Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-10-15
SOUTHERN RY. WANTS SYMPATHY
Says That Business viii Not Permit
Contemplated Improvements.

RaIeign, Oct. ga hearing of great
interest to every citizen of North Car
olina was held here today before the
state corporation commission. Mr..
Jefries, of Washington, asked, and
was granted, the privilege of laying
before the commission the condition
Of the Southern Railway company,
brought about by the business emer-
Sency before us. He stated that he
was sent by Mr.. Harrison, president
of the company, to speak for him and
in his behalf, and to tell the people of
North Carolina frankly and freely OF
the emergency that now c%onfronts his
road. He stated that he came to them
as trustee of the state of North Caro-
lima and its people, who are vi
tally interested in the condition of the
Southern railway than its owners,
he stockholders: That the public Of
North. Carolina is interested to the eX-
tent of every acre of land, every dol
lar of property that lies along the line
Of such railroad; that the employees
are interested in every dollar earned
by the Southern railway to the extent
OF 41.3S cents, and that the stockhold-
ers, since the organization IN 1894,
have received in dividends on their
stock an annual average return of only
.9O6 per cent less than one per cent.
That, therefore, the public and the
men at the throttle, in shops and on
the sections, are more acutely interest
ed in the success of the company than
all others. That a serious fiscal diff
Guilty must be met, and, however dis
agreeable it may be, the only manner
of meeting such emergency is through
retrenchment; that it has no other
source, for the usual means of in
creasing its revenues to keep pace
with it's increasing expenses are clos
ed by the very conditions which have
created the emergency. Mr.. Jeffries
showed TO the commission that the
week ending September 21st, the gross
revenues of the Southern had fallen
of, as compared with the same week
last year, the sum of ~$139,356.00 or
9.98 per cent: that for the three
weeks ending September 21st, as
compared with a year ago, such de-
I crease amounted to $294,134.OO in the
gross revenue of the company. That
this decrease in business could not
be met in any other way than to call
upon the people of North Carolina,
and particularly the commission to
assist such company in curtailing the
demands made upon its revenues. He
filed statements with the commission
showing that the Southern Railway
company had, within a period of three
years last past, been required to ex-
pend throughout the South, for new
depots, depot facilities, station
grounds, viaducts, and other improve
ments, largely of a non-revenue pro-
ducing kind, the enormous sum of
$13,283 ,789 81; and statements show
ing that there are now authorized AMI
under construction throughout the
system such improvements amount
ing to the further sum of 81, 095, 1885,
"a; and statements showing furthe"
that demands are now pending
throughout the south, by government
al agencies, such as state corporation
commissions. cities and towks, and
highway and drainage commissions, !
to the amount of 7O,940.94; Mr..
Jeffries also filed statements with the
commission showing that there are
now authorized and under construc-
ton in the state of North Carolina
alone, such improvements to the
of S358.225 %: end that there
are now pending before such govern
mental bodies in This state not yet
authorized by the company, demands
which, if granted, would ~necessitate a
further expenditure of $3,359,O13.0O.
Mr.. Jeffries asked that the commits
sion give to his company its help and
sympathy, particularly in curtailing
the demands for rublic improvements
at this time. He stated that sucn
simply could not be met;
that he company did not have the
money with which to meet them; that
while its gross revenues had been
aoing off. the operating expense was
eon+;n,a11v growing; Mr. Jeffries told
- oomnanv that the freight revenues