Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-06
THE L STORY.


Old FOsyIsm Still In the Ascendant
The Chinese wall and Free Trade
Steamers, Railways, and WharfbORts.
The extent to which Memphis trade is
taxed and the repression to which 1t Is
subjected by local legislation, ia one of the
most grievous Of public ealsmities. Even
six years ago there was violent hostility
TO every proposition contemplating the
connection, through the city, Of the sew
eral Memphis railway lines. About eigh-
teen years ago an alderman, who opposed
the removal of the track-N az Of the Mem
phis and Charleston Road, that extended
along Washington street from the depot
to the river, was pronounced insane. He
said then that our selfish policy was sui
cidsl, aud that if our railways we're not
connected with M another and with the
river that other lateral roads would be
built, and thus the prosperity and trade
Of Memphis destroyed. These predictions
were verified, and too late 1t was agreed
that railways should have access to the
river and be connected with one another.
The same prejqdices and precisely the
same facts and reasoning apply to the
river trade, upon which every possible
restriction Is now imposed. Not Jnly are
Wharfage charges ruinous, but the sages
and statesmen who enacted ordinances in
former years regulating our river COM
merce, sought only TO gather money,
reckless Of consequences TO the fortunes
of the city. One rich packet company was
suffered to have awhsrfbost, d the privi-
lege has been perHistently denied to others,
and the result has been the recurrence of
constant suits between merchants and
steamboat OWneraj goods, necessarily left
upon the Wharfat night, nave been dam
aged; and a system of charges for oil
cloths and "skiddsge" obtains unknown
in civiliHed csnters of traffic. Steamers
will not receive small parcels or small
quantities of freight for this port since
they have been required to deliver it in
good order, and the process costs more,
in view of the wharfage and other need
less charges. than the goods are worth, If
each packet company owned q whRrfboat,
restricted to the transfer of freights,
twenty per cent. in twelve months would
be added to the river trade of this city.
We saw a merchant yesterday looking
everywhere for q river clerk that he might
ship ten dollars worth of cigars to Little
Rock. The packet was hourly expected
from above, but there was no depository
for the freights, and, in time lost, the
tradesman Loaf the profits on his sale. a
wharfboat Is not only the intermediate
agency between merchants and steamers
in saving time and money for both, but it
space at our narrow river front, The |
" AA1l Il AOk I'M 1B4A0 9LOAAA ~ 4
half for the steamers that will lie here
during the next six months. II may be
the true policy Of our City Fathers to re-
pei them; but every other commercial
mart on the Mississippi and its tributa-
taries gives steamers every possible fscili-
ty for the cheap, and speedy and safe
transaction of their business. We do this
for railways, even running streets to serve
them. Steamers no less valuable and no
less promotlve OF u prosperity, are sub
iected to taxation that smacks OF absolute
extortion and when they propose to es-
q whsrfboat the peculstors and
d~estroysrs Of ourtrade lift up their hands
In holy horror and pirate o the dan
gers that must Isl The experience Of
river towns Is worth nothing in
their eyes, and while the river front at st.
Louis Is lined with wharfboats, Memphis
the wisdom of st. Louis by
one, and our own folly and want
Of Justice end reason by denying the boon
to other lines equally deserving. We
have much to say Of Memphis as q cheap
for goods and groceries, and yer,
for want Of these facilities Tor the cheap
transfer OF goods from the river to the
seller and from the merchant to the river
and consumer, we repel trade and make
it to the interest of the people to trade
with remoter cities that have no Chinese
wall of prejudice and narrow s~eldshness
tbeEas
The st, Louis and New Orleans Packet
Company and the Southern Merchants
Line, now consolidated, we believe, will
have sixteen bosts plying during the
between thetWo cities designated.
One or two Of these steamers
will be In port every day and
this company must pay about 500
wharfage per week for the poor privilege
rolling out molasses to be soured BY
he sun. or other commodities to be ru-
ned Ey raip-storms. These sixteen
steamers, the ak that run from st. Louis
70 Shreveport, and the five that run
rom st. Louis mp the Arkanaas and
White rivers, wilt slwsys ship 70 and
rom st. Louis rather than to and from
Memphis, for the very resson Of the supe-
.ior facilities Furnished by the admirable
Of the former city which {
the whole river front. In fact, the
liver trade of st. Louis, under the liberal I
policy OF that city's government, owes I
Is magnitude and success to Wharfboats. I
without them, the overcrowded landing ]
,lace would be useless.
The q hundred and eighty Thousand
paid Is wharfage in three years to {
,ur wharfmaster II only q sun expended
o drive trade nom Memphis. Merchants,
they know II or not, have paid
his tsx, They have ehargsdttto so1sum- I