Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-10-18
The Railroads.

to refer to the management OF our railroads.
much preferring to commit the whole queS-
ton to the stockholders of the various Com
panies, after the earnings and expenses are
adjusted and compared with former years !;
but we cannot refrain from abiding to the
attacks of the Raleigh Sentinel OF the 9th
instant, upon the management OF the North
Carolina Railroad, duplicating as 1t does
that of the Wilmington and Weldon Hail
road and some of its officials
The Sentinel learns that at the last meet
ing of the Directors OF the North Carolina
Railroad, a resolution was offered to carry
out the new policy indicated by the stock
holders. After full discussion 1t was LAID
on the table" From which we should IN
fer that the agents Of the stockholders re-
fused or neglected to obey tho orders OF
their principals Such, however, was not
the action of the Directors by any means.
Whatever may be their I rs0nM preferen-
ces, they would hardly refuse to carry out
the implicit directions Of the owners OF the
road, The Sentinel has been misinformed
of the action of the Directors, its iTformer
having mistaken question OF minor I'M
portance for the greet policy which the
Greensboro meeting adopted.
The g tangIe" in which matters appear
to the Sentinel to be. cannot be bettered III
its opinion until the policy, which was in
augurated at the last meeting Of the stock
holders of the North Carolina Railroad, at
Greensboro. is abandoned Whatever
maybe the interests Of the Raleigh & CASTOR
Railroad and the city Of Raleigh, we do not
think the policy then adopted will ever be
abandoned, for we are confident that II Will
stand the test of the Committee on Finance,
and will be approved by the stockholders
of the Company. The resolution, which
embodies this policy simply declares 1t to
be the duty of the Directors Of the North
Carolina Railroad to carry the freight and
passengers over the longest distances prac-
ticable on that road. and then inSty3sctS the
Directors to take immediate steps to put IN
force that principle. This was done by an
arrangement of freight schedules and tariffs
in good faith, and with the most complete
success, as we are informed by those who
know. and as the stockholders will be ad-
vised in due time.
But the Sentinel thought from the adop-
ton of the resolution by the stockholders
at Greensboro, and this really is the gist
of the whole article, that the policy was
patriotic because it looked to promote the
interests of Wilmington, Newbern and
Morehead City. This is really an admis-
sion that our friends do not or viii not I'M
derstand that policy. The resolutions state
expressly and candidly that the object Is to
use the aUh0Le instead Of part of the road,
when it could be advantageOusly done
not for the benefit of any city, town OF
railroad-but for ITS Olrn interests. We
would desire to know of our contemporary
if any sane individual owned the North
Carolina Railroad, if he would not do the
same thing. Would any one, possessed OF
any knowledge of business or alive to his
own interests, do otherwise? What would be
thought of the management of this road Il
it should form such tariffs with the Pied
mont Railroad, that it should be made The
interests of shippers for their freight from
the North to reach this road at Greensboro
or of that going North to leave it at the
same point ? Is not the policy which com
pels it to reach and leave the road at Raj
eigh equally erroneous and almost as detri
mental Especially when the freight cal
and is carried the entire length Of the roat
equally as quick and cheap.
The Sentinel did publish from our col
umns the statement of the increase O
freight mot traveD for the month Of Au
gust on the Wilmington and Weldon Rail
road under the new policy, and if the agA0J
of the statement had been remembered in
stead of a part, it would have been unne
cessary to have asked how the freight mo
traveI) on the North Carolina Railroad wa
affected, for the Improvement of freigh
receipts upon the Wilmington and We
don Road was published in connectio
with the corresponding increase on tn
North Carolina Road. We have state
that the stockholders of the North Care
lima Railroad were totally unirfluened i
their action by any advantage whic
might accrue to Wilmington or NeWber1
or the Atlantic Or the Wilmington an
Weldon Roads, or tie disadvantages whic
it might be to the Raleigh and Caste
Road, and we are not aware that on
pound of freight has gone to either of thes
cities, or on the Atlantic Road, whic
would not have gone without the passag
of the Greensboro resolution. The az
vantage to the Wilmington and WeldO
Road was incidental to, and not the pu
- pose of, the adoption of the "new policy
The order was given to the Directors
cause the freight that had been achoHy N
nopolized by the Raleigh and CASTOR RAJ
road to pass over the entire eastern end
their road to Goldsboro', q distance
forty-eight miles moro than had been dol
formerly.
What was the result The line east
Raleigh to Weldon, being without hca,
grades or curves, twenty-five care-in pla
of ten orfifteen-comprised train, the til
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