The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-02-15
Th. South Oarolina Rsilroad Company.

In our issue of Wednesday we pub
lished the proceedings OF Committee
OF the Senate on the matters OF the
freight charges Of the South Carolina
Railroad, between Camden and King
vile. These proceedings were based
upon q complaint made by merchant
of the former place. The South Oaro.
lima Railroad Company is the property
OF large number of our citizens, who
are poor; many have saved but little else
from the wreck of the war. It is i'm
portant to them that the value of their
property should not be unfavorably
affected by representations not correct in
point of fact, or Of facts greatly e.caggerat-
ed and distorted, to crafty personal feel
ing, or to promote selfish ends. We know
those who have been entrusted with the
management of this property. We
know, also, what labors and difficulties
they have had to encounter in providing
for tho public highway, and accommo,
tlations not inferior to those enjoyed in
any section of the Southern country.
We know further that it is claimed, and
we believe, Justly, that their rates of
freight and passage are to-day lower than
any in the State or near it. Still we
hear this clamor kept up, and its con-
tinuance forces us to conclude that there
is something more in it than appears on
the surface. To do justice. therefore,
to oil parties, we sought out information
from those whom we regarded authorized
and able to furnish it, and ascertain the
facts of this case to be simply these:
That the parties who complain in this
case have never approached the Directors
of the Company with any statement Of
their grievances; that the South Carolina
Railroad Company has no such charges
per 100 pounds upon any of its freight
tariffs as are stated in the reports; that
its charges for freight from Camden to
Kingville are precisely Tie same as they
ore for similar distances from Charleston,
from Columbia, or from Augusta
Now we confess, with these statements
before us, we are at n loss to comprehend
the necessity of the proceeding to which
we are referring. The Railroad Commit
tee has clearly not sent for persons and
papers.
But we hear still more. 1t will be
borne in mind, that the burden of the
complaint is. that the South Carolina
Railroad does not work thirty eight
miles of its line in connection with the
Wilmington and Manchester, and Will
mington and Weldon Railroad, and the
railroads leading through Wilmington
to Baltimore, which is a competing line,
so as to destroy the trade of its own line
to Charleston, the interests of the city of
Charleston and of the State, and the
steamships which have cost so much
effort and money to establish, for the very
purpose Of giring Camden and all othe,
inland cities route North over their o,c,,
hhe and through their own city. Now
what are these very competing railroads
doing. for whom this ruinous policy is
invoked-pursuing the very identical
practice which is complained of, though
in a greatly exaggerated form, of the
South Carolina Railroad Company. We
understand that the price of freight on
the Wilmington and Manchester Rail
road, (say bale of cotton,) is as much
us from Sumter to Kingyille, twenty
seven miles, or Mars Bluff to Florence,
sic miles, as it is from these places re-
spectively to Wilmington, over 100 miles
the Charlotte road, and we presume on
every railroad in existence, and the
reason is obvious. It is found in the
service and necessity of every company
to protect and promote it's own interests,
direction of freight movements along
the entire line of its railroad, and 10 and
through an important terminal or initial
point.
Nor are the railroads mentioned in the
complaint exhibiting any unusual libe-
rality in the adoption of what appears
to be a low tariff of charges, through, as
compared with the South Carolina Rail-
roads local tariff; their effort is to
dirert business arAich does not belong to
item, and to do so, temporarily establish
q rery lo,o rate of freight, for that which
comes from the South Carolina Railroad
and the city of Charleston. What are
their local charges? Place those in COM
parison with similar charges on the South
Carolina Railroad, before forming too
hasty conclusion. But are we expected
to manage our institution in the interest
of competing lines of railroads and dis
tant communities? Have the stock
holders of the South Carolina Railroad
expended vast sums OF money to con-
struct long line of railway merely for
the purpose of destroying four-fifths of
it? Has the city of Charleston and the