Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-01-27
For Better Railroad Service IL
Shenandoah Valley


" For Better Railroad Service
Shenandoah Valley
ID a meeting was held in Harrison
ID burg last Thursday, January q
1t 1909, by representatives from th
N principal towns and cities Of tn
,. Shenandoah Valley for the pul
10 pose Of discussing ways and mean
:, Of securing an improvement in th
!. service furnished the peopls o
b this part Of Virginia by the Balti
t more & Ohio and Southern rail
roads. The meeting was enthus
o isstic and harmonious, and hope
3 are entertained that the conferenc,
: will result In good.
. Nine cities and towns from
Winchester to Lexington, i'm lus
,, i've, were represented, Mayor VIM
r. Kennedy and Mr.. j. Med
Adair being present from Lexing
ton. Morning and afterno Don SEES
siOns were held and the discussions
embraced the following items OF
complaint: Station facilities,
rates, schedules, rolling stock
equipment and motive power. The
concensus Of opinion was that
both roads were sadly deficient il
ell the particulars named, and
urge ot requests were made that the
rfilway officials take immediate
steps to improve the service.
The meeting was called TO order
at half past ten o'clock by Colonel
o. b. Roller, mayor of Harrison
burg. The Hon. Richard e. BYRD
of Winchester, speaker OF the
House of Delegates. at whose in
stance the meeting was held, YVES
elected chairman. Messrs. NJ. b.
Lewis aud A.. II. Snyder, repre-,
sentirg the two Harrisonburg
newspapers, were made secretaries.
Upon taking the chair Mr.. Byrd
explained briefly che object Of the
meeting to be q conference of the
represe ntatives of the Valley towns
with reference to the inadequate
railroad facilities of the Baltimore
& Ohio and the Southern railroads.
He declared the general equipment
insufficient and In many instances
the depot appointments scarcely
decent. Mr.. Byrd further ad-
dressed himself to defining the
status and obligations of a rail-
road as public service corpora
ton. Within certain limitations.
he said, a railroad company 10 like
any other corporation. 1t 10 en-
titled to self-goyernment and it is
entitled 20 reasonable profit on |
its investment and to non. inter.
ference by the state, except in |
such matters Is relate to the public |
character If the corporation. Rail.
roads are essential 10 the welfare
of the communities they serve, and
are essential factors Of civilization
as it now occurs. Therefore, they
are not 70 be discouraged or him
dered in any Of their legitimate
rights, and Thorough conpre-
hension of existing conditions
should always obtain before the
public attempts to invoke any of
it's own remedial agencies.
Mr.. Byrd declared his own
opinion based upon personal OBJ
and the almost universal
of persons in the Valley
who have occasion to use the Balti-
more d Ohio and Southern rail.
roads, that these companies have
for years violated the right0 OF the
people Of the Valley. At the same
time it 10 due to Justice aud to the
md that We may accomplish some-
hing practicable that no general I,
Indictment be formulated against
.hese companies, but that in max.
ng our complaint to the State h
Corporation Commission we 80
ana designate the =
'acts upon which our complaint is
BASED that both the railroads shall !,
know Of what they are accused and .
he Commission may know where.
n they are called upon to exercise
heir remedial powa,g, /,
On motioa il vac determined to q q
nQuige into local grievances Of =
tation fsciIitiss. rates, schedules :
nd rolling stock equipment, =
represent atfyes from tie towns
nd cities present Wsfs called IN
egular orNsF End ,t hpssiif respective
pqkesmen" related in detail the
ef icli,snciss ip service which shOald +
2 repedied.
kexlnatep vac first called, and f
iayor Kennedy stated that repre-. i,
entatives frcm his town were not ;.
resent to enter protests and make U
emands for improvements, but +
hat better service was needed at p
he Lexington end of the line,
he aid Of the CorppTstion 9op- Ia
lission had Es:ertlS PesS Invoked al
0 sScWs"tsttSf STATION facilities,
nd there was no complaint as to y
ates. The improvements asked al
Or we're; Change 70 five or six ff
clock Of the four O'Clock north x