Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-28
The Fair Usage Of Railroads.

in our modern life is the prejudice
that has developed in many sections
against the railroads, and which In
some parts of the country has resulted
| in laws so drastic and conf1scatory
that the building of such modern means
of communication has been practically
stopped. In fact, some of the south
ern states have made the discovery
that railroad batting is one of the most
expensive pastimes that a community
can engage in. Thoughtful men must
borne a more important part in the
| growth of our country through the de-
| yelopment of it's natural resources
than the railroads, and, large as is oul
mileage at the present time, this coun-
try is today in urgent need of railroad
| construction far beyond any we have
had in the past, to fully meet the needs
| of it's industrial life. Under the cir
cumstances, it is a wise community
| that encourages men to invest their
money in these enterprises which. how
| ever much they may yield in profits
to their projectors, will yield vastly
more in profit to the communities they
serve. The, tendency, therefore. ia
| meet enterprises of this character in
a narrow spirit of hostility and to bur
den them with punitive legislation is
to be dcplored by all thinking men.
1t is a fact that American railroad
| rates are the lowest in the civilized
world, being about one-half to one
| fourth those in force at the present
time in the leading foreign countries.
Their service is the fastest and the
most comfortable to be found on the
face of the earth, and while this has
| in the past been accomplished at too
| much risk, it is gratifying to know
that safety devices have so multiplied
in recent years that in the year 1908
the greatest railroad in this country,
the Pennsylvania, carried its millions
of passengers without a single death
from accident.
common sense, declared that the cru
SADIE of an army of long hairs in vari-
Gus sections of the country against the
railroads was "a mania, which would
soon pass away and of which the
American people would in the end be
heartily ashamed"
There are growing evidences of the
fact that Mr.. Cleveland was correct
in this prophecy. There are signs of
returning sanity in various sections of
the country that are just awakening
to the fact that in their mad efforts
to hit the railroads they have retarded
the growth and development of their
own communities by postponing the
construction and the expansion Of the
| means of communication which are
absolutely essential to their material
prosperity An example of this has
been called to the attention of the
Journal readers in the experience of
the state of Georgia, state peculiarly
rich in natural resources. Under Gov
ernor Hoke Smith system of extreme
hostility to railroads was inaugurated,
resulting in the passage of some very
short sighted and unwise legislation OF
a confiscatory and punitive character.
No fact was more clearly recognized
by the people of Georgia than that the
railroad mileage of the state was alb
solutely inadequate to it's expanding
needs, and that if it was to have a con-
tinued industrial growth the lines OF
road already in operation must be
largely extended and a number of new
ones built. When they took up the
question, however, of securing this ad-
| ditional railroad mileage they were
brought face to face with the fact that
not one dollar of outside capital could
| be induced to come into that state fol
| the purpose of railroad building under
any conditions. The Hoke Smith reign
CT folly had closed the door of oppor-
tu.lity upon great southern common
wealth.
| So thoroughly were the people Of
| Georgia aroused to this fact that, al.
though the state is strongly Democratic
party usages were cast aside and Gov
ernor Smith was defeated for renomina.
ton in the convention. In his place s
man was appointed who had been near.
ly all his life an active railroad man ant
who had served his state as a member
OF the board of railroad commissioners
it being felt that this was the only wa,
| to re-establish confidence among cap
italists that would induce them to risl
their money in railroad enterprises il
the state of Georgia. Events have
shown, however, that confidence is {
plant of slow growth. Railroad con
struction still waits in Georgia nor il
there any probability that it will eve
be resumed until the legislature o