Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1865-01-19
TIE BALTIMORE & OHIO RAIL
ROAD,

LII Il DALI lUlOn1 W OulO HALL
ROAD.
Ths a" american" Of the 18th inst contains
lengthy report Of an address male to the
Board of Directors of the Bait & Ohio r. r.
Co. BY Dir. Garrett the President Of that
Company. He reviews the late Message Of
Mayor Chapman to the City Councils Of Bal-
timore with characteristic vigor and ability
and, meeting the Mayor on his own GROUND
of objection to the Railroad policy, conf
pletely rsfutcs the lattcr's arguments and jus
tifics the action Of tho Board.
We we're confident, when We read the
Mayors message. that the Railroad Co.,
would not permit it to pass without notice.
and it was not difficult to toresce what would
be the result of discussion on the subject.
The Mayors attack was far too loose aud dis
orderly, to succeed against such an opponent
as he thus challenged, even if his facts had
been better grounded than it appears they
were. There is. undoubtedly, great dissatis.
faction with the management of til. Rail Road,
both in Baltimore and in the Coal region of
this County-but it does not at all arise from
the causes alleged by the Mayor For in
stance, we have heard no complaint whatever.
on the part Of shippers Of coal from this
County, of the rates Of transportation enacted
by the Company. 1t makes no difference to
the coal producer what rate of freight the
Railroad Co charges provided the market
will bear it, and the coal can be sold at
profit. Whenever those rates become excess
i've. the trade stops, aud the transportation
lines are compelled to revise their rates or
lose their revenue The great cause of COM
plant here. is, as We understand it, that the
Rail Road Co., docs not furnish transportation
at all in proportion to tho demand for it; and
also of the manner in which this limited trans
portaton is distributed among the applicant,
for it. The coal trade Of Allcgany county i.
believed. nay il is kno"n to be- of immense
Importance, and entitled to the most liberal
treatment. on the part of the Railroad Co.,
both for its own interest and that of the city
Of Baltimore Ii We are correctly Informed
of the general tenor ofpublic sentiment among
US on the subject. it is this That the Rail.
road Co., does not accord to the coal business
the importance it deserves. That it rather
regards it as wholly inferior in value to ~ha,
is commonly scal!cd "thc through traffic
That while the resources Of the Company have
been freely employed to equip ITSELF. and in
crease its facilities for the transaction Of the
through business" for which it has numer-
Gus and powerful competitors, it has almost
totally neglected this coal trade for which it
has no competition. That while the demand
for our coal has rapidly increased, and now
perhaps for the first time in its history offers
to those engaged in it ample remuneration, for
the capital and enterprise invested in its de-
velopment--the Railroad Co has provided
no corresponding increase in its facilities and
that the disasters caused by the war, have
been suffered to fall upon this branch of busi-
ness in very great di>proportion. Such arc
some Of tho objections t, tho management of
! tue hoau, VIC ue1T ulCHtioucu Dotu utTe auu
in Balti,nore-for the interest of chat city in
the Immense commerce which would follow an
adequate development of this coal trade by tho
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, is incalculable
In our brief allusiou last week to the
Mayors message, We intimatcd our opinion
that the grouads of his attack wcro untcu-
able His Honor seemed to intimate that the
Objectionable policy Of the Road was dictated
by the peculiar interests Of the President and
the private stockholders. We showed that
the State and City Directors constituted large
majority Of the Board. and that tie response
bility Of Encouragement. If there was any.
should rather fall upon them. The Board
itself has now taken measures to set itself
right before the community, BY the appoint
mont Of q committee Of investigation. We
rejoice 70 SEQ this movement, aud VIC earnestly
hope this committee will o1aminnc the ques-
ton. not merely for the purpose of justifying
the line Of policy hitherto pursued. but with
view Of inqu;ring whether that policy with
70 ,ard to the coal trade, cannot be greatly
improved. to the incalculable advantage Of tho
tompany itself, the coal trade. and OF the city
II Baltimore sad tss Stats Of Msr.l.hd. we'