The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1872-05-31
rHR rRFraHT QUESTION.

fects upon the interests Of Georgia
ofthe discrimination against local
freights which has 50 long prevailed
in our Railroad management. lie
says:
t'Iere is a railroad, the Western
and Atlantic, built and owned by
the state Of Georgia, built by
money drawn from the people Of
Georgia 10 the form Of taxes, built,
as they have been told, and as they
have had a right to suppose, for their
special benefit. Here, then, is this
great work, costing more than six
millions Of dollars, built by, and be-
longing to the people of Georgia, and
holding as it were the key, the Their
mopylg Of two great sections of
country, and two great systems OF
railroads, which has entered into a
| league or confederacy with these
two sections, and two systems of
conveyance, to transport freight
through the State of Georgia from
other States, and TO other States and
countries, fer less than one-half, and
in many cases, less than one fourth
the rates they levy upon the people
of Georgia less than one-half and
less than one-fourth the rates they
levy upon the products of Georgia,
or the products of other States and
countries, coming into the interior
of this State for consumption or sale
in the State thus using this great
and costly work of the people of
Georgia, mainly for the benefit of
other States and countries, at the
expense of Georgia people. And
this is not all this State Road in
particular, is so loaded down in the
main business season, with this low
through freight, taat the people OF
Georgia fnd great difficulty in get
ting done at all, at the extravagant
/ local charges. These burdens APP
ply to nine tenths of the people and
business of Georgia.
find by the freight lists, the la
test obtainable, that the rates of
/ freight between Chicago, st. Louis,
Cincinnati, and Louisville, on the
one hand, and Charleston, Whining
ton, Savannah, and Montgomery, on
the other, average about the same
per hundred pounds per hundred
miles. And | find also, by looking
over the local or home rates-that
is, tho rates that are charged by
Georgia roads, on Georgia products
going out of the State, or from one
part Of the State TO another; and OF
freight coming into the interior Of
the State for consumption or sale, to
average about the same on all the
Georgia roads. But, for sake OF
cIearness and simplicity ofstatement,
| | take the rates between Chicago to
Charleston for sample of the
through rates, and the rates between
Dalton and Atlanta, as sample of
the local or home rates, The rate
on corn, rye, oats, and wheat be-
tween Chicago and Charleston, about
one thousand miles, is eighty four
cents to the hundred pounds, which
is eight and four tenths cents FOR
each one hundred miles. The rate
on the same grains, whether of Geor-
gia or foreign production, between
Dalton and Atlanta-just one hum
bred miIes--is seventeen cents TO
the hundred pounds, more than one
hundred per cent higher than the
through rates. The rates on flour,
fruits, meats, and vegetables hold
about the same proportion in favor
of the Northwestern products. And
now, when We reflect that Northern
Georgia is not a cotton, but a grain
and stock raising country, and that
Northwestern lands produce twice
as much grain to the acre as Georgia
lands, we find that our Georgia roads
are being operated for the benefit of
the farmers in that section of coun-
try rather than for the benefit OF
Georgia farmers and when we add
to this the fact that these roads are
so loaded down with these cheap
| through freights in the main bust
ness season, as to cause Georgia
products to rot in the barns, or be
eaten up by rats while waiting for
transportation, we feel, we see, and
taste the injustice of this policy
This is fair statement or repre-
sentation of this freight question as
it stands to-day and it is not
formidable evil, most stupendous
system ofoppression and depression
upon the interests and people of
Georgia, l should like to know what
makes one, and where one is to be
found? And if there is no remedy
or relief from it, | should like to
know what is to hinder the railroads
from taking away or uprooting the
last vestige of our property, liber-
ties, and equal privileges and
rights 2"