The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-31
via Norfolk shows that thea.

| rage about AZ cent8 per ton per, .ie, that
tho steamer receives from 97.25 to $8 Dor
ton for transportation to and from New
York-which is about double the necessary
charge from Richmond to New Tork--snd
that, in addition, this tonnage is transport
ed on seventy-nine miles of additional rail
over what would be required if sent BY Rich
mond, and for this reason subjected to an
unnecessary additional tax of 1915 per ton.
| From these figures it is safe to assume that
the trade from New York, Boston, Phila-
delphia, and Baltimore to Lynchburp, and
other points in Southwest Virginia, Is SUBJ
jected to an unnecessary additional tax Of
from SIS to $40 per ton for the purpose Of
passing it through Norfolk. Who rays
this tax The farmers Of Southwest Vir-
ginia, who send their produce to market
and buy goods which have been bought In
eastern cities and shipped by this route to
Salem, Christiansburg, Wytheville, Marion,
Abingdon, sc.
Is this the no discrimination pro-
missed by General Malone to all con-
Meeting works. Is this the redemp-
ton of his pledge to the people Of tie
Southwest that they should be allowed free
access by the cheapest route to all the mar
kets of the country! Is this the manner
in which he has redeemed his pledge to
furnish every facility to pass trade to or
through Richmond
Upon further examination of these pa
pers we find other interesting facts-viz.,
that whilst the trade between Bristol (also
Abingdon) and New York, pays an average
charge Tor transportation of 5 cents per ton
per mile, the trade from Knoxville pays only
| 3.S1 cents per ton per mile. From Chatta-
nooga, pays only 3.5s cents per ton per
mile from Atlanta, less than cents from
Nashville, 2 $40 cents and Memphis, 2.5S
cents per ton per mile.
| A ton of goods brought from New York
to Abingdon (553 miles) pays s27.6O, whilst
ton of goods carried to Knoxville 1898
miles, is charged only s27; and ton car
ried to Nashville 1851 milcs) is charged only
1923, and ton to Memphis (,Ols miles,
double the distance that it is to Abiugdou)
is charged S26, OF 81 per ton less than to
Abingdon.
| Is this the manner in which he redeems
his pledge to provide for all our people
along the line Of this combination uniform
rates for trarel and for freights, according
to distance, and not By charges based upon
an inrerse ratio as to the same, uhich ope-
rates to tar one's proximity to market for
the privilege Of his location :"
Neither has he redeemed his promises to
to transport to Virginia cities at the same
rate per ton per mile that he transports to
cities outside of the State.
For whilst we find that the charge from
Knoxville to New York is 3.87 cents per ton
per mile, the charge from Knoxville to
I Richmond is 4.l9 cents per ton per mile.
| From Abingdon to New York the charge is
cents per ton per mile, and to Richmond
5.8-1O cents per ton per mile. From Marion to
New York, 4.92-100 cents per ton per mile;
to Richmond, $40 cents per ton per mile.
| From Wytheville to New York, 4.S7 cents per
ton per mile to Richmond, $40 cents per
ton per mile. Thus the charge to Rich
| mond is nearly one cent per ton per milo
| mile more than to New York, or reduo-
ton of about two dollars per ton in favor OF
New York and q discrimination to that
extent against Richmond.
CONCLUSIONS.
We find from the report OF the Norfolk
and Petersburg Railroad for tho year 1868
that the total tonnage on the road was for
that year about 70, 900 tons, of which about
iD,DUU lUllS are uSbIChdtSu uc thiouShJ Va
| shipped over the road to points beyond the
ermini. We learn from the papers that
the aggregate tonnage Of 1869 was about
| 95 900 tons, and estimating the same pro-
portion or say, 10000 as through, would
give total through tonnage for the two
years of about 100, 900 tons, which was the
| transit trade, and which could have gone
through Richmond at o saving of from S5
to IS per ton in the cost of transportation
or. to be palmer, in the two years the people
inside and outside OF this State have been
forced to pay probably 100000 for the
bauble Of direct trade and commercial
emporium of Norfolk, neither of which are
we likely to have in fifty years, even with
a continuance of this enormous and un-
justihable tax.
Is not this paying too dear for tho wills
tle7 Let the people Of LynchbUrg, Bedford,
Roanoke, Montgomery, Pulaski, Wythe,
Smyth, and Washington, remember that
they and their road-of which they were
once so Justly proud, and for the construc-
ton of which they deserve SO much credit
we're large contributors Of this tonnage /;
that the huge sum given to keep up the
Norfolk and Petersburg and Southsids
road and to swell the profits of the steam
ships should have gone into the treasury
of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, and
been applied to the repairs and reconstruc-
ton of that valuable work. You have been
bled for others until it is said life is almost
extinct. 1t is now proposed to perpetuate for
all time, by an act Of the Legislature, the
injustice which you and others have SUI
fered for the last two years.