The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-03-20
The Railroads.

The Commercial believes that It's the
function OF the newspaper, concerning
matters OF general public nature, like
the Judiciary, to separate the tares from
the wheat There is good deal Of
prejudice existing between the railroad
corporations and the people and it is not
wholly on the side Of the people. At
the banquet the other night we had sew
eral very able addresses by the officials
Of them, @. & st. L. Railway Company.
One Of these was by the president OF the
road, Mr.. Peyton. Mr. Peyton is q late
conner to Tennessee. We want to say
that the speech he made impressed us
very forcibly and very favorably. We
have the utmost confidence in Mr.. Pey-
TOMS honesty and sincerity, and we be-
liese he is man Of very high business
and executive ability. There was an
other speech by Mr., Cole, a man Of very
big brain, who was there obviously for
the purpose Of appearing in behalf Of
private corporations and whose irony
was thinly yelled. He evidently made
listle effort to appear as broadminded,
patriotic citizen. HIS speech bore the
stamp Of an advocate rather than one
Of a public assemblage. His golden
rule seemed to have been made OF alloy.
We believe there has been a great
deal Of public clamor against the rail-
roads without good judgment We be-
lieved then and do now that there was
something more important than the
passenger rate agitation. The fact IS
that the railroads were then and are now
carrying passengers for less than two
cents a mile. This OF course means an
average and includes the summer tourist
rates and special trips The average
rate was much less than two cents a
mile. The railroads are now asking
for an increase ia freight rates, max
ing the point that all other COM
modities have advanced 10 price and
that the cost Of maintenance an operation
OF the roads has very materially in
creased. Their position seems very
tenable, but we do mean to say that
there is an unwarranted discrimination
10 freight rates. The railroad systems
have catered to the large terminal points
to the end that the tariff is very much
less than it is to shorter hauls on the
same lines. They are giving the long
distance shippers cheaper rate than to
local shippers on the same line. This
OF course refers to car lots, not to mixed
cars. The intermediate points are there
fore caused to suffer in competition with
terminal points Small towns are prac-
ticaIly prohibited from being manufac-
curing towns in competition with termi-
nal points, because the railroads have
Disseminated 10 freight rates in favor
Of the latter There is no excuse for
this except coast and river competition,
and the railroads have already absorbed
the principal coast and lake lines. Al
the same time the Interstate Commits
sion should not allow this excuse to
stand, as it is unfair and unjust to the
intermediate station points. The rail-
roads may be entitled to an increase in
freight rates, but they are not justified
in the existing schedule ofdiscriminative
rates and not entitled to any increase in
the rate, il at all. except TO through or
termibal points This is an evil that
railroad companies will not admit.
The railroads OF the country are them
selves responsible for therigid laws made
to regulate their business II they had
always been fair and honest this would
not have taken place. When the rail-
roads we're first built stock was sold to
the public, and many widow, as ref
erence was made tho other night, LOST
her holdings entirely when reorganiza-
ton took place and the big fish eat the
little ones. Nov the laws prohibit cor
porations from doing this, but the law
became necessary TO stop it. There arr
many honest railroad men,. but we reiel
to corporations.
AS stated in the outset, we beliey'
MIR. Peyton to be an honest man. ant