The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1839-06-26

A meeting of Stockholders in the Atlantic Steam
Boat Company was held al the Franklin
House in Providence, on Saturday, June 18th,
1889, when the following resolution was mo-
we'd and voted--no member Of the Company
in the negative
Whereas, sundry reports having gone a.
broad calculated to injure the interests of this
Company.-therefore resolved by this meeting,
that we will continue to run the John w. Rich
mond, and to accommodate the public as here
tofore, so long as they shall see fit TO sustain
US in our operations al the present prices" 1t
was also the fully expressed opinion that an sd-
dress be drawn up and published. The fol-
lowing is therefore presented for the consider
alton Of the travelling public:
In the summer of 1885, the steamboat John
w. Richmond was put on the Providence and
New York route, with the object of reducing
the fare and freight. thereby alone expecting TO
realize TO the Stockholders a fair remuneration
for the adventure. Those hopes and expecta-
tions have in a measure been realized. The
old company, owning what are called the Trans
portation Boats, have the whole time kept one
of them against us on the day of our running,
at the different prices of 50, 81 or 81, accor-
ding to varying circumstances many instan-
ces sending with US on the same day three, and
on succeeding days no boats passing Newport
TO or from New York, and on all days not used
by us at higher rates than the boat put against
us-manifestly with the known, and 0ckROlCt-
edged object of destroying competition.
With feelings of pride and gratitude, we have
TO acknowledge that a large number Of travel
lers have closely adhered to our cause and our
interests, and hOnorably exerted themselves TO
give us the aid they promised-still we are
compelled to witness that there are Others (and
some Of them gentlemen who applaud our en-
terprise,) who pass by us, and take the benefit
of the dollar system, set up by the wealth and
power of the great capitalists of Europe and
the United States, to destroy the fair and free
competition on the waters of Naragansett Bay
and the Sound. With the whole line from
Boston to New York, there is a connected in
terest and perfect unity. Those who control
the Boat property, control the Massachusetts
Road-they also control the India Point Road:
they further control the Stonington Road
dividing as they do the gross earnings of the
Boats and Road at per cent. ratio. BY this
union they materially control much of the trav-
el, nearly the whole freight from Boston, and
they control the whole both of freight and trav-
el between Providence and New Y FORK via Ston-
ington, contrary to the spirit of their charter,
charging 81 so to 50 so more for part of their
Road and Boat, than for the whole of BOTH
They have also So contracted with the Road,
that on charge of So from Providence TO n.
York, the Road receives but 90 cents, and the
Boat from Stonington receives 81 l0-but
should a competition boat be run from Ston-
ington to New York the Road would receive
50 to carry her passengers, leaving for that
Boat only 81. This amounts to a total pro-
hibition, and they have thus locked up all the
waters of Stonngton harbor. Was this con-
templated by the Legislature of Rhode Island /!
We beg the attention of the travelling public
to this statement. We beg of them closely to
calculate their own interest and ours, and they
cannot but be fully sensible of the necessity and
proprety of sustaining the J, W. II. by their
liberal patronage. Should the J. w. r. be
compelled to retire from the unequal contest,
the evils of high fare, and cold neglect, if not
direct abuse will again be certainly visited on
those who pass this great thoroughfare, and no
other competition again be seen on the Nara
gansett Bay, and the Long Island Sound for a
length of years yet to GOMEZ.
BY order of the Stockholders.
JOHN w. RICHMOND.