Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-05-03
NASHVILLE AND DECATUR RAIL
ROAD LEASE.

ROAD LEASE
To the Editors of the Union and Americaas
l notice in your issue of this morning a
communication signed Merchants" a
very improper signature for an article
emanating from a well known railroad
official in the interest of the Nashville and
Decatur Railroad. 1t is taken for granted
that no merchant or merchants of our
city could or would attempt publicly to
offer any argument in favor of leasing the
Nashville and Decatur Railroad to the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Compa-
ny, alias the city of Louisville.
The rates from Charleston, S. c., on
rice to Louisville and Nashville may be as
stated, but the Nashville and Chat
tanooga Railroad is in no wise
to blame, for they neither make
or control rates out of Charleston. They
are made by The South Carolina Railroad
Company, and under our contract with
them, we accept a pro rata Of their figures
to ali points West. In return for this
acceptance of their rates to the West, we
have the privilege of making competing
rates to Charleston on the bacon, the
flour and grain of Middle Tennessee. 1t
is therefore question of policy for US to
consider whether we shall make no more
shipments to the sea or take pro rata
on figures from the Atlantic. Is there a
sensible merchant in Nashville who would
have US give up all chances of commerce
with South Atlantic cities for all the
tierces of rice ever brought TO our city
over the Nashville and Chattanooga
Railroad2 Not one.
Allow me to make suggestion for
the benefit of the merchants of Nashville
and 1t is this: If road six hundred miles
from here, having no special interest
either in Louisville or Nashville, makes
lower rate to Louisville Q85 miles more
distant) than to Nashville, how much
more certain is it that rates from all sta
tions south of Nashville, as well as from
Pensacola and Montgomery, vii be uni
fornaly and otgpOSeiy made less to Lou
isville than to Nashville, when that line
is(as contemplated by this lease exclu-
sively under the control of the Louisville
and Nashville road. Will the writer of
the article signed Merchants" please
state the probabilities in this case.
The Nashville and Chattanooga Rail
road is alone responsible for rates made
from this city, and not those made to it.
Tae truth of Merchants remarks
in regard to the benefit accluing to a
city by reason of competing lines is re-
coenized, but TO get that benefit, he pro-
poses that the shorter one go into the
hands, and under the exclusive control of
a rival city. If anything beneficial to
Nashville can result from this arrange
ment we would like to see it demonstIa-
ted.
1t is reasonable to suppose, and we
take it for granted, that when Louisville
votes 1915, 900, or entertaiDs the prOpo-
sition to raise that amo INT of money,
that she votes for her own and not for
the interest of Nashville. The Louis
vile and Nashville Railroad does not look
to Montgomery or Pensacola for COM
pensation for her proposed outlay, but to
an entire diversion of the local trade
south of us to Louisville. Nor would
Louisville herself vote one dollar to the
project did she not know the power she
wields in the management of the Louis
vile and Nashville read, and that rates
and determinations in her favor would
give her the trade we now enjoy, and
which, with the completion of the North
and South road, we could not only retain
but extend to the gulf.
1t is true that you may be able to get
over the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail-
road and its connections as low rates
from Nashville to Montgomery, Selma,
etc., as Louisville merchants can make
from Louisville TO the same points-bIt
are Nashville merchants content with
this2 If they controlled the Decatur line
as they are So miles nearer-they should
have not the same but much lower rate
to all those points than from Louisville,
Nashville could say 10 Louisville, as they
for years have said to Cincinnati, "YOu
must pay higher rate than we do or you
cannot ship over our road" Any less
however of through business, is matter
of 10 consequence when compared with
the local trade south of you. Esau sold
his birthright for mess of potage, an
extraordinary equivalent, compared with
the great ''sell' about to be perpetrated,
by allowing Louisville to have the control
of this (soon to beg great thorOughfare al
six per cent. dividend, etc. upon the
stock of the Nashville and Decatur Rail-
road.
If Nashville merchants permit this be.
fore exhausting all means in their power
to prevent it, they should never ask pro.
lection as to rates of any road against the
encroachments of rival markets. II
property holders decline 10 aid in this
matter to their utmost, they should nO'
complain when ''FOr Rent" is pasted Oh
half the doors in your city. PRORATE.