Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-11-27

ported, amount OF tonnage carried over the
road, au account of equipment on hand, and
such as has been purchased or built in the
shops of the company in course OF the year,
together with all the facts connected with his
branch of the service. Large additions have
been made to the rolling stock OF the road, and
extensive improvements put upon the track In
the form of new rails and croSs-tes. The con-
dltion OF the road and equipment is tavorably
presented, and will compare favorably with the
best standard of railways elsewhere. The de-
partment is believed to be we'll conducted as its
regularity Of transportation both of passenger
and tonnage. and comparative freedom from
accidents will attest. The additional equip
ment called for to meet the growing demands
of transportation have been necessarily expen-
sive, but will return TO the company In tlme
increased receipts for the outlay. The appro-
priationS required tor new equipment, and the
reconstruction of the Manassas line have re-
strieted the appropriation OF means required
for enlarging the depot accommodations at
certain points of the road, and prevented the
execution of other desirable and necessary
plans of Improvement. This cause OF restric-
ton will soon be removed when measures can
be adopted to effect these objects. A couple
of coal burning locomotives have been pur-
chased on favorable terms the past summer
and placed upon the road The General Su-
perntendeut has been directed to keep an ac,
count of the relative cost OF burning wood and
coal, looking to the diminished supply OF tie
former, and the substitution OF coal as tuel II
the result of the experiment should demonstrate
its more economlcaluse.
From the official statistics of transportation,
it will be seen that 156, 1884 passengers have
been transported during the year, against
l42, ,006 carried over the road the year before !;
and 90, 644 tons of freight against Go, LOG tons
of the preceding year. The tonnage tables dis
close the further interesting fact to the interest
of Alexandria, that more than i've out OF
every six tons of local freight going North and
nearly two-thirds of the tonnage going South
| for local consumption are received and handled
! by its commercial houses and agencies.
RELATIONS TO CONNECTING RAILROADS.
AS connected with the subject of transpor-
tation [ propose at this point to discuss our
relations to connecting railroads, and to pre-
sent the views which have governed the policy
of this company in that respect during the
past year. As the stockholders are aware their
road has two important functions with other
RAILWAYS in Virginia, the one connecting at
| Gordonsville with the old Virginia Central,
| but now known as the Chesapeake and ONO
| Railroad, and the other at Lynchburg with the
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. The first
named railroad is of the same guage with ours,
and the cars of each run upon the track OF the
| other without transhipment. In the inter-
change of business much dissatisfaction has
grown out OF the rates charged upon short dis
| tances both companies as IS the practice on all
railroads, charging more for short hauls rela-
| lively than is charged tor transportation over
| q longer line. This discrimination IN the tarln
| of rates is founded IN the reason that trelghtS
must be received handled, loaded, and mani
| tested, alike for short distances as Tor long ones,
and that adequate compensation for all this
could not be afforded by pro rata charge. -
| The application of this principle has operated
| iniuriously to some extent upon certain inter-
ests connected with both roads, and elected
criticism and complaint from various sources.
With view to remove the evil and put the
| trade of each road upon an equal footing, so
! far as the business Of the other was concerned,
| on the fourth of August last, by authority OF
the Directors OF the company, submitted 70
the President of the then called Virginia
| Central Railroad company, the following COM
muncaton which explains Itself:
OFFICE D. A. s. M. Il. r. Co,
ALEXANDRIA, Aug 4th, 1868
| Colonel FontaiRe President, &c.
Dear Sir-I paid visit to Richmond last week
in the expectation of meeting you, and confer
ring in regard to adopting some satisfactory
svsfem of rstes for freight going upon yourroad
from ours, or coming from yours TO the hhe Vi Vi
this company. AS you are douDt1ess aware
there is a good deal of local DISSATISFACTION Oh
| the subject. Shippers and conslgnees at GnaI
lottesyille and Staunton complain OF inc hlgh
charges imposed by the Central 20. between
Gordonsville and their respective points, while
| the Richmond merchants and some OF our far-
| mers on the other hand, complain OF our rates
for short distances, where the business goes W W
or comes from your road. The matter mas Deen
considered by our Board of Directors, and am
| instructed to propose to you and your Doaru
any equitable arrangement to remove inc Coin-
plaint and avoid the discrimination referred 10
Any facilities you may feel disposed to eXtenu
10 the freiohts Of our line we will reciprOcate
and extend the same measure of charge ana al
vantage in return and as learn that Inc III
rectors of your Company are about holdlng q
meeting of their board at the Warm Springs,
| take leave to submit tor consiuerHtIon
rronosltion to the above effect, and aska reply.
| In the event of a favorable answer to the prop
osition. the Superntendents of the Companies
could meet and adjust the details OF the arrange
ment am, very resp y, yr: 90 h. s;deD+ serg dt,
In reply to this letter President fontalae IN
| formed the writer that he had presented Tue
proposition 10 his board OF Directors, ana
resolution had been adopted by them referring
| the matter TO GQelr UeltIdI ICup0AAhVOnNA
report, since which time have not been al
vised Of their action it any has been taken II
the premises. The arrangement as proposed
would haveremoved the Objectionable. charges or OF
the tonnage coming from one connecting road 70
the other for partial distances, established equal
ty of charges at competing points, and avoided
| determinations In rates always odlouS 10 tnt
eghg community .5s It. is ,,p proper npgenoioa o ta
rancemert was suggested by Committee o.
the Corn Exchange Of Alexandra, with a liber
atty which did them credit and it its executor
has been delayed or defeated the failure does
not lie at the door of this Company.
| The relations Of our company with the. othei
connecting railroad at the terminal point OF
Lynchburg, have been less satisfactory the las E
year than heretofore. During that tine q TIT th'
long conceived effort of the Norfolk ana fe{STs T
bnrc interests to seize possession OF the Flr
Uinia and Tennessee railroad by the aid OF the
State vote and of certain spectators IN raliroa(
stocks, have eliminated 10 success and th' t5
ryooI