The Washington herald., 1909-06-17
SPECIAL TO The washington Herald.

Special 70 Tbs Washington Herald.
Bristol, Va. June 16.-President Finley,
OF the Southern Railway Company. who
was one of the principal speakers at a
banquet given this evening by the Bristol
board Of trade. spoke on the relation OF
transportation to development
Quoting from a Bristol newspaper the
statement that "the history Of the
growth OF this section has been the his
tory Of the growth of her railways" Mr..
Finley pointed out that this region had
been able, IN the past. TO increase its
production far beyond the needs Of its
people because It had transportation IA
ciIities which enabled its surplus products
TO be shipped to places where they were
in demand, and that further develop
ment would be. in large measure, de-
pendent on such an Increase in carrying
capacity as would enable the railways Of
this section 10 handle each successive in
crease in the volume OF traffic.
He referred 70 the fact that two years
ago the traffic of the United States had
been such as to tax the capacity OF the
railways. and. with car shops. locomo-
tive works and steel rail mills over
whelmed with orders It had been i'm
possible 10 Increase railway facilities as
rapidly as the volume Of traffic had
been increasing. He said:
Must Prepare for Future.
I'VE can judge Of the future only by
our experience in the past. Conhning our
attention to the section OF the country
south OF the Ohio and Potomac rivers
and east Of the Mississippi. so far as we
can now see, there is no reason 10 be
ueve that its progress in the next ten
years will not continue at rate fully
as rapid as that which marked it's Won
derful development in the ten years from
1897 TO 1907
What this will mean IN the way OF a
demand for increased transportation facil-
tiles can be realized by studying the
statistics for the ten years ended July
80. 1907. These figures show that In the
year ended June 30, 1897, the railways OF
this section carried LAB. .S7s. .9O3 passengers
one mile. In the year ended June 80 1907.
they carried 2,799. 1875 passengers one
mile. showing an increase OF passenger
traffic amounting 10 AS per cent.
In 1897 their freight traffic amounted
10 II. 73S. .754.535 ton miles. In 1897 II
amounted to S.Sl5,5 ,554. sol ton miles, also
showing an increase OF 145 per cent
When We recall that the volume Of traf-
fic In 1907 was approximately equal to
the then existing carrying capacity OF
your railways. is it not apparent that
Il within the next ten years your busi-
ness is 70 expand so as 10 offer them a
volume of traffic nearly one and one-halt
times greater. there must be a consider
able increase in your railway facilities 2
After referring to the interest Of the
railways In the development Of the coun-
try and the interest Of the people IL
giving to their railways the support oi
q strong and militant public opinion that
would advocate policies favorable 10 rail
way development and that would no
make the first sign Of increasing rail
way net income a signal for demands
for increased charges and for the i'm.
position Of restrictive and destructiy,
regulation. Mr.. Finley said:
Fair TO All.
do not understand me. Mr.. Toast
master. as opposing the regulation Of rail
ways by governmental authority within
it's proper field. A railway COMPANY
maintains a public highway. It is a prop
er function OF government to guarante,
10 all individuals. upder similar Circum
stances and conditions. equal rights Il
the use OF this highway, just as il /.
proper for the city authorities OF Bristo
10 guarantee TO all. under similar cir
cumstances and conditions. equality o
rights on the streets Of this city
The conditions under which traffic mus
be moved upon the railway are such tha
1t is impracticable for shippers and trav
elers 10 provide and operate their Owl
vehicles and motive power. The com
pany which owns or controls this high
way must, therefore, exercise q monopoI
OF transportation over 1t. From this
follows that it is a proper function o
government 10 provide that charges 10
carriage by rail shall not be unreasonable
high as measured by the service per
formed
The proper field Of governmental reg
ulation, therefore. Is the prevention q
unjust discrimination in rates or servic
between persons, localities, or commOd
tiles, and the prevention of charge
that are unreasOnably high for the serV
ice performed. Regulation Confined I
this field rests on sound principles G
economics and public policy. But. neithe
as a matter Of sound economics nor c
sound public policy can regulation b
carried beyond these limits into tn
field OF business administration
The history OF the civilized wOrl
demonstrates that. in ali ages. thOs
countries have been most prosperous j
which the individual citizen has bee
given the greatest degree of liberty i
the management Of his OWL affairs cor
sistent with the preservation Of a lik
measure Of liberty TO all other individ
uals."