Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-04
Adverse Determinations Virginia Cen
trial Railroad,

Adverse Determinations Virginia Cen
trail Railroad.
There are, also, some commodities which
cannot for many reasons be carried at the
average rates which have been deduced
for the cost of transportation I refer to
articles which involve peculiar risks; some
of which are liable to breakage, such as
glass, chairs, and china; some of which
are exposed to pillage, such as liquors, and
fruits in baskets; some dangerous to the
property Of the Company, or for which the
Company is responsible, such as acids, burn
ing fluids, and gunpowder.
10 meet these risks, adopt as a rule, the
method of adding such percentage to the
estimated cost of transportation, as will be
sufficient, in my judgment, to protect the
Company against the claims for damage to
which they will be exposed by taking
charge of these commodities.
This risk being thus made part Of the
cost of transportation, we may proceed in
the estimation of the charge proper to be
levied, by the rules which have been laid
down flor general application.
The results Of my study of this difficult
subject are now before you in the tariff
which [ have prepared. Whenever it has
been possible to obtain the facts correctly,
l have relied on direct a priori calcula-
ton Of toll. Where these were not obtain
ed with reliable precision, have assimila-
ted the facts to others for which the facts
were obtained. In some cases, where
have not been able to procure satisfactory
information, [ have followed the former
tariff, when high enough above the cost Of
carriage-the universal limit-to yield a
reasonable profit.
Loss Of Trade at Certain Points.
If the tariff which l have prepared is
adopted, the Board will soon ascertain that
it has caused a loss of some trade, on GER
tain articles and at certain points where the
charges have been increased. Such losses
are the inevitable consequences of increas-
ing the rates. No increase can be made
without a corresponding loss. To get the
largest trade, you must not merely charge
nothing, but pay the largest bonus Trade
If yon increase the charge at any point and
to any amount, ever so small, you will lose
some business If you reduce the charge,
you will gain some This is the principle
that guides us. These are the results which
we anticipate.
The charge on -four, from Charlottesville
to Richmond, in the tariff submitted, is in
creased from 40 to Al cents barrel But
this in crease is not confined to Charlottes-
T Io1 To fho
Of that place. Doubtless some of the flour
that now comes into the Charlottesville and
Shadwell depots, will be driven by this in
crease of cents per barrel to take the boats
of the Rivanna and James River Canal -
But the quantity which will take that d.
rection will be very small Now, let me
invite your attention to the facts as they
stand.
The lowest price for which the cost of
transporting -four from Charlottesville to
Richmond can be estimated is 80 cents per
barrel; while your profit on it, at the pres
ent price Of 40 cents, is only cents per.
barrel
| propose to raise the charge to AZ cents,
and in so doing increase the aggregate
charge II IL per cent, and the net prof
It's per barrel transported 100 per cent.
If, then, this addition of III per cent.
to the price does not reduce the amount of
your trade one-half, your net profits on
-four will remain undiminished. Now even
if the prices on the canal should contiue as
they are, you are not at all likely to lose the
one-fourth part of the -four which you now
ship, on account of this increase.
But are we to assume that the James
River Company will not take advantage of
the increase Of your charges to increase
their own profits ? All the tolls they now
receive for flour, from Columbia to Rich
mond, is only about IL cents barrel, from
which certain expenses must be deducted
before the profits which they derive from it
can be determined. Instead then, Of aim
ing to get the few additional barrels to car
~, which you may lose, is it not more
probable that they will seek, as you do, to
increase their meagre profits on their actual
trade?
There is no injustice here to be complain
ed of by the community. Fourteen cents
on barrel of four-which is all you will
receive under the increase rates, to 90 tow
dIuS paying Tie lHteFesJ Oh your investment
is really very small matter. The wheat
grower, the -four maker, and the retailer,
will each take advantage Of any opportuni-
ty, without notice, to add four times that
amount to his profits. In the chain of use
full laborers for the public good. which
stretches from the landholder to the con-
sumner, your work forms necessary link
and there is no sound or just reason why
the interest which you represent should
alone be singled out as one which ought to
be excluded from all participation in the
profits which the others share. To assume
that such is the feeling, and to arrange a
tariff to satisfy an assumed opinion, SO un-
reasonable and unjust, is, [ am sure. to do
wrong to the Company, and an equal wrong
to the public sentiment.
The same remarks are, to considerable
extent applicable to the condition of things
at Gordonsville, and also at the depots and
turnouts fran the junction up to Beaver
Dam. The increased rates on wheat will
lead to some loss of trade; but they will
give you in compensation, a largely increas-
ed net revenue At the same limo &c al |