The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-19
auhmond 1tspatth,
ACCOMPLISHMENTS is' is'V'
O.. how virginia BIeeds.

10 the Editors of the Richmond Dsspofch !:
When, twenty-five years ago, the state
Of Virginia embarked in o system OF rail-,
waysSsince costing millions of public ana
private treasure-it was thought that IN II
wo,,ld be found power to build up, 10
foster, and to protect. the Tafleu ih'e' re- re-
of the people of this Commonwealth. On n
der system of favorable management ali
the then indulged hopes and expectations
of the advocates of the policy might nave
been realized, but system OF unfavoraeie
management, or management which nae
not the necessary reference to these orlginai
objects, renders the whole thing aoortlse |;
A country comparatively poor in SOIL anu
war.worn like Virginia, cannot reasonaoty
hone to compete successfully with the rlcner
Wts. in AGRICULTURAL products, nor with the
Fest with it's advantage OF capltall IN
commercial enterprise, if railway tariffs OF
n less rate per ton per mile are made in
fayor Of those sections outside of the State.
# thew enjoy these advantages it is mani
fest that Virginia must in the end go to
the wall " in it's agricultural, its mechani-
cal, and its commercial, departments.
The condensed figures below indicate the
rate of freights charged by Virginia roads
as pvtof The Virginia and Tennessee ar
i.ne:
n from New York 10 Lynehburg, 4.se cents pei
II from = New York to Bristol Sos cents per ton
IL from New York to Knoxville, sss cents per ton
If from New fork to Memphis, 2.ls cents per ton
while under the loeel tariff Of the Virgins and an,
i9,na " nv As
lows tincluding handling charged:
If from LyncSburg to Forest, l6.4s cents per ton
II from Lynchburg to Christiansburg, 100 cents
Ii from Lynehburg to wy,hevllle, ESQ cents pei
If from y ynchburg to Bristol, e.sa cents per ton
per mile.
The above deductions are made from two
tariffs only-viz., the Virginia and Tennes'
see airline through tariff and the Virginia
and Tennessee local tariff. Let other locali-
ties in the State look to and digest the
tariffs affecting -3hcir peculiar interests,
and see if like condition docs not obtain
for them. The same variety OF rates tor
travel per capita per mile are found IN
the passenger schedules.
The Norfolk and New York steamship
line is reported to have declared the hand
some dividend of twenty-five per cent. on
its capital stock after placing ten per cent.
to the credit of its surplus fund. If the
present system is to he pcrpetuated, ought
not the line of railways sustaining those
ships for the most part to be direct copar-
ceners in such unusual profits
: Our roads were conceived and constructed
to aid Virginians in an effort to become
large shippers of agricultural and mineral
products as well as general merchandise ;
but now the people are being educated and
trained to the nelr idea that our leading
interests lie in our railroads, and our chief
business should be that of common car
9iers Mt less rates than our own people are
charged for like service.
Much more could be written, but this has
now too great length for publication. Like
complaints have been lodged against the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad in the Legis-
latnre of Maryland.
The unsalaried people OF Virginia cannot
press their interests in the Hobbies OF the
Legislature, but look to and confidently rely
upon their representatives for full protec-
ton of the general interests OF the Com
monwealth.
The people of the State do not ask the
railroads to make discriminating rates IN
tier taror but they do ask and demand
to he placed on equal footing with their
competitors in the East and in the West by
the adoption of uniform rates per ton per
mile, anu per cnpitn per mile after which
Virginia will have back all the advantages
of position on the seaboard and proximity
to the eastern markets of the world.
Very respectfully, ClFIS.