Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-10-05
THROUGH CHARGES ON RAIL ROAD IRA
VEL AND TONNAGE.
The following communication we copy from re.

cent number of the Lynchburg "Yirginisn:'
FOR THE vIRGrNIAs.
MESaRs. EDIroRs:-Itis ia evident that the success
Of our Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road ia sIci,ng
the envy OF the friends OF come neghboring Railways
The South Side "DemOcrat" and Richmond .'Ern Lir
err" are both loud in their complaints of the policy
puraued by Rail Road officals with reference t.
through charges on travel and tonnage N. first is
unreasonably low and the latter exnrhl'ahty high
high TO drivs the produce Of Ensf TEDrsses 10
the markets OF South Carolina and G-orgiH. IL would
be well ii these learned critics on Rniwsy manage
mcnt would enquire into the practical working of the
tariff of charges on the Virginia aud TenneFa.e Road.
before they undertake to enghten the public on some
facts that ara more vauable than their theories, in
determining great practical businesp question.
The rates for through travel and tonnage on the
Virginia aud Tennessee R.il Road have been 10 ope
ration since June last, believe. W thin that period,
the aggregate receipts of the road have increased
So per cent. as compared with the receipts of the
same period last year. and this with but half crop
"i one of the great sHple crops of South Western
Virginia In further vindicati0n OF ths mansgers OF
our road, | would state tha, one.tenh of Nil ih-
wheat, sent from Bristol in the month aet past came
from tbs East Tenne-see and Georgia Ra,i Road.-
This is the tonnage that the editors OF the Petersburg
aud Richmond newspapers had consigned to tbs deal
.rs 10 Charleston aud Savannah. As to our SUCCESS
in securing the Southern travel that is admttedi but
say the Richmond and Petersburg critics. il s carried
at unreasonable low rates. In to this objec.
ZION, need only refer to tho large Increase OF our
aggregate receipts; and 10 another fact which may be
verified by enquriDg at Rail Road offices IN Peters,
burg and Ricnmond; the greatly reduced receipts
from through travel over the Scuhern line of Rail
ways passing through those cities DO wait awhile
gentleman and let us test the question at the Ireasu
rers Office little loDger If our receipts continue 10
augment as they have DONE think you will concede
that all is not wrong in the management Ut the Vr-
,uia and Tennessee Railway One word more: pray
Tell your readers how it is that The discrimination b.
tween through and local travel on the Virginia aud
tennessee Rsi! Road, s much more injurious to
Virginia, than the same discrimination made on the
Southern line passing through Petersburg and Rlch-
mond, over the Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail
Road. That discrimination has been made over this
for the last ten years. s TACT that cannot be coD
| troyerted STocKHoLDER
OF the Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road
"a StockholJer' does not comprehend our position.
We do not complain of the Through ticket" system,
bat that the principle OF the Through ticker system
| ia not carried tar enough.
II "the new rates Of through travel and tonnage on
the Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road" have, since
June last, Increased the aggregate receipts of the
ro4d 81 per cent as compared with last year." it is
practical proof of the wisdom of the principle on
which the rates are four led. And that principle, as
to Through travel" is reduction to the lowest
possible paying point, and looks to an increase OF
travel to compensate for the decrease in the price.
| That is the very principle for which we contend,
and we thank "A Siockhoder' for his information.
If low priced travel increases the receipts 50 per
cent, Notwithstanding high priced freights it neces-
ssrly follows that low priced freghs would increase
the receipts still more u low price of travel in
crea.es the receipts, contend that good
can be given why low priced freights should not do
the same thing
"a Stockholder" furnishes, if true, an unansuers-
BILE reason for the reduction Of reghts The Virginia
and Tennessee railroad has proved, practically, that
low priced travel increases receipts SO far 80 good
Now, in the nams of :he people, we demand the ap.
plication of the same principle to rates Of "way.
travel" Let the Company reduce the rates of way.
travel correspondngly to that of Through travel"
next let the Company adopt the principle Of sliding
scale of freghts-as the price Of transportation de-
creaaes 80 will the amount Of transportation increase.
This is a we'll settled principle.
Not long since the monster corporation of the United
States Bank required the rough hand of popular
power to be laid upon its graspng ambition, and the
corporations of Virginia bid fair to demand, at the
hands of her people, the same rough inspecton.-
The peoples money has been spent the States cred
It has been pledged in these roads, for the beneft o
the people of the State But they have been of little
benefit yet to the people system of freighta is
adopted which fches from the farmers neoessitated
to use the road the profits Of his earnings, and drives
the legitimate trade, that should pass Virgins
Roads to nd other and circutoua routes to the South
West Much of this South Western trade that should
reach Tennessee over the Virginia and Tennessee
| Rail Road now finds more cheap transportation over
the longer and more crcuious routes by Charleston
and Savannah. Let the people of Virginia protec
their own interests through the Board Of Public
Works. Elect no man TO the Board who will MOI
pledge himself 10 the low freigh. policy.