The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-12-05
manufacturers and wholesale merchants will

better auspices and thus the management OF
our railroads Will defeat the very object OF
their construction. Each OF these companies
Is an independent corporation, with certain
vested rights each claims supremacy In Its
sphrre affecting an inclination to do as 10
pleases in regard to Its connections ana through
and local tolls Hence we hear frequent COM
pIaints that one company throws distractions
in the way Of another in regard to connec-
tions, rates of tolls, fares, transhlpmenn, ex-
change of cars sc II is charged that the ex-
cuse for these high local rates Is that the goods
have TO be carried; that the roads are IN a me-
cesstous condition, and must MAKE al lhey
can out of the necessities OF those WIN aIu
compelled 10 use Them, 1t Is in the power oi
the General Assembly 10 correct these irregu.
larites, If not abuses. 1t is not competent LOT
the Legislature to pass IN act declaring has
any particular road shall charge aspecinc ra.o
OF tolls on freight or passengers. But TINS 90.
| ject can b. attained By general legislation. lne
law now prescribes n maximum rate. IL 10
right, rs II general rule, that higner TaVo
should be- paid on short than on long distances
The leading lines through the State, carry.
ing passengers and freight TO and from
distant points outside OF her limits,
come into competition with other leading
lines passing through other States to ana
from the same points BY these lines compe.
ttion is produced and tolls are reduced 70
their lowest remuneratiye rates. through
tolls, established in connection with otner
companies, should constitute the basis for the
charge for what are called "local tolls, OF
tolls from one point 10 another on the samo
road AS Slost of these roads form contints
Gus lines through the state, their tarlus Oh
tolls for passengers and freight should be uni.
form that passengers ana frelgnt, from
one line 10 another, should not be subject AT
| points of intersection 10 new conditions ana
new charges for handling freight. For tho
purpose OF carrying out this idea 1 propose
| that the Norfolk and. Petersburg, Southside,
| Dauville, aud Virginia and Tennessee ROADS
should constitute one road; the Virginia ana
| Tennessee Orange aud Alexandria, and Nir-
gtnia Central should constitute one road the
Petersburg and Weldon, Richmond and Pc
| tcrsbtirg. Richmond Connection, and Rich.
mOud, Fredericksburg aud Potomac roads
| should constitute one road. When transporta-
| ton i required ut any depot on any OF these
! roads IL should BE- received and transported TO
any depot on any other road connecting there.
with that may he desired, at uniform rate OF
charges, on the basis above stated, and tickets,
checks, and bills of lading given accordingly
aud for any loss Or damage sustained In trans
pOrtation the party injured should have MS
right Of action against any company over
| whose road the pas sage was 80 contracted for.
| II is believed that one cent per ton per mile
| for freight, ana one cent per mile Tor each pas
s"ng"r for short distances over the rates
charged on through rates would be adequate
compensation. Where freight or passengers
pass over the entire length Of the road, or mer-
Chandiso or manufaa lures from any OF the
principal cities are transported, they should
BE- placed on IN equal footing with through
freight and passengers.
For illustration, | have proposed that the
Norfolk and Petersburg, Southside Danyille,
and Virginia and Tennessee roads, for the pur.
poses OF the proposed act, shall be considered
one road Then consider the line from Nor.
folk To Bristol the whole length of one road.
From Bristol 10 Alexandria will be- considered
the length OF another road. For the purposes
OF graduation each should be laid Oft into ten
sections then freight starting at Norfolk and
transported one tenth of the distance would
b. charged one cent per mile over through
freight If il should pass over two sections,
two mills should b. dropped from the addition
"A .l0s
section 10 the end of the line Where goods are
hauled by the carload for short distances,
~ilould this rate bring the charge for transpor.
tptiuu below eight dollars per carload or
,ighi tons, til" company should BE- allowed TO
ahurgr such rrasonnbl" sum IA may be agreed
on. OF course all articles in packages of less
than 4 tons weight should be- charged on the
same basis with like articles carried through.
| The act should further provide that the tarln
| o! rttr- on all these railroads should be made
out and signed by the president and supefin-
t-udent OF each road II copy furnished TO the
Board Of Public Works, and placed at each
depot in some conspicuous place, where IL
may be seen byev"ry person desiring 10 use
the road aS Is now required by law. lhere
are articles such as minerals, lumber, stockf
, hay, etc, that these companies may be- able TO
carry at less than schedule rates, the reduc-
ported, and the dispatch with which the ears
are loaded and unloaded. Privilege should be
given 10 transport these, by contract, at less
than tariff rates: but thcs" special contracts
|
Il grra ter charge per ton per mile be allowed on
long distances than short ones.
| am aware that some of our railroad COM
panies claim that, under their chartered
rights the Legislature cannot legally reduce
their tolls until they shall have declared cer-
tain dividend on their stock. This IS true;
but IL Is also true that both by law and by
custom they are common carriers, and rs such
they are subject 10 legislative action. do not
propose that you shall fix the rates OF their
/ tariffs | propose that they shall fix them on
\ vhs. at,.,n hn has
for the charges on home freights. There can
be no question rs 10 the power OF the Legisla-
, tire TO enforce this condition. This appears
10 ma the best arrangement that can be maze
by law for the present.
; Last winter the working OF the Norfolk and
Petersburg and Southaile roads was placed
. under the same management. lhe numoer OF
employees was at once reducsi the rolling stock
OF both roads was made more efficient, and the
, working expenses OF the Southside road were
, reduced flfty per cent. / was In great hopes
that we would be able TO consolidate the work
, ing of the Virginia and tennessee roau Win
. the two last named roads, thereby making one
\ great connecting line from Norfolk 10 Brlstol-
D Il distance of over 40o miles. Ii TINS had Deen
/ done there can be no doubt that III the course
. | OF two or three years the income OF these Ioaas
, would have been not lees than ! si,vJ,VD. snort
r lines of railroad can never be made prohtaple
axcept under most favorable circumstances.
Situated rs ours are, the working, 10 DC TO-
, | muneratiyr, must be consolidated. Inc most
. casual observer cau comprehend that working
, these roads under one general supervision VIII
- be- productive of economy III every way. lho
> amount Of rolling stock, number OF employees,
shop expenses, &c, viii all be greatly uimi-
, | nished, thereby increasing the net earnings Oh
u the roads. This would enable the roads W
:, lower the rate OF tolls thus stliiulns , lm
y tlustry by encouraging the production OF addi-
: iional articles for transportation rms SUP
: | Icct j. thoroughly understood by railroad men
y Ieyrrywhrrr. IIrStates where railroads nave
. not received State aid, but have been lett to
.. private enterprise, these SHORT roads, worked
u independently, have failed, and gone under
- the auctioueer's hammer, passing into
the hands OF companies who have consoli-
: dated their working with continuous INES
y OF other roads, when they became pro.
. ntable. Had not our roads been packetl
- by the great power of tn" state, they wouiu
), have been exposed 10 sale before their compile
d tlon Now that the State is unable 10 render
> them further aid, In consequence OF the neaSy
= debt already incurred, they are borrowing
= money ut ruinous rates Of interest, each one
- going into the market upon its own responsi
- bility. Capitalists well understand that shor
- lines OF roads worked INDEPENDENTLY, canno
=" be- made profitable; hence We see what ~
deem good bonds, bearing eight per cent. tnte
rest netting to the companies, where Il lear
ut can be effected, little over eighty cents In IN
Is dollar II all our roads were consolidated ant
a put under the management OF one or TWO In
VI trlligent heads, there II no reason why thei
! bonds should not become as goou ~ seven
OF thirty bonds Of the United States In any mar
N ket. But 10 defeat this object, leading mel
- from different parts OF the State were broush
!r 10 the capital, and retained 70 attend the meet
So ing OF the stockholders Of the virginia am
X, Tennessee road, where the whole scheme Wa
IT denounced "a IN infringement OF the franchise
l,T la IN nn MI an Innovation