The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1909-01-21

ta believes any laws enacted for a bette.
ystem Of levees and drai image would be Gdvdn'-
ing the material interests and healthful coadi-
IONS Of the state, and worthy ui IN ~ cafe4ds
consideration and d more Eigt Jus policy iE3It,-
lratcd. He also recommends that you make
Witable investigation OF The J. ish ana q, iu
laws and pass bill which viii be for t-e
best interests Of all the people. He also SUE
-ests- that you memorable Congress and esp
'iaily our Representatives, to spare 10 pains
working for and passing some measure for
The Improvement Of our inland waite ways.
ABOL4ShMLNr UF STATE LAND or ICE.
The Governor recommends tine abolshmen
# the state Land once. declaring il To re
My legislative office and asserting that tbs
tate has suffered from the disposition of Its
ands at the prices received In the past two
!ears 147 so acres Of land have been sold and
n October /. 1905, only 2IJ.32S acres remained.
for the l47 .S25 acres the amount of cash taken
cash taken in is much less than the number
,. disposed Of the Governor assumes
that the number of acres disposed Of was large
~ in the way of redemption rather than sales
hat many of the lands remaining are subject
to redemption, and that the amount subject to
donation, entry sale is very small. He,
therefore,. suggests that further sales be pro
hibited at once and the lands held available
lnly for actual settlers who desire to donate
homestead them under restrictions which will
prevent their being utilized for any other pur-
Iose than actual settlement The adjustment
# the office will net the State $20,00J.oo
oiennially well as the lands which in the
uture will become of much value for the
actual supply.
RAILROADS.
Governor Donaghey begins discussion of the
railroad question with plea for less antagon-
ism against the railroads. declaring them to
ne essential to the Industrial DEVELOPMENT of
he State He admits however, that notwith-
standing all the excuses that be made.
here has been some cause for antugonism. al
though the records of our legislatures viii show
nat for thirty yeurs laws favorable and none
diverse to the railroads passed. C0ntin-
uing with review of recent Legislative
)odes, the Governor says:
Finally it became an open secret that the
principal railroads operating in Arkansas were
uying legislation favorable to themselves and
oppressive to their true friends, the citizens.
These open secrets were subsequently developed
nto newspaper statements, but the climax
anne when the facts out in court pro
ceedings.
Now, after this long> history of Legislative
avors abundantly bestowed the railroads,
nd at the first attempt to control them by the
state it is but natural that after being pet
ed as they have been by both the people
nd Legislatures, they would mutiny against
'estrant.
I l attended the two hearings at st. Paul,
MINI, before the Judge of the United States
curt. of the application for a temporary in
JUNCTION to restrain the State from enforcing
he rates imposed by its Railroad Commission,
which was brought by the five lines operating
n Arkansas. | heard them make the allega-
Ions that they were losing money on inter
re too sickly; the hills too steep and be-
ause the ties rotted too quickly and the
urves had to be built too sharp. l concluded
hat as far us l was concerned l would rather
see the receipted bills and actual pay rolls for
the material bought and labor paid for than to
listen to such argument
As has before been stated and as is now Of
ten repeated: "Taere must he a point where
the public interest in railroads and the private
interest of the corporators meet; where the
vice of the public at the lowest practicable
ate will produce the largest legitimate IN
to the Railroad. - 1t also stands to rea-
contended by most learned men in the
or service by railroads will not produce the
rgest income for themselves or redowned to
he best interests of any of the parties con
erned.
Now then the five trunk lines with all sub
idiary ones, have revolted from the sur
'eillance and control of our state railroad com
mission. They say the intrastate rate which
We have limited them to is too low, we say
It is adequate. They have. through the United
States Court, enjoined from enforcing it.
suppose the injunction is made permanent by
that Court? Then who Is going to say what
a reasonable rate Isl The United States
Court not make rates and unless the rail-
roads would inspire with more confidence
than they have in the past we can scarcely
accept their rates reasonable. Besides this
there are all sufficient reasons why we want to
know what we doing ourselves. Certainly
all intelligent bodies of people, when transactng
business for themelves want to know their
rights. Then by research, by obtaining facts
and by unmstakable analysis, the exact point
where the public interest and the private in
terest OF the corporators meet must
be established 1t must be shown
conclusvely where the service to the
public at the lowest practicable rate will at the
same time produce legitimate income for the
not be overestmated. Whatever rate is es-
tablished at the conclusion of this controversy
II rightly established will doubtless remain In
force for many years to come.
Mott no
originating outside Of the State and transported
into the State; nor the traffic originating on the
Inside of the State and transported out of It;
traffic transported from outside of the State
across 1t into another State over any of the
lines. can be regulated controlled by this
State
But all traffic hauled from one point in the
State to another point therein Is intrastate
traffic; and If have any State sovereignty
at all. we have Jurisdiction it, and may
regulate the charges and otherwise supervise the
conduct of public carriers.
To succeed in establishing fair compen-
sation for the cost of construction, equipment
maintenance and operation of our railroads, we
must ascertain the following facts:
LIST. What is the present value of such lines
and their equipment'
End. What are the operating expenses prop
erly chargeable to Arkansas2
3rd. What the gross earnings of each
line its Arkansas business2
4th. What is the cost OF carrying the pure
ly intrastate trailer
9th. What the gross earnings derived
from traffic originating and terminating between
points in the State?
9Th How to separate the freight traffic
from the passenger trafic7
Ith. To determine margin of profit the
railroads should have for their capital invested
Sth. In what manner and for what purpose
the earnings Of the railroads have been
pended?
The Courts practically unanimously agree so
far my information extends that the Legis-
lature has the power to delegate the authority
to Railroad Commission to fix rates for the
transportation Of freight and from point to
point within the limits Of the State.
And that the public undoubtedly has an In
terest in a railroad running through Its ter
ritory, concerning which the following state
ment 10 generally agreed to-
lone who devotes his property to In
which the public has interest. In effect
grants to the public an interest in that use.
and must submit to be controlled by the pub
lie for the common good. to the extent Of the
interest therein created"
1t 10 also well settled that the public shall
not be burdsned with fictitious charges for
watered stock, Illegal and extravagant expsndi-
ct