The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-15
Notable Utterances By
 Governor Elect BroDn

a general reduction in freight rates; (which seldom, if ever, are shared in by the consumer. On this point he 'The general business men. the rail- road trafnmen and passengers, and the masses of the people of Georgia are companies to furnish such tracks, train service and other facilities as will pro- tsct life and expedite commerce than they are In further reducing rates for
 And. lay down further proposi.
 "The iaboring men of Georgia are more interested in securing employ ment and remunerative wages through the industrial development which | the railroads than they are in reduc. tion of reight rates.
 ''The farmers of Georgia are more in- of osresasS consumers m of their products in the tracks of the railroads and in the in- sased sedef by tOess the double tracks than they are in the reduction of freight rates of which experience has proven. they s And I lay down a further propcsi-
 ''fhe wholesale merchants and the ass1 ons n frshs l rates. are more interested in securing l quicker service which is incident to double tracks. and in securing the put. naturally result from the arnplffied facilities and consequent increase in Population: than they are in the redue..
 There is no setting around these | common sense propositions. They are plain business facts; such as must ap-
 Gr: Brown stated that there are about 1850 miles of main line on the double. .tracked If the work were justi- the sniarssd terminal facilities. the
 es ete would Ss 1sooo stsl psr me or about ss5.Soo. .o0e In all He expressed t as his deliberate judgment there reduction in the freight rates has failed to reach the masses of our peopie---the consumers--and as the figures show freight rates would manifsstiy fail, to reach them, we should cease chasing will Q the wisps and turn our atten. 1 tion to the accomplishment of practical results which will protect the lives of trains. and of those who travel. pro- and shippers of goods and insure to the masses a share of the money ex- pended by the owners of railroad prop l erty as wages and for supplies.
 The legislature, he said. might au- 1 thorize the railroad commission to ar- range with the various railroad com | panies for doubie.tracking their main lines upon terms which would be fair | to the public and to the roads. Con- ciuding he said:
 "A plan could De worked out which
 would protect the people and give the railroad companies that in. which the agitation during the past three years | has made them deficient in the money markets of the world. wis. sasts of credit. The sword of Damocles being I withdrawn from over their earning powers .hey could assure the monev- | holders that their income on railroad investments in Georgia was practically l guaranteed ] cannot doubt that the moneyS would then come"
 Who can doubt that increased raii. 1 road facilities in Georgia would be
 worth far more to the citizens of this State than, the supposed saving here and there, of few dollars in freight rates-whieh reductions in the aggre- 1 gate. and still further threatened re. 1 auctions. have completely paraiyzed these great industries. And who can doubt that industrial peace and pros- perity generally is better than political agitation, such as we have experienced during the past few years--at the highest price ever paid by people.