Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-11-06
Railroad FreightS.

Railroad Freights.
The following petition has been presented
to the General Assembly
To The Numbers composing the Legislative
B dies IN session at Montpelier.
GENTLEMEN As true representatives of
one common people, we would humblv in
vIte your attention to great evil, fast grow
ing in this State and country. Ii 10 the in
equality of tariff rates for the transportation
of merchandise and passengers by Railroad
Corp 'ratIons- This inequality is prac-
tice that it is dangerous and unsafe for peo
pie to invest in any mineral, commercial,
or manufacturing enterprises in the interior
of the State, thereby developing the resources
and giving comfort to a common people. who
look 10 you for protection. Can merchants
ding business in Waterbury. Montpelier,
Nrrthfcld, or Randolph, compete successful
ly with merchants in Burlington at rates of
tran-p ,rtation t. and from the board cit
les dIuble that given t. the merchants of
Burlington? Can farmers living in the in
teriIr of the State compete with farmers liv
ing near the competing points, with trans
portatiOn rates doubled on all their surplus
produce. and merchandise for their consump-
ton from 25 to 50 per cent higher than their
neighb1rs? 1t must be obvious at once TO
every mind that this cannot be expected.
Nor can foreign capital be employed, or in
duced in the interior to develop the mineral
matter of our State, until some law is passed
equaliziig tariff rates for the transportation
OF these products. This inequality accounts
in a great measure fol the inclination of the
young and enterprising men of our State To
leave for states where legislation is more
favorable and equal The deserted water
falls and farms Of the interior, all testify
loudly against this evil. and in their suffer
ing silence ask you to let them come up out
of obscurity and serve the noble end of their
creation by serving the race But. gentle
men. allow US to he more particular in our
illustrations, and state a few facts. 1t can
he shown by the most reliable authority.
that in sIme instances. the merchants OF
Montpelier have been charged and had to
pay for the transportation of their merchan-
disc from New York 90 cents per hundred
pounds, while the merchants of b arlington
have paid at the same time only forty cents
This wide disparity does not generally exist.
bot the difference il always largely in favor
of Burlington. Also the same holds good
when the shipment is to from ,ston
The effect of this is to enable the Burlington
merchant to undersell the Montpelier mer-
chant and thereby thrive at his expense
The working of Railroads, az they are now
managed by few ambitious men are crippling
prosperity Of the State more than any one
cause We do not complain of any hard
ships that Providence NAV allot to as q
people but we no care to carry heavy bur
thens of taxation in paying the necessary
expenses Of our State and country, and then
suffer the deprivations of OR natural and
commercial advantages.
We approve Of granting charters for all
railroads where pc rple of wealth and ability
wish to build them, but we do not approve
Of their being allowed to take the franchise
given by the people and at their axpense az
an instrument Of favor to few and oppres-
sion T. the many. Gentlemen. please IL
your deliberations devise some measure that
shall equalizc rates of transportation. We
do not ask you tn tack riders to embarras
railroads hut simply pass some act tina,
shall destroy this ruinous competition b.
tween them. Not ruinous to them alone
but also to the public. We can carry any
burthcn State that is equal. But in
equality we condem and resist, and ask a,
your hands as our Representatives and guar
dians, relief and protection.
MANY CITIZENS.
The facts set forth in this memorial are
only few of a great number of similar fact,
which might be stated. The other day
of buying and shipping to market, potatoe,
from this locality, but he found on inquir,
that the freight from here to Boston wa
several cents more per bushel than from
Essex Junction, and accordingly he wen
there to make his purchases. The truth il
altogether too patent to be denied that {
town like Montpelier, or Mortified, or St
Jobnsbury, dependent upon one line Of rail
road for it's outlet to market, suffers beyone
calculation in the burdensome charges which
it has to pay for all classes Of freight Mer.
chants ding business in Chicago. Illinois
of the Vermont Central railroad, for fifty
five cents hundred pounds, while Vermont
ers in Washington county are obliged to pa,
the same corporation ninety cents to ge
similar freight from Boston to the station
nearest their stores. There is no reason il
Either the price charged Vermonters is out
rageously high, or the price charged ILL
noisans il ruinously low. 1t does mt requir.
much arithmetic to come to such a con
clusion
If the Legislature has any power in tn,
matter it ought to exercise it, for there an
some people in the State who think they
have been compelled long enough to pay ex
brilliant rates of freight in order to make ur
to railroads their losses in making themselves
great thoroughfarcs for carrying. for much
less than actual cost Of transportation, the
through business over their lines We do nj
much enjoy considering how. if we lived in
Chicago, six hundred miles or moro from