Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-08-01
RICHMOND, VA.
Friday Morning. August l. isa''


he Petersburg Railroad Company ana VT .""-
cs r. Riyes, by which he was 10 receive 'o'i
Them certain sun, oil money, a long Is h'S pau
&c Tho Portsmouth Railroad az miles, between
A,,rcaretsvilIe and Weldon, n. O. was not useu
for lrayel or transportation This arrahgemeh'
was confirmed by the stockholders OF the refers.
burg Company. 1t seems that ne Vo'e u '"e
STATE was cast against The contract, ANGER hs''ue
lions given BY the Board OF Public WORKS anu
FIR he reason that the ariangemelnent Wa!A Nii
Ryes would materially injure, il IL did not de-
s,rov The Portsmouth, Road, and that The Board
ri Public Works was bound 10 lake care oil an
The improvements in which the Stale was iii'ei-
es,ed. The article In The Republican goes on 9
cr;,;cze the action Of the Board of Public W fkS'
o,d cbarces them with inconsistency, IN that IN
December, Is43, they held language widely o,ne-
rent from that used in The Instructions 70 'he'i
proxy at the late meeting Q! the petersburg hoao'
Our attention has been called TO this matter
and in ins,ice 10 the Board Of Public Works, We
feel bound 10 show, what were their real views IN
1913. and the motives for their action IN 'he
late instructions on the subject OF The arrange
,nept between Mr. Rives and the Petersburg Com
pany. ~
We quote the following paragraphs from 'he
Annual Report Of the Board Of Public WORKS IN
December, 1913
an nppears evident, on an investigation OF The sun
sc ~ ,he differences heretofore noticed te"eeh 'e
petersburg ard he Portsmouth and ROANOKE lump"
ME. mai nothing Ir.s than the acquisition o. noh"Po
!, az IN. whole ran.poi titinn "m me koahoke e,u'
~, ~ snd M The tLroayh travel between N-ldnh nnd
B,It,more is AIMED al bv each Company ihaeeu, i
perfectly na'ur ia i this disposition md duhi
Tint ali tho which has here'oi"e been derived
iiom those sources OF proht has not reached an a
ma Than sufficient for lbe legitimate ana proper wants
and PURPOSES Of enhe one oi the C"ihP'hes' ~ -,
there fore upon The principle 81 se'i-nesrfVa.oi' 'nd
the contest ultimate success ~ the at'anhe
mi, ,,utuai object rlI be continued under every us
ndv,nt,nrunI IL is arrested by the absence oi h,raiS
10 keen il alive "a II t2iTds enc or ine oihe VI '"o
rorres or ~ ,h- interference of competent power
.tSur ,,aie of thngs ought not, hnwever 10 exc lie
great sunrise, or vis unli-d ce-re utoh Tue par
les. The gloat emo. ('i error u was) mus ne
10 tho pole. which sanctioned The establishment on TWO
,m,oye,nents Of such magnitude 10 contend al the
same points for trade which has proven ITSELF 20 l,
10 be inadequate 70 the purposes c noun ~ 70 " NC
Ie,,rd howeycr HAT TIE racons If the Portsmouth
Company are ntsriy panl:zrd by me cohuaeu OPERA
lion OF sevrr2 causes, me chirt 81 wfeh ic 'e Mah
nj funds the destruction of credit, The tliiGtoh OF
inc mn. and The Of ls'gs potion 81 lhei Ioai.
"Qpposiium their part. Il Is reisnnab'e ~ snppose
cease, unless some powerful. ,, 80
for instance cnAnge Of poprietnrs IS promptly ~
sorted to- keep up, and the prooaoe issue !" ,e eA
listing stats Of things will b- the .ta sacfee oi he ca
n,,, Invested i'm that work by the present ndtvdna
propretors and state and heavy losses 10 The p
waite creditors Of the Company
tine prospects Of the Petersburg road, on Inc other
hand are anparrn,ly more encouraging Ihoush IN
VOWED in heavy debt, rather exceeding thas oi INC
Portsmouth Company, they have bc'truir'ess sa,hea
thr usc-udlncy The transportation oil Tue produce oi
taa Roanokr county which yields them large gross
INCOME Their rod Is, th:cnihoat, laa WIN heNy
rails aud Is in good order, ana, consequently, wH'
,,. have already hrsn and VIII STU De es-
ssn,,s,Is reduced their trade and travel viii be hotter
provided "a. aad accommodated Under M 'Ir' uhs.an
-. thsy NAV rntrtin reasonable expectation on VI
tlnlely succeeding IN lheIt eneipff" III tSte VI az
oppos.. ~. opsra,ions of the two Companies which are
the subject C s",ng remarks, have IN irofah
bearing IN another point ni IL Is known 10 the
Legislature thar these Companies form paris q iva op
g aaoa ms LII l SEsn ' . Fl
mouth aud Roanoke railroad, - miles In length Is con-
neeteo with seamhoa, line OH the chesapeake Bay, be-
tween Portsmouth and fm0re, aud forms what Ia
cal ed the "Bsy Route" The 10 etsbug, Richmond anu
Petersburg aud the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Po
Iomac railroads. extending distance Of lC9 miles, from
Weldon to AQUA cfeea tho Potomac river this STATE
form of the inland line ny "ay of RIrHmond and
Washington; consequently The i'ayelrr on IN" Forts
mouth road transported only one halt The siaacr on
that road within the Stale that lie woud tavc! u the
The other roao taken Hence, tp1 II follows, that
II the Portsmouth aud Roanoke road shouid gel the
whole Of this travel the profit winch would b. brought
into and remain STATE would, al thu regular and
fair rates. bo equal 10 h1 only OF what wouii he re
1an-d IL the other route received or IN other words,
double the profit would remain in the state should the
WI lie travel take the Petersburg road, compared 10
what would remain if the Portsmouth road should take
IL. In tue Portsmouth road The Commonwealth has EN-
barked The Of ~ 80, ~ san-cfipnn1 "a capital
stock aud loas and the other three roads, The sum
OF S9si 3J,-makng total investment OF Sl,il.,l5O.
Upon this large pecunialy Interest neither dividends
nor Interest are, al this tiie, paid Bat there can
scarcely be doubt that, il tue through travel was rr-
crossed by the route by Richmund and Washington ei
~ tho State Companies that line would be
ubed TO make somie remuneration 10 The Treasury In
dividends.
II as The .iDuS 0f
country In which these reads situated are undoub
ed stake and all nperaiively for the adop
tc ,i such remedial measures Tor The advancement OF
those interests ~ may he consistent with the gsneral
good Of the Commonwealth. Win that view, The
Board have submitted the foregoing statement 81 facts
ana Of fair deductions from hen as they heeve, dis
claiming a preference or hostility for or TO amy o the
improvements alluded TO-
From the above extracts, il will be seen, that
twas evidently The intention ofthe Board OF Pub
lie Works 10 spread before The Legislature their
views respecting the condition and prospects of
the two Improvements nj The timc-the necessary
rivalry between them for monopoly OF the whole
trade and ,ravel-the probable fatal consequences
OF that rivalry TO one or the other and their rea-
tive ability 10 secure and maintain The ascendant
cy-and the entire unproductiveness Of the large
investments Of the Commonwealth in !hcse COM
PduiSS, 1ui SSitdiHif W ~ ~
ring the existence OF this state OF things, thus Sc
rously affecting The condition oil the Treasury
Noticing the importance OF these Improvements 10
the interests OF the sections Of The Stale through
which they pass, the Board urged The adoption
on the par, Of The Legislature OF such measures
for Inc advancement OF those interests as might
be consistent with tie general good OF the Com
tho T Iatf-r o
have interviewed since this report was made by the
Board Of Pablo WORKS, but it does mol appear
that any measures have been taken BY them TO
remedy the difficulties presented 10 their view. In
the absence OF such action, II became OF course
the Imperative duly Of the Board OF Public Works
TO oppose the adoption OF any plan 10 annihiate
or proven, the maintenance ofeither of the roads,
as in their opinion clearly seemed 10 be the effect
Of the recent action Of the Petersburg Road.
We shall conclude win the proceedings Of the
Board, in relation 10 the contract with MIR. Rives,
based upon the preceding views:
Alta meeting Of the Presden, and Directors OF
the Board Of Public Works, on 18th July, 1915,
the following Preamble and Resolution were
adoped:
MIR. Bird, Presiden, Of the Petersburg Railroad
Company, presented 10 the Board Tor lis intorma-
lion copy OF contract lately agreed upon be-
tween Francis E. Rives and the Directory of said
Company, and stated lha, meeting OF The Stock
holders thereof would be held on the lS:h instant,
for the special purpose OF rejecting or adopting
the .amc and further stated, that The contract il
self had been entered into, on the part OF The ID.
rectory with the express view of stopping all
transportation on 50 much Of The Portsmouth and
Roanoke Railroad, with its bridge, as had been
recently decreed BY Court of law in North Ca
lima 10 be The property of said RiTcs, and SO stop
ping il, that The profit Of said transportation
might be secured TO their own Company.
The Board having fully considered The avowed
object OF this contract on the part of the Direc
tory OF the Petersburg Railroad Company, and
the highly injurious operation of it, il carried
into effect upon the business and prosperity ifnot