Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-08-27


lie carriers the whole community has
right to criticise these Roads, and as IN
terested as all must be in cheap and raplo
TRANSPORTATION, both of persons and pro
nertv q fair discussion of this subject Cal
do injury to none. In abiding to partleu
lar Road nothing is intended for that ROAD
which is not applied to the others. The
cost of ticket from Wilmington to New
York is twenty four dollars. The DIS
lance is six hundred and thirty miles. -
Thu cost of a ticket FROM Wilmington to
Weldon is ten dollars, The distance is
one hundred and sixty mi'ee. The dis
lance from Wilmington to Weldon Is only
two and half miles over one-fourth the
distance to New York, and yet the charge
is over two fifths; to he accurate. it is ten
t.oenty fo,uths Now why is it over
one-fourth. or six dollars Here
is the disparity. If the road can carry one
passenger for six dollars why does it charge
another occupying seat by the side OF
the first ten dollars ? Thisis unexplained,
it is unsatisfactory. What is said relative
to passengers is equally applicable to
freight Another phase Of these apparent
inconsistencies may be found in the great
difference between the rates on passengers
and those on freight. Let us exempilfy.-
We have already stated that the passenger
fare over the W. & W. Railroad is ten dol
lars. The average weight of passengers is
not over one hundred and sixty pounds
The cost for carrying barrel of rosin over
same road does not exceed one dollar,
and that is full enough. The weight of
this barrel IS not less than three hundred
pounds. The space occupied by the bar
rel is as much as that by the passenger. 1t
requires persons to put it on and take II
off the cars, frequently has to be stored,
and the company is responsible for it while
of ten dollars and the Other one dollar, and
the only difference between the transporta
ton afforded is in the character of the car in
which the two are carried. The passenger
ling, no storage, no responsibility, and yet
PAYS ten times as much as the barrel. We
know there should be a proper allowance
for the accommodation afforded the
passenger but that it should be ten times
as great no reasonable person ought to
assert. Now, look at the interest of the
road. Say that daily four passenger cars
pass over it. The capacity is. say for two
bIlp. Il Il
filled, at three dollars each passenger, the
receipts would he eight hundred and forty
dollars. The receipts Of the road now from
travel, We are satisfied. does not exceed, IT
it reaches, the bali OF that amount. What
thinking person does not know that, if a
man could go back and forth over that
road fer three dollars, the c;.rs would I've
filled, and that receipts would be up to the
amount stated? In the way Of freighto
every m;lucement seems to be offered for
carrying away from our own markets pro
duce III largo quantities, while obstacles
are actually placed in the way of the small
prodncer OF every article for getting quick
market. What here injuries the producer
reflects with double force upon the inhab
itants Of our own towns and cities. What
is charged upon poultry ill bringing it even
short distances causes it to sell for from
twenty tive to fifty per cent. over its coun-
try price. The same Of every other article
demanded 10y the daily wants Of communi-
ties. The season for active work is rapid
ly approaching, and We urge our railroad
authorities to do all that wisdom and &C
commodating spirit can suggest to remedy
the evils which SO sorely press upon every
class of our own people, and which go to
enrich the capitalists of distant places.
If the Railroad managers can throw sat-
isfactnry light On what now seems so
obscure, We shall be glad to give them the
use of our columns.
Woman nd the BALLOT.
If space IN our columns would permit,
We WOul1 print without comment tho