The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-03-17

must p1S1StA u LII II ISdIC4S lA1t I
when he earned yesterday that the
agreement reached last year between
the railroads and the State of North
Carolina had been made an Interstate
Commerce Commission order.
Governor Crais's inaugural address
was the first ape of State that went
seriously into this question. 1t ante
dated the legislatures action ana went
before any meaure that had been
proposed by any of the organizations |
in the State. 1t is hardly possible
that he hoped for such q victory SO
early in his administration and his
friends believe hat such an accom-
plishment might we'll have been made
the work of q whole administration.
But he has led the State in the ad-
vocacy of good roads and been as
near the peoples heart in education
as any man has ever been.
The victory ii the freight rate mat
ter was brought about in such a way
as TO rob him of a publicity that
otherwise might have one round the
world. The Governor has never
been a good advertiser. Self-adver-
Using is the slickest of all the phases
of publicity. Had he been talented
IN this line, governors from all the
States would have been coming here
to find out how the trick was turned.
But it was accomplished with SO little
of the spectacular that Virginia,
alone, seems to have heard about it.
Governor Craig's championship Of
this measure before the special session
OF the General Assembly and before
the Just Freight Rate Association
looked one time like self-effacement,
but he converted both bodies to his
way Of thinking, the legislature sus-
tanning him and scores of the business
organizations since coming to his
view OF it. His view is that q great
LJrtnT hos hoo, yvnp hnant ,-n i'm
mediate relief has been given, bust
ness Will be stimulated and the whole
South Will be eventual gamer. In an
interview last night he said:
The Amount Great.
'"The reduction will save to North
Carolina according to the general es-
innate about 100000 annually.
This is great accomplishment, but
its a small part of the advantage
that will be gained by the State. The
great benefit will be that it will give
TO the people OF North Carolina ad-
VantaSes which have heretofore been
: denied them. Heretofore industries
1 that would naturally have been es
tablished here have gone 10 Virginia
because of the advantage that Nir-
Sinia had over North Carolina on ac-
/ u of the freight rates. The
wholesale merchants of Virginia have
been able TO drive out of business the
wholesale merchants of North Caro-
lima for the reason that they had the
n advantage Of a freight rate that was
denied to our merchants.
s These new rates relieve us in 2
large measure against such discrimi.
nation and business will now devel l
e here which naturally belongs here
n Our cities and towns will feel the ef
fects Of it and\will be simulated t.
h greater prosperity than they hay.
heretofore enjoyed.
a This is Q bigger thing thar tn,
saving of money" Governor Graf,
continued. "Of course that is con
II siderable. a reduction of $4,000. 90,
Is a great concession to our bushes
men. Distributed over the Nortl
- Carolina cities it viii be felt. Ashe
- Vile, for instance, isn't so favored il
~ this order as Greensboro, Salisbur
= or some other points. Yet, a bushes
=. man, who has taken the trouble t
- work II out calculate the adyantae
in to come to Asheville merchants a
soe'ooo. You can see what a grea
- reduction it is.
But the opportunity to do Inns
ness Is a much bigger thing. Will
70 we are saving about $4,000. 900 al
nually. cit may be less, it may b
s. lnore)' We are building up a bus
50 MSS And II We increase our bus
ness We shall receive a correspondin
on reduction. The $1,000, 900 savin
IS means the mou saved on preser
shlpInents, but if the volume Of bus
TO ness Were Increased by fifty per CO,
the saving would be 5000, 900. An,
way, the reduction will aid in develol
Ia ing Our business. Il will help ever,
n body. even the railroads.
be Make Local Rates Right. '
And ouI local or interstate freio-
en- rates viii be settled right. Whe
he they are. We shall sin to -
eli than Virginia, We shall nor have
SIS that We deserve, but We have ,oade
neSlhhlnS and The best begirnj,
mat any State las ever made. T,
pest thing, OF course. is the como
70 'uilltE Tor our North Caroline DO
all do business win 1bair d
10 Nhen We get 4 local rate tina niv