The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-17
SAYS INTERESTS
ARE IDENTICAL
Railway Man Asserts Railroads
and Public Are Equally
Affected.
STATION CASES ARE HEARD
Powhatan People Flock to Capt.
toll to Hear and Give
Evidence.

Which. In your opinion. is para
mount, service to tho public or the
interests of the railroad companies?
was the question hurled ut superin.
tendent IL L. Hutchens. OF the north.
ern division OF the Southern Railway
In the hearing yesterday before the
State Corporation Commission of the
Powhatan county station caacs.
There IS no distinction whatever
between the two returned Air. Hutch
ems firmly. NO service can be given
the public which docs not also help
the railroads."
This question and answcr-perhaps
the very pith OF the eternal question
between the railroads and the people
came toward the conclusion OF the
days hearing. While the matter of
crnlosing the Clayvillc station. on the
Southern in Powhatan county. is not OF
interest 10 any widespread number OF
people II proved OF the most intense
interest to those directly involved.
The commissions courtroom was filed
throughout the day with the people
of Clayvillc and those of Dorset, which
at u previous informal hearing FUR
nished the alternative TO closing Clay
Vile. Farmers and business men OF
the Villages brought their wives and
daughters to the Capitol. and the evil.
dence was followed with close atten-
ton.
ande Locn. Hits.
Local illusions which were incom-
prehensible to the casual visitor
seemed TO please the audience or to
make st indignant. as the case might
be The commission Itself repeatedly
sought to shorten the proceedings by
protesting against the introduction OF
extrnneous matter. but largely In vain.
for the evidence was prolonged, II
seemed. intcrInnably.
At last. when the proceedings had
produced headache in Commissioners
Rhea and he had asked TO be excused
Chairman Prcntis abruptly adjourned
the hearing to 10 o'clock this morn
ing with Mr.. Hutchens still on the
stand.
Boiled down. the evidence shows
that the stations Of Clnyyillc and Dor
set arc nine tcnths OF n mile from each
other. and that Moseley Junction is
only mile or so away. The Southern
Railway In 1908 filed a petition asking
the commission for permission TO dis
continue the station at Dorset, for q I
that time the Powhatan Clay Manu-
featuring Company was carrying on
Vile. and that station was doing much
the larger volume OF business. This
was refused. Now, however. the oper-
ations have been stopped. much of the
machinery shipped away. and the only
business transacted by the company Is
the sale and shipment Of hitherto un-
sold brick. The stations receipts fell
Oft accordingly, and the Southern. at
II recent informal hearing. suggested
the closing OF Clayville, and the COM
mission agreed. Tho people OF cle:-
VILE desired to appeal to the Supreme
Court but could not do so. because
there was no record IN the case. There
fore, the present formal proceedings
were Instituted.
Perhaps Same Result.
Those who witnessed yesterdays
hearing were inclined 10 the opinion
that the commissions decision would
hardly be different from that it de-
llvered informally few weeks ago,
since apparently no new evidence war
ranting reversalJ was presented.
W. NJ. Justis, Jr., appeared as coun-