The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-02-27
C0aM0N SENSE TALG.
Tlic IhtefdtpendeAtesGf tie Railroads.
and the Public.

JHc Enfefucpendcnct'U 'Uf Tie HulIf0adS
j.; and the Public.
AUGUSTA Chronicle.
The Chronicle prints today an ad-
dress delivered before the Anderson
IS. c. CHAMBER OF Commerce, by Mr..
a. W-Anderson OF Augusta. general
manager Of the Charleston and West
ern CarOlha i.iiirUad. which II seenls
TO us, furnishes considerable food for
thought; certainly something deserv-
Ing Of the public's serious considera-
| tion. IL for no other reason gccausc OF
itB 'Perfett ,CrallRness and tie appar-
cnt desire or az least one prominent
railroad nianagcr-as IL. doubtless, is
of many others-to work in harmony
with tho PUBLIC and the public's in,
terestB, and not at cross purposes.
The time. was, perhaps. when for n
| railroad official to speak so frankly In
defense OF "a railroads rights and i'll
terestS might have been considered
out OF place and not in harmony with
the spirit OF the times, but, happily.
this feeling is passing away; for the
Thinking Deople OF tile country, ipaf+s
ticularly those who have business In,
tercstS at stake and WHO are accus-
toned TO weighing all large questions
| In spirit OF fairness, to say the least
arc rapidly awakening to the fact that
| whatever. rCtards railroad progress In
ithis country <fetardB the progress OF
| the country itself.
And this Is necessarily so, particu-
liarly hero in the south, for the one
gerat need of the rc6untry to-day IL.
better gaiIfoad service, and Increased
faeiliHt8; otherwise the country it.
SELF Is Handicapped in It's Develop
fnent
| Mr.. Anderson has presented briefly,
but N 3. very interesting and conrifie-
| Ing way, the marvellous progress of
the trAilr6adS In AmepieRGtWithin the
lifctifie OF men now liying-from tie
days of the stage coach 10 the mile
fa-tntnuts yestihule of the present;
TRANSPORTING their millions Of passeh-
gers and their billions or tons OF
freight efeFy ycar-with the ever con-
stant cry on the part or the public,
Tor Increased facilities and improved
yervice.
As q railroad manager, he recoghiz.
es' tie demand of the times; 'heBRiioWs.
That service and facilities must be
Kept ahreAst even hcad-of earnings
and he AYERS that thai is the Constant
9fpt OF every failF6tEd d4ifianageriinstli
country who has proper apprecia-
ton Of his responsibilities, either 10
tue ppblie or to the hoad whiohiHte
representa-; but right here he makes
the point that the public is as much,
Interested In helping to solve r sth.s
pgoblem d the railroad MANAGER him.
self, and that II cant be proppgIY
iss0ivelL Without NUT ttfRl understand ding
and coEop6ra ton; !ies emplfasizes, I, s In
fact, the nterieEendence OF the raiI-
roads and the publ ;e. ,s
While lie recogniyes, as all board,
mindod SraI aIffaad q mon nfr to-day do, tile
pubiIe,s right to regulate Within, s- Fea-
son, both railroad rates and service,
hc points out that hasty, iif-csbnsiiierred
regulations seriously handicaps d rail-
road in serving the pubiic's best intcr-
ests: In other words, that where reg
nlation Is necessary, II should be at
! the Hands or dtity cpnstitltedt eoIti4,
missions, with jtidieihf resbohsibiIi-
ties and authority, having opportunity
to carefully weigh and consider All
fgcts sDaaTing~ony the question and nnt
at the hands OF eEssIatIye bodies, act
ing hastily and, TOD, often. for p0liti-
cal ratlies than practical motives. n sr,,.-t
That these are Reasonable sugges-
tiuns, We are prepared to believe, and
rsi.si .s-sAststh sunsncL - one ueSerS
Ing of tlIe. pupliG's most serious con-
sideratiDh mot ngerely, In the inter
ests of the raifrohdsi but In the pub
lies owl best inteHe ,sS-,we areEquiie
certain; Tor 'reEs L q lass 5 s5f occasional
patty conflicts or III tsTest, the pfog-
ress and prosperity or one ineaI the
progress; and pr9srp its OF, the other;
this mutuslity OF interest cant bo sep
aratcd without sdisfstcr to both.
Tho. mistake va tatnk, which most
Railroad ifiaIaEefS l3Sye made ihi the
past which pc AlilIttea Of mulch
i,.is u q hltnE y Z well M OF ,n,ich
ntendsct mig: s3eesentatioh-4w
n, not ling thi. public fully into
their consl fence; in not dealing plain
~ ant fr8hkly VII / every question
that ittXSiYed tiIesr mutual interests:
IN, ,ili 3, infS I'D 6 gpnfe riEig; iii,
tryiES 70 use rDcee fathef thah pcr-
rlasipt and i {. are gtila t5 see, there
fore. ass gYidnD,ad sy.sNIr. Andersori's
aidEe shs all as by, che phbllc ut
teraticeA of thor distinguished rail-
TOAD btyIciais OF late years. n tendency
to Ogfll flit,s out q the open with
OyeIy Z. tIet.i tnl afTpet tlng our. ailroads,
thus appe ling to thG public,s reason
and sefise of fairncss. (which, as a
Tnlei iisly be best relied upon ror
l@hatcycf is really daseryiig OF con-
T'siG PiRDsf0NT Il III SzTSS