The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-01-31
III River NntIehlIon.
~ -+INSE 4l1N NIIWlIWWs =
10 ne House Of DeLegateS 81 We5t HYr-

10 ne House Of DeLegates ef We5t HYy-
GENTLEGEN:-In View of the fact
tnat many of you are not familiar with
tne usual mode of navigation, as prae.
iceo on Elk river or the kind and
enaraeter Snd sacI Of eommerce carried on, up
anu uoWn said stream, and conseduenf-
| y are not prepared to correctly INDIE
OF the utility TO be derived BY the nsSss
| age OF Senate Bill No. 8, styled tsa bjii
20 incorporate the Elk River Navioot
ton Company" laval myself Of t6fs
method and opportunity of ASSURING
| your honorable body that no RresfaI5s.
Legislative calamity can. be 5nfiicfeS n
on the majority of the numbering com
muntty on that river than by the pass.
age OF that unjust, discriminating and
infamous bih. Although objectionable
throughout yet the most abomina bIe
feature of said bill Is the Sixth SeCtjo,,
which reads follows: "Thht the Com
pRny may demand and receive, al snch
points on said river as may be selected
by the President and Directors Of fhe
Company in general meeting anch
tolls as may be in their opinion
reasonable. Provided, That the said
tolls shall not exceed fifteen per cent.
net on the cost of the imprpt cement. In
Guiding repairs, dtc. PToJtied ft,rthe1.
That tolls shall not be levied on any
article of commerce comih into the
limits of the improvement ~ sySsv of
the river from above Port Creek
Provided Further That toll ali moi
he demanded until and lhe liver
has heeEs improved san ets sS lfofct. -
Although It is preposterous to suppose
that the Legislature will ever seriously
think of the final passage of such a bill
when familiar with the facts in the case:
yet for the purpose of showing the con-
sequences that must and will tnViolably
follow, suppose you do pass such an
act with such provisions, what will be
place the stock in all probability will
be taken by few individuals In Ka-
nawha county, who Will at once pro-
ceed to do a small amount Of work on
said river, between Charleston and
Jarret's ford (some twelve miles,) and
then proceed at once to collecting tolls,
in accordance with the provisions
however, restricts the rates OF toll and
looks reasonable enough on paper, but
will be found to work out in this man
ner: Suppose that the company expend
$4,000 on their improvements (Which
will be small amount II they propose
to improve the navigation Of the river
TO any purpose) and agreeable to their
charter are allowed to collect S75 900 in
tolls, or 10 per cent, and suppose the
aggregate amount of lumber and pro-
duce shipped up and down said stream
will not amount to over 80, 600 per an.
mum, (Which is about the easel, then
you will see that those persons enga.
ged in business ON that river, will be
or can be taxed 80 per cent. on every
dollsrs worth of capital invested, for
yonr bill proposes to allow the HDI-
rectors or the Company to charge and
collect such tolls as may be in
their opinion reasonable subject
alone to that iniqultous ffteen
per cent restriction, that will inyaria.
bly, work as above indicated. And
aside from these grave objections, we
can see no possible benefit to be derived
to the citizens of those counties bor-
dering. on Elk river by the inaugura-
ton OF such a company. As the prin-
clpaI business done there is in shipping
to Charleston lumber and cooper stuff,
which cannot be marketed only at cer-
tain seasons of the year, when the river
Is considerably swollen, or, in other
words, when there is "boat tide"
Consequently the chd3lneIin0 of Elk
river TO its source would not in the
least facilitate or improve the present
mode OF shipme ent. And as regards the
up river freight, locks, dams and chan.
nels would only be nuisance to those
canoe-men who navigate that stream
and who can scale preoipice at an
angle OF forty-hve degrees, with their
light crafts. We could enumerate
many more Objectionable features to
this proposed bill but think we have
said enough to fully satisfy all un-
biassed minds of the Injustice and inn
practicability of the measure.
r G. F. TAYLOR