Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-05
Richmond
The Lyuchburs Rspa5iicoe say>:


ALREADY Richmond has permitted Baltimore to
far out>trp her ia the race OF commercial prosperity
IL Is NOT unsafe 10 say that since the war. Baltimore
ma, done i've time, as much business with Virginia
and North Carolina as Rirhmoad hJS done. 10 lAr
scheme now on foot. auI pressed with great energy!
To- place the south side and Norfolk railroads under
the same head. aud establish through rates anu
schedules succeeds, Richmond Viii lose stu more
heavily of her trade, and Dee completely isolated
while Baltimore aud NuriO.S VII, reap the rich mar
vest We state these facts not % prejudice the cap
tal of the State which we regard one Of the most
beautiful and interesting citeS m the country, ana
whose prosperity We earnestly desire but 20 arouse
ylsr uenp.e 10 the dangers which evidently threaten
cbem IN the progress OF Improvements aud % make
,heua alive 70 tue e1ogts they Will have 10 EN-
loy 10 preserve anything Ike the former growth aud
prosperity OF thereby.
We have more than once taken occasion TO
point ont 10 those whom il most concerns the
danger to which Richmond is exposed by the
utter carelessuess Of her people with regard to
the matters herein alluded to. That she, and
those having charge of her interests, have fallen
,nanv degrees to leeward OF the times, does not
admit OF a doubt. Cheap travel and cheap
transportation are the grand requirements of
trade in these latter days. In fact, they have
always been so, but never 50 much as now,
when there is competition for every particle Ut
material that can, by any possible means, be
made the subject of commerce. Our railroad
men never seem TO have taken all this into con
sideration. Their charges are still the dearest
in the world. They seem 10 think that II they
can get 4 traveller on board their train, they
are bound to get all ont of him they can. They
act as though they were never again To have
such chance, and they mus, make the best OF
this.
Such policy as this will not suit the times
If pursued much further, il must inevitably
drive away all the tonnage from our railroad,
that can possibly 90 elsewhere. II is dis
graceful fact, that at this moment on al least
one Of our railroads, men have bought up
large teams, and are doing heavy business
hauling tobacco from distance of at least fifty
miles TO Richmond. Nor are the people
themselves less 70 blame than the railroads.
They sit down with their arms folded in IN,
perfect convictionthat, aferall, the rivalry vii
do nothing against them, and tell you that ia,
South-Sid road, which was to take of all th
produce, has proved failure, or thatpeople o
The river, who had sent their wheat 10 Bait!
more have invariably returned TO Richmond
or that the opening OF the Basin carried of IA
trade to Norfolk, and that, in fact, Richmon
cannot be hurt, &c. This is simply deluSior
and avery dangerous one. Trade is alresd
stealing from Richmond to other commercia
points, and more Of it will 60, if we do NJ
rouse up in time.
In connection with this subject, we would ca
attention to the movement already making /
the Valley in favor of a railroad from Saler
TO Winchester. 1t would be difficult TO I'm
any ground for refusing a charter, should on'
be demanded of tine Legislature, and a charte
once obtained the stock would he taken i
Baltimore in twenty-lour hours. The petition
ers need not ask the State Tor cent. We see
then, that all around Us Preparations are in pro
0ress TO cut US Off from any share of the trade
which was once ours, but now belongs to any