The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1914-01-30

Z can Dc potteI ~uuU0IBpOO0 Dy u lliua
tratIve analysis Of our payments Oh
/, account Of school taxes and road ant
! bridge taxes In the southern states
:, In 1912, our school taxes In thess
: 100000, or an average Of twenty
, eight hundred dollars for each coun
: ty ~traversed by our lines. At the av
erage annual compensation Of school
teachers In the Southern States as
reported by the United States Bureau
> OF Education. this would more than
> pay for ten teachers in each county.
1t represents 1854 out of every ,100
!. Of school taxes paid In these States
and amounts to fifteen dollars for
each school building in the States
trayersed by our lines. Every dollar
paid to the Southern Railway fo7
transportation charges thus includes
a substantial contribution to the
maintenance Of the system Of public
education in the South.
Payments by the Southern Railway
System In the same year OF taxes d.
rectly assessed for public roads and
bridges amounted to SAT-, s66.63, or
an average OF $1.571.81 for each coun-
ty along our lines. Every dollar paid
to the Southern Railway for transpor.
tation charges thus includes also a
substantial contribution to the main.
tenance OF the public highways Of the
South and Is an indirect but none the
less real public support of the pro-.
gressive movement for good and bet
ter roads.
| have referred to the impractica.
bility Of determining the amounts of
interest and dividends paid to hold
ers Of securities living along the line
OF the road. We know, however, that
a large percentage OF our population
have a very real though indirect per-
sonal interest in these securities even
though they may never have seen a
railroad bond or stock certificate.
There are few families in the South
who do not hold an insurance policy
of some sort; either an assurance on
life or against the risk OF fire. The
invested funds of the great insurance
companies are, therefore, matter, OF
vital concern to the Southern people,
and in large measure, are their own
assets held in trust for their benefit.
We find that the chief insurance COM
panies report their holding Of securi.
ties Of the Southern Railway System,
including terminal bonds on which the
Southern is a joint euarantor, aggre.
eating more than eighty million dol.
lars. In that great fund, the integri.
ty of which depends upon the con.
tinued solvency of the Southern Rail T.
way lines, the Southern people have
a vital proprietary interest, an Inter
est which, as they realize it, should
be to them a constant spur to protect
themselves by maintaining, as they
can and will, the basis Of Southern
Railway credit. ,
| assert with confidence that the
facts to which l have called your at. 1
tention are full warrant for the claim {
In a very real sense the South. I
ern Railway belongs to the people Of I
the South; so much so that its annual !
might more properly be ad.
dressed ITO the People of the South"
to advise YOU Of the results Of the
management Of your property, for 4
Today 1t belongs more to you than 1t
1oes to the stockholders. More than '
his. its management is and always Z
las been devoted to the interests of {
he South. Its officers are mostly I
'outhernsborn men and those who| q
not born in the South have
'een here long enough to become q
Identified with our interests, our pc. '
'uliarities, Our responsibilities, our
.'rejudices, and IL aspirations AZ a a
they talk tho same language
s the people of the South. look
to the time when there may be
more Southern men sitting on our
Of. Directors. where I knov
they will be welcome.
AS an organization then, the South.
IN Railway. with full appreciation
T, and acquiescence In, the present o.
endency of public sentiment as to n,
hat a railway Is and should be. a
lands pledged to the Southern peo- 4
lie, and Is proud to declare itself ono A
I their own institutions. As such II p
'vites the Southern people 10 help
to become more and more their
'hcient servant and at the same
me the object Of their pride ana Al.
They need have no fear NJ tt
$ future II 1t has their confidence.
| trust you will permit me 10 take =.
lis occasion to say finally a word r.
a personal nature: | believe in the NJ,
'uth and our Southern people with fe,
! my heart and soul. I have given d.
of the years Of my manhood
an earnest. though subordinate
Irt In an effort to realize a high pur.
'se OF promoting the regeneration
rongh. industry, Of the prosperity
this our beloved motherland.
We not known In my own exper.d /,
&c the horrors either Of the military /.
nfiict which left our people
ostrate, or Of the dreary years OF
litical disability and atrophied am.
Ion which followed that great war
tween the States, In one Of the
lef theaters OF which We are to-
mt, but I know the bitterness OIL
Sc things in the tradition Of my
mediate family, and l have learned
m my parents that, there can bs
higher aspiration than to be 4
I In the realization Of the ideals
our Southern people. Facing the
ure. ! have then dedicated my life
that duty and to Identification with