notwith
standing all the excuses that can be made
there has been some cause fer autagenism, al
though the records % our legislatures viii show
that for thirty years laws favorable and none
adverse to the railroads were passed. Cantn-
uing with review Of recent Legislative
bodies. the Governor says:
Finally il became open secret that the
railroads 4 we
buying legislation favorable TO themselves and
| oppressive to their true friends. the citizens
These open secrets We're subsequently developed
into newspaper statements but the climax
came when the facts came out in court pro
ceedings.
Now, after this long history of Legislative
favors abundantly bestowed The railroads.
and at the first attempt to control them by the
State, it is but natural that after being pet
ted they have been by both the people
and Legislatures. they would mutiny against
| restraint.
1 attended the two hearings at 81 PAUL
Mimi, before the Judge OF the United States
Court Of the application for temporary in
junction to restrain the State from enforcing
the rates imposed by its Railroad Commission.
| which brought by the five lines operating
in Arkansas. l heard them make the allega-
uons that they were losing money inter
state business in Arkansas because the swamps
are too sickly; the hills too steep. and he
cause the ties rotted quickly and the
curves had to be built too sharp. | concluded
that far | was concerned would rather
see the receipted bills and actual pay rolls for
the material bought and labor paid for, than to
listen to such argument.
/ As has before hren stated and as Is now Of
ten repeated: There must he n point where
the public interest in railroads and the private
interest Of the cerPorators meet where the
vice OF the public the lowest practicable
rate Will produce the largest Legitimate IN
| come to the Railroad" II also stands to rea-
| son couteHded by most learned men in the
| for service by railroads will net produce the
| largest themselves nr rplOwnpt
the best interests of any of the parties
cerncd.
Now then the five trunk lines with all sub.
| sidiary ones. have revoted from the sur
VIGILANCE and control of our state railroad com
mission. They say the intrastate rate which
we have limited them to is too low. we say
! It is adequate. They have, through the United
States Court, enjoned from enforcing It,
! suppose the injunction Is made permanent by
! that Court Then who is going to say what
reasonable rate Is? The United States
Court not make rates and unless the rail
| roads would inspire with more confidence
! than they have IN the past can scarcely
! accept their rates as reasonable. Besides this
! there are all sufficient reasons why want TO
know what are doing ourselves. Certainly
all intelligent bodies OF people, when transacting
business for themcives want to know their
| rights Then by research. by obtaining facts
ard by unmistakabe analysis. the exact point
where the public interest and the private In
terest OF the corporators meet must
be established. 1t must be shown
public at the lowest practicable rate will at the
same time produce legitimate income for the
railroad. The Importance OF this question can.
not he overestinated Whatever rate is
! tablishod at the conclusion of this controversy
| II rightly established viii doubtless remain IN
| force for many years to come.
| Neither the passenger nor freight traffic
! originating outside OF the State ana transported
| into the State the traffic originating on the
| inside Of the State and transported out Of II;
nor traffic transported from outside Of the State
! AZ ross int Sfafa my of ln
| lines. can be regulated or controlled by this
State.
But all trafre hauled from one point in the
| State 10 another point therein Is interstate
traffic; and If have any State sovereignty
at all have jurisdiction over It, and may
regulate the charges and otherwise supervise the
| conduct Of public carriers
| To succeed in establishing fair compen-
sation for the cost 0f construction. equipment
maintenance and operation Of our railroads we
must ascertain the following facts
| LIST. What is the present value Of such lines
and their equipment:
End. What arc the operating expenses prop
| erly ehargcablc 10 Arkansas?
| 3rd. What are the gross earnings Of each
| line its Arkansas business?
4th. What Is the cost Of carrying the pure
! ~ ntrastatc trai1cf
! 18th. What the gross earnings derived
/ from traffic originating and terminating between
points in the Statef
| 9TH How to separate the freight trafc
/ from tHt passenger tlHuff
It'll. To determine margin Of profit the
railroads should have for their capital invested
+ Sth. IN what maEuor aud for what purpose
/ The earnings OF the railroads have been eA-
pended
Tine Courts practically unanimously agree, so
I Jar rs my information extends, that the Legs
uturc has the power Ia delegate the authority
/ 10 Railroad Commission To fix rates for the
( transportation Of freight and from point TO
/ point within the limits Of the state.
And that the public undoubtedly has an in
tercst in a railroad running through its ter.
( riiery. concerning which the following state
mcnt Is generally agreed to:
One who dcvutes his property to Use IN
which the public has an interest. in effect
grants To the public an Interest in that use
. aud must submit To ho controlled by the pub
lie for the common good, 10 the extent Of the
interest therein created. -
, 1t is also well settled that the public shall