Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-15

yet most bitterly complained Of rs particularly al
fectng their interests and VoIatiVe at once of ustc
and their privileges secured by the roads charter
our committee, upon careful investigation
AMI by conference with the merchants and shipper
of our city, many of whom have furnished thei
statements on the subjects in writing found all thes
\ causes Of complaint to have their foundation il
| facts, and convinced that they were abuses which
should be promptly corrected, deemed it proper Il
set them forth in a communication to the Presiden
and Board of Directors at Louisville, hoping thi
means, aided by the justice of their requests woult
suffice to procure immediate redress.
Your committee S communication, together witt
the Presidents reply thereto, are filed as parts
this report marked ectively-Exhibits A. and
We regret the disappointment of expectations OF
this point and having failed to obtain what we deem
satisfactory relief feel duty to lay before this
meeting an account of our action in the premises
together with synopsis of the facts elected by
inquiries into the management of the road:
First-We found and report that for several month:
pastand having beginning il the early part of Angus
last, great delay, confusion and naccuracy of ship
ments and deliveries of freights have existed with
the road-in many instances freights having ARR
we'd at the Nashville depot without any manifest Of
destination consignment, charges therefor. Il us
rendering deliveries impossible and involv
ing by necessity the business of the road in cOnfu
sion Large quantities of these freghts it has been
necessary to find storage for and thus to await acct
dental discovery by their true owners whilst others
been left to suffer ruinous damages from exposure
We know these irregularities have resulted in great
inconvenience and even disaster TO shippers, many
articles which were the subjects of them being the
necessary foods of life. for which there at the
time pressing demand, apd many others being ar
ticles the values of which were greatly Deepen
dent upon their being received in time to be sea
sonably used, such, for instance, as seeds of
wheat, barley, rye, etc. The evil results of
this state Of things need not be argued The
produce dealer has been subjected to the
inconvenience and injury of laying out of the use of
his money without other reward than the dissatis-
faction of his dependent customer, and in many
instances the Agricultural delayed beyond proper
time. to advantsgeodsly seed his grounds. As a
prominent specimen of the evidence this particu
lar, your committee found by examination of ship
ping lists that from the 18th of August 20 the 22d
day of October in the present year. the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad Company rendered to the
Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad Company, sixty
two manitests, of these, only eight had been COM
pleted up to Oct 3lst. And from these manifests
there were still missing, in provision and seed
items alone 1853 bags of wheat, 400 bags of rye
80 bags of barley l29O bags of corn 203 barrels of
flour, and casks of bacon. Weregret to find these
irregularities have not been confined specially to
the articles we have enumerated, but pervade gen.
orally the entire freight business of the road.
We may further remark, the Nashville and Chat
tanooga Railroad as consignee of goods from the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad differs not in prn
cple but only in extent of business from our city bust
ness houses generally; they all receiving goods on
their own account or on commission, and in proPor-
ton TO their cOnslgnmentS, we regret the same
inaccuracies Of deliveries and shipments together
with like damages of freights have existed with ali
such houses Further, we ascertain those acting as
commission merchants here have frequently had
goods come consigned to them unaccompaniad by
the roads bill of charges These articles are gener
ally desired by their owners for immediate
use or disposal, and the cOnsgnee responsible to
the road for freight charges is yet unable to pro
cure the BILL so as to charge the owner herewith.
Thus, IN many instances our commission houses are
compelled TO do undeSired and unusual credit
business or forced to greatly dssatisfy customers.
The people of Nashville, as shippers, have expe-
rienced the Inconvenience enumerated. but we are
unable TO inform them TO what extent their interests
stockholders IN the road have been affected there
by. Your committee have not been able TO ascer-
tain to their satisfaction what will be the extent of
the pecuniary liability of the road for its lost and
damaged freight in the past four months, but are
satisfied it will be large-we have heard it esti-
mated at from twenty to fifty thousand dollars.
The President of the road. in reply to your COM
mittees communication to him and Board. states
" The cause of the irregularities in the shipment
was long since explained in published letter by
the President. and the Irregularities speedily re-
moved" We regret that many of these Irregulari-
ties. though they. in the opinion of the President
were speedily removed, yet in reality, existed I'M
til the opening Of our river navigation since which
event is but fair to say there has been less cause
Of complaint, owing. perhaps. to the diminished bus
mess Of the road. Your committee have procured a
copy of the Presidents former letter alluded to- but
cannot cOncede it explains sufficient for such
Irregularities
The main reason set forth, as understand it. by
The President, is there not suiciency of rolling
stock TO meet the extraordinary demand upon the
road. This if admitted TO the fullest extent demand
I'd by those relying il, will only excuse the de-
cOmDlaInpl n at q tha
many cases where freights have been actually
moved unaccompanied by any manifest of consign-
nent destination or bills of charges.
Your committee have before them strong evidence |
hat under efficient superintendent of the freight
department. much more in quantity could have been
hipped during the press of August and September,
tut even if this be not So can find no sufficient |
ause assigned why freight actually moved should |
lot have been correctly manifested and delivered to |
roper cOnsigneeS at proper destinations. There may
lot have been suficieney of rolling stock TO have
promptly moved all the freight desired, but there |
we're certainly a suficency of competent men to be
ad in Louisville elsewhere, who would have /
cen grateful for employment as clerks IN the /
reight department of the road The point IS, lohdt
freight there ,rdS rolling stock 10 noUe at ALL could
nd should haze been properly moUed, correctly mani
sS,ed and deliUered.
The Superintendent of the Freight Department
7e find, has lately removed Mr.. FauntlerOy, former
reght Agent at this Depot. This may have been
eemed by the Superintendent measure of reform.
our committee are, however, satisfied by eXami-
ation that the freight agent at this point no
,ay responsible for the irregularities indicated,
ut that they had their origin entirely at Louisville
r other places than here. las perhaps but JUS
ce to which Mr. Fauntleroy is entitled at the hands
the committee, to say, that in our investigation
e have found nothing in his official connection with
le road that did not indicate him competent hon
It, and diligent i'll his official duties.
With respect to the determinations against the
ashyille freights above alluded to, we found that
D to 4 very late date November 9thl on the ar
clcs chiefly drawn by us from the Valley of the
hio River either for the purpose of trade or con-
lmptiOn from % to so per cent more freight
larges were exacted from Nashville shippers than
ON others South of US. 1t is true, as we learn,
at since the 9th of November last all freights
ON Louisville. including those to Nashville. are
tipped at same charge according to class but we
ave no assurance that these determinations will
vt be renewed so soon as the competition Of river
lvigatIOn may cease to restrain it, CT other
fuses dispose the President and Board to them.
he right to make such determinations is expressly
aimed by the President and by the Board and tEis
Iim of right is as strongly denied by US as the
'actice of it is condemned.
As to what may be the most proper and available
NEEDLES for the evils we have found existing. your
mmittee report that far relates to the irregu
rites of the shipments and deliveries of freghts,
ID the improperly of selecting the freight agent
this Depot. without regard to the prefer
ice of the community and shippers of Nash
lie, while may keenly feel and deeply regret
cir existence,we satisfied that under all attend
circumstances, the moral forces of petition and !
monstrance with those controlling the road as
ustees for the Stockholders are the most direct if
v sole means of relief, and should these be ex-
usted IN vain, conscious of having discharged |
duty to our own and the interests of our coStock
'iders in the road, only look to time for the
moval or amelicration of the evils
But against the Determinations specified with re-
ect to the freghts of Nashville over said road T
are satisfied upon consideration and advice of r
unset, that the laws will afford ample protection /
,ur committee fully set forth the claims of Nash
lie shippers on this point, we understood them t
yether with our views thereon and while we feel it
necessary TO extend this report by re-statement
length will still here repeat that we hold 1t but just
d fair to Nashville shippers that whenever they a
ip from Louisville the entire line of the road
ey are entitled and of right ought to do at the
nimum price charged others for like shipments. C
ID the claim of right the part of those manag Il
the road TO discriminate against them in such f
stances TO the extent of cent or one hundred Il
liars is alike wrong in principle and yioative at
ce Of justice and the spirit and letter of the roads
arter. Il
1t is clear as a factthat the trouble and responsible
the wear and tear of the road are in each in ID