Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-08-12

1t strikes me, therefore, that in discrimina-
ting between certain points on the winchester
and Potomac branch, as for instance IN the
transportation Of Coal between Winchester and
Charlestown; and in making private contracts
with individuals to transport at different rates
than those established for the public, the Baltl-
more and Ohio Company are violating the
charter under which alone they can operate the
stem road. As to their rates Of toll, these be-
ing prescribed by the charter, | do not think
them modified by section 10, of chapter 81, OF
the Code of Virginia, which is expressly limit
ed to tolls on ardilroad on ,chich different
rates are not prescribed by lap." / have not
been able to find any law whatever, authorizing
the Baltimore and Ohio Company to charge
more than their predecessors were limited to by
the section of their charter above quoted
This limit is three cents per mile for passen-
gers. The distance from Harper's Ferry to
Winchester is, say thirty-one miles, and the
charge is 81 rs or at the rate of more than
fire and a half cents per mile, being tico and a
half cents per mile more than the charter al
lows. | believe that the rate allowed by the
charter is not below the average charge on
other roads. So in regard to freight. By the
car load of Is 600 pounds, or nine short tons,
the charge from Winchester to Harper's Ferry
is twelve cents per hundred, or 81 40 per ton
which is at the rate of seven and one quarter
cents per ton per mile, being three and one
quarter cents per ton more than the charter
allows This is the charge by the carload i;
in smaller quantitiestbe amount charged above
the legal tolls is still greater. Thus while the
charge from Winchester to Baltimore by the
carload is thirty cents per hundred, the charge
for less weight is forty-fve cents per hundred,
or fifty per cent. more.
4. The charges of the Baltimore aud Ohio
Road compared wih those Of other Roads.
refer here. of course, not to the charges Of
the Road on its main line, but to those which
we pay who live along the stem. | have the
authority of COL Robert w. Baylor and Mr..
Charles Manning. for the following statement
They shipped stock from Philadelphia to Bal
tmore Zone hundred miles and from Balt-
more to Summit Point about the same distance,
and the Baltimore and Ohio Company charged
them Just double the freight they paid on the
Philadelphia and Baltimore road. They found
the agent on the latter road far more oblging,
also Bills of freight placed in my hands by
Messrs. McElroy & Mcknight, of Charlestown,
establish that the Baltimore and Ohio road has
charged them freight about double the rates
charged by the Cumberland Valley road.
Iappend statement of the cost of bushel
of wheat from st. Louis to New York Du-
buaue to st. Louis. Dubuque to Chicago, Chi
cago to Buffalo, and Buffalo to New York, by
railroad. and ask our farmers to get the map,
look at the distances, and compare the charges
with those Of the Baltimore and Ohio Road:
DUBUQUE to Chicago lSc. Dubuque to St Louis DC.
Chicago Elevator lc. st. Louis Elevator. lie.
Chicago to Buffalo Sc. st. Louis TO n. \ ork 2sc
Buffalo Elevator. lie. -
Buffalo to New York. l6. TOtal............... CSC.