Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-15
AVOID MOB BY RUSE OPPOSES MORE laws
Albany Police Take Mrs. Mel W. w. Finley Defines Limit of
Der to Jail in Automobile. Railroad Legislation.
stop TRAIN OUT OF CITY ADDRESSES TRAFFIC CLUB
Waiting Fails Southern Railway President Pleads
Glimpse for Reasonable Compensation
TELLS WHY SHE KILLED WOULD PUBLIC OPINION
He
stration in Policy
ther Carrie
W. W. Finley Defines Limit of
Railroad Legislation.
ADDRESSES TRAFFIC CLUB
Southern Railway President Pleads
for Reasonable Compensation.
WOULD ALTER PUBLIC OPINION
Magnate Takes Issue With Admin
istration in Its Policy to Fur
ther Regulate Carriers.

Contending that legislation TO obtain
equality of rights on highways and the
prevention of unreasonable and cxtortion-
ate charges should be the limit ~ rec,l-
lation by the government in behalf OF
the people, W. W Finley president Of the
Southern Railroad Company aroused his
hearers In an address al a smoker of the
washington Traffic club. at the New vii
lard last evening
Neither capitalization nor the cost OF
railway construction, he declared FUR
ther. can have any controlling hearing
on the fixing of any specific rate"
Coming il did from the president or
one of the leading railway systems Of
the country in the face of efforts of tn.
administration To obtain legislation for
the governmental regulation OF railway
capitalization at the present time III.
declaration was considered of more than
ordinary significance.
The topic of Mr.. Finley's address wa
THE Public Relations of the Railways"
1t was. Mr.. Finley declared, a subject OF
great and growing importance no. only
to those ngaged in the business of rail
transportation. but TO all the people of
the United States.
Limit Now Reached.
Frankly admitting said Mr. Finley.
the right of the public to insure equality
of rights on the highways and TO prevent
unreasonable or extortionate charges for
transportation service, we shall be in q DO
s1tlon to demonstrate that, neither as a
matter of sound economics or sound pub
lie policy. should regulations be carried
any farther. and that justice to the rail-
ways and the interests of the public re
quire that transportation charges shouId
be reasonably compensatory for the serv-
ices rendered We shall learn and be able
TO demonstrate to any fair-mnded man
that the only Just method OF determining
the reafsonableneSS of TRANSFORMATION
charges Is to measure them by the sery-
Ices performed, and that the amount OF
any particular reasonable transportation
charge, as expressed in dollars and cents,
varies with the character of the service
formed
Neither capitalization nor cost of rail-
way construction declared Mr.. FINLEY.
.;aa ea.her as matter OF economies or prac-
uce, can have any controlling bearing
on the nxlng of any specific rate. With
this established, it follows that what
ever remains to a railway as the net
result OF its operation is the property of
its owners.
An intelligently formed public opinion
can be based only on information and
We should make IL our business to see
that the public is informed"
MI. Finley contended that the Arst
requisite was for the railway men to :.
inform themselves as to be able TO pre-
sent the conditions to the public I'm a lucid
anu convincing way. This, he said, is the
task that now confronts the railway men
of the United States When we do SO
he said. we shall find that the Interests
of the public and of the railways are in
Sseparably interviewer, and that any pub
lie policy that would be harmful to the
railways would be against public inter
est
Would Keep Out of Politics.
Mr.. Finley declared it was not his pur-
pose to advocate participation by the
raliWaAs IN politics in tho sense Of OBJ
tanning or endeavoring to obtain the po-
Iltlcal success of individuals or parties
Dut he did contend for the right and the
wisdom of presenting the railways case
at the bar of public opinion in argument
and protest before Legislative and other
tribunals where their interests and them
public relations were affected He ex-
pressed The belief, IN conclusion. that II
their case was properly presented fh"
public. would soon look upon transporta-
ton interests as helpful allies.
Other speakers included George L.
James of the Atlantic Coast Line former
President Foston of the Traffic Club Ed
ward Drayton of the American Railway
Association and others. \ letter of re-
gret from T'aul \. Waters of the Chesa-
peake Beach railway was read hy s l.
Heacock, vice president of the club
Among the entertainers were s F. Cor
bin and THE Songbirds," z double quar-
tet of the club: Frank Wcsterman John
J. German. Frank J. Wiley and others.
Special guests of IN" evening included
j. Sale Poston. q. Raymond Wentz
Samuel Mullin. Il. I. King. L. w. Eean.
q. :. Wainwright. II. O. Hill, W. Hey-
ward DraytolI. Frank : smith, D. T.
Callahan. Frank J. Wiley, John ]. Cor
man and Z. \. Drake.
List of Guests.
Odell S. Smith. president Of tho club
presided at The Junction. Members pres
ent included G. N Borum. Southern rail
way: r. b. Bowling. y & W. Steamhoat
Company: w. W. Bowie Pennsylvania
ram raihoad; II. I. baldwin. Baltimore ami
Ohio railroad. (. V. Brooks Cnesapeak.e
Beach railway: j ". BRAY, southern
railway: Hamilton Baxter. Southern
railway; G. X. Caldwell Southern rat
way: w IL Callahan. y. & w. Steamboat
company: ;. r. torbin, Baltimore ari
ONO railway: T.. Z. Cohen. A - L rail
way, George 5. Derrick, Southern railway
W. w. FInley. Southern railway, d. Nj
fIsner' Baltimore and Ohio railway.
{. w. Fletcher. Southern railway T. p
Green. Atlantic Coast Line railway. {
Ileacock, Chesapeake Beach railway. =
M. Hicks, White Star line: H. X Hickey,
southern railway: IL. R. Howser, Ralti-
more more and ono railway. +. T.. Jones Nor
pany; George p. James. Atlantic Coast
Line railway: j. lewis, Jr.. Baltimore
and Ohio railroad: &. A. Kline. Southern
railway: Oscar Luckett. Washington Sun
set route. T.. j. Lockwood. Norfolk and
Western railway: j. T. Moffett, Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company:
Guy MauIdin, southern railway; a. e
Mackler, North German Lloyd: j. e. Ma
colm PENNSYLVANIA railroad. T.. T.. Mar
shall Baltimore and Ohio railroad J. r..
McKeever, Chesapeake and Ohio rdilway;
John L. Newbold. Merchants Transfer:
E. J. Ober, Pennsylvania railroad;
A. j. Poston. Washington Sunse'
route; F. il. Poston, Washington Sunset
route: w. B. Peckham. Washington Sun
set route; w. III. Potter, Southern rail
way; c. L. Phelps. Baltimore and Ohio
railroad: j. A. Riordan, Norfolk and
Washington Steamboat Company: ]. ".
Spransey. Norfolk and Washington
Steamboat Company; c. II. st. John.
Potomac and Chesapeake Steamboat
Company: w Y. Stillwell. Baltimore and
Ohio railroad: Odel S. Smith. Norfolk
and Washington Steamboat CompAny:
G. Z. Shanklin, Southern Pacific: :. S.
low. Terminal Y. NJ. C. A. Nathan We'll,
Pennsylvania railroad: Z. y. Wasterman.
Southern railway; l.. a. Walker. Chesa-
peake Beach railway; W. l.. White.
Norfolk and Washington Steamboat Com
pany: John q. Williams. Norfolk and
Steamboat Company: A. G.
McEroy. Pullman Company: ]. e. Tay-
lor. Potomac and Chesapeake Steamboat
Company; DIR. w. A. Applegate. Southern