OF THE BOARD OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS OF NORTH CAROLINA, FOR THE Year Ending December 31, 1895. WINSTON: M. I. & J. C. STEWART, PUBLIC PRINTERS AND BINDERS 1895. North Carolina Railroad Commission. JAMES W. WILSON, CHAIRMAN; EUGENE. C. BEDDING FIELD, S. OTHO WILSON. HENRY C. BROWN, CLERK. MAY 15 1917 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS. To The Honorable ELIAS CARR, RALEIGH, December 31st, 1895. Governor of North Carolina. SIR-Pursuant to law the Board of Railroad Commissioners beg to submit this their Fifth Annual Report, embracing a complete statement of all the business done by the different railroads in this State during the present year, as well as steamboat, telegraph and telephones, together with the valuation of their property as assessed for taxation. The Commission has carefully heard every complaint, no matter how trivial, and adjusted the same. A report of these is also annexed. As far as practicable a personal inspection has been made of all the railroads, and it has invariably been done where there was a complaint either as to the condition of the track or as to proper depot accommodations. TAXATION. The taxable property was increased $537,837 this year over the year 1894. Increase since 1890, $12,678,908. MILEAGE. Including side tracks, there are now 3,616.58 miles of road. An increase over 1894 of 34.05 miles. Since our last report the following roads or parts thereof have been abandoned by reason of their earnings not being sufficient to keep them in repair or by reason of other roads occupying territory so contiguous as not to render them a public necessity: Milton and Sutherlin. Laurel River and Hot Springs. Hamilton. OVERCHARGES. Most of the complaints before the Commission have been as to overcharges; these have in most cases originated by errors of shipping clerks, and have been promptly refunded when the attention. of the Company complained of was called to the facts, or by reason of the want of a proper understanding of the "joint rate" rule; this rule has been so far modified as to leave no excuse for its violation in the future. It is very gratifying to note the very great improvement as to the business of the roads, and as a result only three roads are now in Receivers' hands; the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley, the Marietta and North Georgia, extending from Murphy to the Gecrgia line, a distance of 13 miles, and the Norfolk and Western, extending from Winston-Salem to Roanoke, Va., 45.75 miles in North Carolina, and Durham to Lynchburg, Va., 41.69 miles in North Carolina. The most important matter concerning the railroads of the State is the lease of the North Carolina railroad to the Southern Railway Company for a period of 99 years, at a rental in excess of the limit as fixed by its charter before the road bed of the same would become liable for taxation. The Commission, as a Board of Appraisers, will hereafter place this entire property on the tax list as other roads, this being the last which claimed exemption. As a matter of public interest, and one which is appropriate to this report, we insert the lease of the North Carolina Railroad recently made by the directors of the State and the private stock holders to the Southern Railway Company. Respectfully submitted, JAS. W. WILSON, Chairman; E. C. BEDDINGFIELD, S. OTHO WILSON, Commissioners. NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD COMPANY. TO THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY. LEASE. THIS DEED, made this 16th day of August, 1895, by and between the NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD COMPANY, a corporation incorporated by the State of North Carolina, of the one part, and the SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY, a corporation. incorporated by the State of Virginia, of the other part, witnesseth: THAT WHEREAS, it is provided by the nineteenth section of the charter of the North Carolina Railroad Company, "that the said Company may, when they see fit, farm out their right of transportation over said road, subject to the rules above mentioned; and the said Company, and every person who may have received from them the right of transportation of goods, wares and produce, shall be deemed and taken to be a common carrier, as respects all goods, wares, produce and merchandise entrusted to them for transportation." AND WHEREAS, by an Act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved Eebruary 20, 1894, the Southern Railway Company is empowered, from time to time, to lease, use, operate, consolidate with, purchase or otherwise acquire, or be leased, used or operated by, or consolidated with any railroad or transportation company now or hereafter incorporated by the laws of the United States, or any of the States thereof; AND WHEREAS, it now seems to the North Carolina Railroad Company to be fit and judicious and to the advantage of the said Company, to "farm out" their entire railroad, with all their franchises, |