The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-07-02

conyicts should be employed upon the
pubIic roads or works, and no tra1-
ne in convict labor should be allow
ed: frequent inspections OF the yarl-
Gus camps should be made in order
to prevent, as far as possible, vlola-
lions Of the rules Of the prison COM
mission. and feeble and disabled con-
victs should be placed upon farm
for their support and maintenance;
Governor Brown bespeaks care1ul
consideration by the general assem-
bly, of amendments to the convict Ia
bor act of 1908. The operation Of
the law has suggested to the author
tiles charged with its execution the
necessity of amendments looking to
the perfection Of the law.
Common Carriers.
Governor Brown regards it as UNI
fortunate that railroads should have
become the bone Of political conteu-
ton in this state, and says: While
abnormal increase in traffic of several
years ago, due to the rapid growth
and development of our state and its
industries at that time, had much to
do with the inability Of the railroads
to render proper and satisfactory
transportation services, thereby caus-
ing much irritation to the public, it
cannot be doubted that there were
other Just causes of complaint on the
part of the people which could not
be fairly attributed to mere increase
in business. Among some of these
complaints were the frequency OF
overcharges and inaccuracies in the
freight bills; long delays in the set
Element of just claims; lack of prop.
err consideration for the interests of
the shipper and consignees of freight
Undoubtedly these evils ought to be
corrected. Certainly they should be
diminished as far as the regulating
power of the state can diminish them
But regulation and correction of evil
is quite a different matter from re
taIation and revenge. As matter
of fact, neither revenge nor retalia
ton should have any place in gov
eminent or legislation 1t frequently
happens that when the people have
a just grievance against public ser
vice corporation, it is comparatively
easy to arouse public passion and
prejudice to such an extent that in
stead of attempting to correct exist
ing evils, they content themselves
with furnishing the corporation il
other ways, and when the pendulum
of popular feeling has spent its force
and exhausted its power in revenge
alone, and the wreck is surveyed, il
swings back to the other extreme
leaving the real evils uncorrected l
therefore, suggest to you the advisa
bility of providing by direct legisla
ton, some fair and reasonable meth
cd whereby the Individual shipper
and consignee of freight may enforce
his rights, and obtain redress prompt
" in the courts of the state, for over
charges in freight, and for delays il
the settlement Of just claims. This
can be done by legislation providing
reasonable penalties for delays in set
Ting claims In my opinion, such
laws will prove much more efficient
remedy to the individual shipper an(
consignee, who can bring suits in theil
local courts, if they prefer, rather
than pursue the present Indirect meth
cd of relief through the railroad com
mission
Double Tracking Main Lines.
That the state will, in a few years
be able to require the railroads &c
greatly improve the railroads; to buil6
larger depots and more comfortable
waiting rooms: to increase their side
tracks, add more passenger trains and
like improvements; if, the future pol
icy of the state be to abstain from
reduction of rates, i. e..
the income of the owners of These
railroads is asserted by Governor
Brown.
He thinks that if the owners o.
common carriers could be shown that
their incomes would not be unreason
ably reduced, they would, undoubted
Nv. double-track their main lines, and
thinks it would be well for the gen
eral assembly to authorize the rail
road commission to confer with the
authorities of the main lines with
the view of double-tracking them ;
vet the governor does not advocate
any increase in the rates now in eff
feet.
1t would cost, approximately, SIS,
100000 to double-track the main lines
in Georgia, and the governor esti
mates that two-thirds of this amount
would lodge in the state.
Municipal Control.
Governor Brown compends the
principle of municipal coMrol OF pub
lie utility corporations.
Railroad Commission.
Thte governor calls attention u
the amendment or addition, to the
railroad commission law, regulating
the issuance of stocks and bonds by
common carrier corporations. He
states that theory upon which the
amendment was founded is, on the
surface, quite tenable, but on exam.
nation will show that the result will
be the practical stay in railroad build
ing in Georgia save in branch OF
short lines.
Governor Brown favors a reduction
In the membership of the railroad
,ornroie ei,oY from fiVa To three and