The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-08-26

son or brother Tor money; on the other
| hand, the collection of damages ont
of railroad revenues, as a punishment
for an avoidable accident, when there
can be no real compensation, is an
economic waste; it Furnishes the pub.
lie more than it Furnishes the stock.
holders, as it deprives the public BY
exactly the amount of the damage
of the ability of the railroad to pro,
vide additional permanent facilities
for the use or convenience and safety
of the public. Given the progressive
policy Of Southern Railway Company
to make such improvements to the
extent of it's ability. it is of interest
to note that, in the last year a divi.
dend was paid by the Company, $3.50
cents of every dollar Of revenue col
lected from the public went in pay
ment of damages of all kinds, prac
tically the same amount, 1888 cents,
went to the stockholders, while only
thirteen-hundredths of one cent OF
each dollar of revenue could be ap-
piled on permanent improvements
Such other improvements as were
made we're necessarily charged to new
capital, thereby. increasing the de.
mands on the fund in which the pub
lie has. SO vital an interest. 1t would
be the pleasure Of. the management
always to apply as much of the rev.
enues on permanent improvements as
on dividends, if that was possible.
There is, then, a basis of interest as
well as of morals for cooperation be-
tween the public and the railroads to
prevent the recurrence of these trag
edies.
with deep sense of the respon
sibility of management in this mat
ter and pledging this Company to do
everything in it's power which is rea
sonable and consistent with the func
lions for which it was chartered, ap
peal to the public generally for such
cooperation in avoiding these serious
and distressing accidents. In practical
ly all cases they can be, and in most
cases are, readily and easily avoided
by the automobile driver acting upon
the familiar warning to stop, look and
listen at railway crossings. While
familiarity with the. crossing sign
posts and the regular schedules OF
trains may breed contempt of danger,
surely every one of us when using
highway can afford to sacrifice enough
of his time and his pride of opinion
to have a practical assurance Of safe
ty. On the other hand, the demands
of commerce and of public transpor'
tation do not permit railroad to stop
all it's trains at all highway crossings:
il that was possible it would be cheap
er for the railroad to do so than to
pay the damages. It is clear, however,
that it is necessary that one or the
other of the parties to crossing shall
stop if the largest measure of protec
ton Of life and limb and property Is
to be secured. II not from self-inter
est, can not the automobile driver
yield the precedence as a matter OF
to age, for the railroad ls
older than the automobile!
Eliminating Grade Crossings
"The ideal of safety will be accom-
olished only when all grade crossings
If railroads are separated. In this
Southern Railway Company is
1O1ng something every year anu q"
much as it's resources and other oDlt
cations make possible: indeed, it may
,e claimed that the Company u.s.
speaking generally, making progress
more rapidly than most municipalities
which have an obligation in the prem
SEES: but by cooperation Of munich
,alities and railroads many dangerous
crossings have been eliminated
the South, and more Will
re every year. Furthermore, on every
lit of construction work Of Southern
Company now in progress or
ecently completed, involving the re-
ocation or double tracking or line
nearly four million dollars has been
pent on such work during the past
earl, provision has been made al
arge additional expense to separate
IL important highway crossings OF tns