The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-07-16
RAILRoADs-THRoUGH FARES.

ran East Tennessee newspaper, the name
of which we prefer not to mention, alluding
to what we have had TO say, assuming to
speak authoritatvely, has the following:
'The article in the Citizen mis- Qgnorantly Of
course the fact in regard the difference between the
fare for Through travel and Local travel on the East
Tennessee and Georgia Railroad at least. One pays
four cents mile, and the other fraction under four
cents. That is, the man who travels t-om New Orleans
to New York, pays the East Tennessee and Georgia
road fraction under four cents while the man who
travels from Dalton to Knoxville-1fO miles-pays it
four dollars and forty cents And the fare between
stations is on an equitable scale"
ave regret very much that any journal
should deem II necessary to attribute to US
a mis-statement, as being made either wilful-
ly or ignoranty. AS the accusation is made,
however, it is proper that we should say we
have the most reliable authority for stating
that the through passenger from New York
to New Orleans, pays to the East Tennessee
and Georgia road t,0o and half cents per
mile, while the passenger from Knoxville to
Dalton pays four cents per mile.
ave trust the newspaper to which we al
lude, will make the proper correction and vim
dictate, if il believes it right to do so, the JUS
tice and propriety of this discrimination
which We understand the President Of the
road himself does not approve"
The above appears in the Southern Citi-
zen of last week in reference to paragraph
upon Through Fares in the Post of the pre-
ceding week. AS ge were in error in the
man ner Of stating fact, we cheerfully make
the correction, although we might avoid it by
initiating an affectation of dignity which for
babe the Citizen to mention the name of our
paper. What we should have said in the
paragraph alluded to and partly quoted by
the Citizen, was this: That the average rate
of fare for Through Travel on the East
Tennessee and Georgia Railroad Is frac-
ton less than four cents mile, willie the
passenger from Knoxville to Dalton and from
Dalton to Knoxville, paid four cents per mile.
But, as we said before. it is not u matter OF
very large Importance. The spirit which die
tates lault-Gnding with the policy of our
railroads is not of recent origin, and has lis
inducement, which we had rather not name
just now, in quite different motive from the
one prominently alleged. Even when the
outs get in and the ms shall be out, it will
continue as long as there are salaried Offices
to fill. The only difference then will be,
the position of parties will be changed, us
they will view the subject from a different
standpoint
As whether the President of the road is
opra- to the discrimination spoken Of, we
b inquired, and probably shall not
49,. necessary TO enter into defence
our acquaintance with the men
var railroads, we know they
he best arrangement that could
"u.., in view Of the interests Of the
ltors and the conyeniences of the
l, is patent TO the dullest capacity
railroads cannot be sustained by the
=. ..avel and business alone---il is, also,
patent that they cannot secure the through
travel and business without offering induce
ments for it. While the through travel at
three cents per mile may enable our roads to
accommodate the local or way business at
four cents, prohibit the through travel, which
can be done very easily as long as there are
competing routes, ard the local travel would
not pay expenses ut six cents per mile. 1t is
some eight miles between stations on this
road, and TO carry a man eight miles for 90
cents, as the Citizen insists upon, would not
pay for stopping and starting the trains. In
regard to the way travel being largely in
creased by reduction Of fare, we beg leave
to dissent from the opinion of all the wise
men who advocate it. We have IN agricul-
tural and working people, who, with the ex-
cep:ion of few itinerant newspaper editors,
make their living by staying at home and AT
tending to their business; and if the fare
should be reduced to the Citizens standard,
tpo and half cents per mile, it would not
induce ten per cent additional way travel.
The Citizens position about discriminat-
ing against the people who built the railroads,
is not worth thought. Nineteen-twentieths
of the "local travellers" never spent dime
for the construction Of the roads, while n
good many of them have been made rich
almost without an effort Of their own, by the
appreciation in the value Of their lands
through the influence of the enterprises iE
question. Every one knows that and il is
downright dishonesty to pretend otherwise
Even the writer in the Citizen-whorh we
take to be Mr. Swan, ex-President of the
Knoxville ana Charleston line-if he could
disrobe himself Of his dignity Qhe result OF
recent association,) and get down into the
regions of common sense once more, would
see the subject in the same light that we do
and leave those who have charge of our rail.
roads 20 manage them as their intimacy with
all the exigencies and circumstances around
these enterprises tells them is best for tho
mutual interests concerned instead Of fan
ming a popular prejudice which no one bet.
ter than he knows is generally wrong and
always lliberal and tyrannical. If necessary
it.could be shown to the satisfaction of every
candid mind that our railroads are working
at as low tariffs as they can afford to work
for ut present. But il is not necessary, and
we should not have alluded to tho subject
at all except to place ourself right in the es-
timation of our friend at Knoxville, fol