The Forrest City times., 1909-01-15

l 1 of our state be authorized. He would have 1 the gas and oil conditions investigated and q report made on the adaptsbility of our ciays- He believes any laws enacted for d better ! system of leyees and drainage would be advanc- 1 ing the material interests and healthfnl condi-
 t"ns of the state, and worthy Of most careful consideration and a more vigorous policy inaug
 urated. lie also recommends that you make l suitable investigation of the Fish and Game
 laws and pass bill which will be for the best interests of all the people He also sug- gests that you memoriallze Congress and espe- eially our Representatives to spare no puins tn working for and passing some meas sure for me improvement of our inland waterways.
 ABoLIsHMkNT OF STATE LAND OFFICE The Governor rect mmends the abullshmeut of the stHte Land Office. declaring it to be only a legislative office and asserting that the State has suffered from the disposition of It's i lands at the prices received In the past two years l47.S25 acres of land have been sold and on October l. lHiS. only 2T9, BPS acres remained. For the tt7. .s25 acres inc amount Of cash taken 1 In was only Ss5. GS2 uo because the amount Of cash taken in Is much less than the number i or acres disposed of the Governor assumes that the number of neres disposed of was large i iN In the way of redemption rather than sales that many of the lands remaining are subject 1 to redeIn?tlei and that the amount subect to donation. entry or sale Is very small. He. 1 therefort. suggests that further sales be pro= hibited at once, and the lands held available only for actual settlers who desire to donate or homestead them under restrictions which will l prevent their being utilized for any other pur. pose than actual settlement The abolishment l of the office will net the State S2UOoo pp biennially as well the lands which fin the future will become of much value for the actual supply.
 | DoVrrhor Donsghey begins Il discussion of the fhllroad question with plea for less antagoD- ism against the railroads. declaring them to oe essential to the industrial development of l the State. He admits however that notwith- standing all the excuses that can pe made mere has been some cause for antagonism. al 1 rhc of that for thirty years laws favorable and none adverse to the railroads passed Contin- ulns With review of recent legislative bodies the Governor says.
 Finally 1t became an open secret that .ho principal railroads operating fin Arkansas were buying legislation favorable to themselves and oppressive oppressive to their true friends, the citizens ihese open secrets were subsequently, deyeloped Into newspaper statements. but the climax ehme when the facts came out in court pro- eeedings f 1 favors abundantly bestowed on the railroads and at the first attempt to control them by the state, It Is but natural that after being pet l ted as they have been by both the people ana Legislatures, they would mutiny against restraint
 attended the two hearings at St. Paul. Aiihh.' before the Judge of the United States court or the application for a temporary in. junction to restrain the State from enforeips the rates imposed by it's Railroad Commission which was brought by the five lines operating l i,' -AAhHhSas. heard Incl make inc tohs that they were losing money on inter state business in Arkansas because the swamns are loo sickly; the hills too steep and be- cause the ties routed too oulckly and tho elryes had to be built too sharp | concluded that as far l concerned I would rather see the reeeipted bills and actual pay rolls for the material bought and labor maid for tbun ta listen to such argument
 As has before been stated and as is now Of ten repeated: There must be point where , .he pubhc interest in railroads and the private interest of the corpora tors meet where the ser Vice of the public Ut the lowest practicable rate will produce the largest legitimate h. come to the Railroad. II also stands to req son as eenterded by most learned men in tho Tor service by railroads will not produce the largest income for themselves or redowned to the pest interests of any of the parties con eerned.
 Now then the five trunk lines with all snh5 sidiary ones. have revolted from tbe snr Veiiianee and control of our state railroad com mlsslon They say the intrastate rate which We have limited them to Is too low We sav t IS adequate. They have, through the United states Court, enjoned from enforcing if suppose the injunction ts made permanent hv sh"t court: Then who Is going to say what reasonable rate is The United States Court can not make rates and unless the rail roads would inspire with more confidence thah they have fin the past we can scarcely accept thefr rates as reasonable. Besides this There are all sufficient reasons why we want 10 know what we doing ourselves Certainty HI lh'eHigtnt bodies of people. when transaeting hP rights. Then by research. by obtaining facts i and by unmistakable analysis the exact ,oint where the public interest and the private in .erest Of the eorporators meet must oe 's'aphshed. II must be shown i concusively where th.. service to the | public at the lowest practicable. rate will st th, same time produce legitimate income for the railroad The importance of this question can. i not be overestimated. Whatever rate is IS. i abolished at the conclusion of this controversy 1T rightly established will doubtless remain ln force for many years to come.
 Neither the passenger nor freight traffic originating outside of the State and transported into the State; nor the traffic originating on the Inside of the State and transported out of 1T nor traffic transported from outside If the state across it into another State over any of the lines. can be regulated controlled by this State.
 Rut all traffic hauled from one point in the State to another point therein is iutrastate traffic; and if have any state sovereignty al all we have jurisdiction IT, and may regulate the charges and otherwise supervise the conduct of public carriers
 To succeed in establishing fair compcn. sation for the cost of construction e.iuiup,.nt maintenance and operation of our railroads We must ascertain the following raets.
 lst What is the present value af such line. and their equipment?
 2nd. What the operating expenses uron erly chargeable To Arkansas?
 5rd. What are the gross earnings ur each line on fits Arkansas business?
 
 ly intrastate traffic?
 9th, What are the gross earnings derived from traffic originating and terminating between points in the Statef
 6th How to separate the freight tratnc from the passenger traf1cf
 7th- To determine margin of profit the railroads should have for their capital invested.
 Sth. In what manner and for what purpose, the earnings of the railroads have been ex- pended?
 The Courts practically unanimously agree SO far Rs my information extends that the Legs lature has the power to delegate the authority to 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 ln- terest in railroad running through its ter ritory. concerning which the following state ment is generally agreed to-
 "one who deyotes his property to use in which the public has an interest. in effect grants to the public interest in that use and must submit to be controlled by the pub lie for the common good. the extent of the interest therein created.
 It is also well settled that the public shall not be burdened with fictitious charges for watered stock. illegal and cxtraYagant expendi- lures etc.