Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-13
railroad Freights to Richmond.


To tie Editors Wilmington Journal:
An extract from a late issue Of your pa
per, published in the Richmond Dispatch
of to-day, is calculated to mislead your
readers i'll regard to the responsibility of
the existence of high rate Of freight be-
tween this city and Wilmington. The as
sertion of one of your railway officers, that
the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
charged more on car-wheels from Rich
mond to Petersburg than is charged from
Weldon to Wilmington, assumes, III con-
nection with your previous remarks under
the same heading, the character of a gen
eral charge against that Company with re-
spect to their rates of freight.
Ihave taken the trouble to ascertain, from
the Agent of the Company in this city, that
the rates of freight on car-wheels from this
city to Petersburg is ten cents per one
! hundred pounds, and in no case has more
| been charged. 1t is not therefore, to be
supposed that your informant was well
posted on this particular question. If he
is, it is, on the other hand quite evident
that the charge Of the Wilmington and
Weldon Railway is totally inadequate to
keep it in running order, provided other
articles are transported on like liberal
terms.
With respect to the willingness of the
Richmond and Petersburg Company to en-
ter into any agreement with connecting
lines, for the purpose of etfecting d system
of charges on through freights. ] can assure
you that [ have examined p through
tariff which was actually carried into
effect by the Richmond and Petersburg
Company on the 18th of May last. BY this
tariff iron, nails, spikes, &c, were to be
forwarded to Wilmington at thirty-three
cents per one hundred pounds.
Upon the arrival in Petersburg Of the
first shipment made in conformity with the
agreement, which resulted in this very rea-
sonable tariff, the Petersburg Railroad
Company refused to forward the freight at
such reduced rates. whereupon each Com
pauy returned to its former charges. Quite
recently another attempt has been made to
agree upon a tariff that will mutually ben
eft our manufacturers and your buyers,
but the directors of the Petersburg railway
refuse to reduce rates to that degree that
will allow Richmond manufacturers to COM
pete with those of Boston or New York
Petersburg and her railway regard the
whole question of the development of the
great resources of this State from q point
of view inside of the corporation of that
pleasant place, and nothing can move then
from their position. Necessarily its people
! and press deny it with good deal of pa
triotic eloquence, but it is a gigantic truth
and is evident as any truth that error en-,
deavors to conceal from the public view
The Presid ent of the Petersburg railroad
/ was fully committed to the tariff of the 18th
May, but the Directors of that Company
, refused to permit it to go into effect
Here is the only reason in the worlt
Petersburg has acted as she has done. L
North Carolina merchants can go to Rich
2 mond and buy their goods as low and low
, er than they can in Petersburg, and plant
ers sell their tobacco at a better price, al
S they always can do-for Rich1ao nd is the
f best tobacco market in the world-they viii
not probably stop in Petersburg at ali
: This is the whole secret of the case. Pc
tersburg is "made city" and if its peoplt
q choose to conceal the fact they may keel
S down the progressive spirit of Richmond
!, in proportion to her interests in the road
! controlled by them, by working against
= policy which should be everywhere observ
L ed. That policy is Hberality and fair
: dealing with those with whom we desire t.
s establish trade.
There is now a through line of rail from
Richmond to your city, and nothing bu
the short-sightedness Of the managers o
# the Petersburg railway prevents the ship
4 ment of freight either way at REASONABLE
y rates and without breaking bulk. Wi
you not embody SO much of this in you
it reference to it as will throw the blame uI
o on the right party, and ask the Dispatch t
!. do likewise 1?
Yours, &c.