The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-05
THE HATITESBURG NEWS

of this statement cannot be cues
toned, for it is based on the fact that
the pubic generally is concerned in
the efficiency of public service corpor
ations.
need not tell a Pittsburg audience
that the public interest in efficient
transportation service is supplement-
ed by the importance of railway wage
paying and purchasing power as fac
tor in general prosperity. The eco
nomic importance of this is being mo-
generally recognized. One of the most
note worthy instances of this was in
the opinion of the Virginia Corporation
Commission accompanying is recent
order authorizing an advance in inter-
state passenger rates from two cents
to two and half cents mile. The
commission said:
accepted as true the familiar and
accepted statement that no large bust
ness interest can be injuriously af-
fected without injuring the community
as a whole, we believe thta the fail
ure of the railways to prosper so
forces the reduction of the number
of their employees and their wages,
so reduces the ability and DISPOSE
ton of the railway companies to enter
into new contracts for extensions,
beterments and improvements, so cur
tails their power to purchase supplies
of many kinds, thus affecting many
other enterprises whose prosperity de-
ponds upon the purchasing power of
the railroads, and so discourages the
investment of capital in new as well
as old railway enterprises, as to
amount to public calamity"
The soundness of these views of the
Virginia Commission will not be dis
puted in the Pittsburg district, where
such large proportion of your indus
tries are dependent directly or indi-
rectly upon railway purchasing power.
You know the widespread effects of
the enforced economies of the railways
of the United States during the bust
ness depression. l think that no one
will disagree with me in the opinion |
that the depression would have been
less severe and that the recovery
would have been more rapid if the |
railways had been able to maintain
their normal rate of expenditures.
AS a result OF the discussion Of the
past few years the economic relations
of the railways to the business of the |
country are coming to be better I'M
derstood. The people generally are
taking the view that the primary
needs of the United States in respect
to transportation are adequate facili.
ties and efficient service. They agree
with the Virginia Corporation Commits
son in is further admirable statement
that new capital must be supplied if
these needs are to be adequately met,
and we can only induce this new cap
ital to seek investment here by pur-
suing a course which will attract it
to this state" Accepting this as voic-
ing the trend of public opinion, not
only in Virginia, but in the United
States, we can look forward to an era |
of more intelligent and mutual helpful
cooperation between our people and
their railways for the advancement |
of their common interests. In the So
cial and material progress that will |
come to our nation, as a result of the |
solution of our transportation prob |
lens in conformity with economic |
principles, the South will be no lag
gard. 1t is in truth, Mr.. POSTMASTER