The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-17

EBRUARY 1873.
flor passenger travel for thirty years given TO
it, as we'll rs exemptioDfrom taxation This
last-this exemptien-Has given to many
roads, and is no,o enjoyed by the Richmond
and Petersburg road, the Danville road, and
the Coyington and Ohio railroad. But the
counsel on the other side singled the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad
as subject of reproach because Of this ex-
emption. Sir, it is betterentitIed to exemp-
ton from taxution than any road in the State,
because it has receiued less and paid more.
I point to these facts in its history because it
has been subject of perpetual assault.
come now to its administration. It was
designed principally as passenger and local
freight road. 1t cannot be tbrougb.freight
road until it's communications are completed
with Baltimore. 1t has already been testi-
fed, and the committee have not forgotten,
that until within the few years last past (sinee
1859 there was no rail communication
through Petersburg; there was no rail
communication through Richmond; and
until last summer there was no communion
ton with Washington beyond Quantico ex.
cept by steamer. The rail communication
was completed last summer, and the Batt-
more and Potomac Railroad communication
is not yet made with the city of Baltimore.
It remained a passenger road during all this
time (thirty -four ycars). Nothing gave it
revenue except local freights and passengers.
During this whole period it made its rates
with the Richmond aud Petersburg road,
and with that Petersburg and Weldon road
now complaining against it. There was not
ore whisper of complaint, and there is none
now, that the passenger arrangement was not
perfectly satisfactory through all this time.
Harmony and concer. pervaded their whole
intercourse through these long years. Il is
charged in the indictment against Mr.. Rob-
inson, who had not until recently the con-
troll of the Seaboard Line, that he had work.
ed that road so as to despoil the FIed12i::@@sss-
burg road-to "dry up" its only source Of
revenue; that only source being
ITS THROUGH TRAVEL.
It has been demonstrated before this COM
mittee that the Seaboard road and Bay Line
have been so managed under the Robinson
administration, from the beginning, as TO
give to this INTERIOR LINE, ALL the through
passengers that could be put upon al. For
while the Seaboard aud Bay Line, rs the
shorter and cheaper routes, could carry
passengers at far cheaper rate. they have
kept up their through rates Of travel in Or
der to give this interior line an opportunity
to enjoy 1t, and that so far from the Bay Line
Increasing Its number of passengers, and so
absorbing the revenues of the Fredcricks-
burg road, it is fact that the number of
passengers along the Seaboard road and Bay
T :,,a fa,.f ,tc
years ago, while the passengers along the
Fredericksburg line baye been steadily and
pcrpetualy increasing; and increasing only
because the Scaboard and Bay Line have
charged rate OF transportation precisely the
same as that charged here; and under those
conditions passengers preferred to take the
all-rail line. And this fact has been acknow.
leGged by tie President Of the Petersburg
and Weldon road in the report made by ii;
president in 1867. He refers to what has al
ready como 10 the knowledge Of this commit.
tee. that they had an opposition line Of boats
on The bay in 1856, and that opposition had
put down its fares upon the Bay Line to such
an extent as to divert the travel from thi:
interior line, and the travel upon the Sea
Goard and Bay Line nearly doubled during
the time this opposition continued, While
the travel on the interior line diminished ir
the same proportion. Alr. sanford, tht
| president referred to, in his report &c
tie stockholders, refers to the fast thai
the Seaboard road and Bay Line had
together put that opposition down, anf
! that now the travel had been restored to its
| ancient route, and there stood the Bay Line
to protect them against any such conpeti'
ton in the future because, being aided by
the seaboard aud Roanoke road, they could
keep off opposition lines and boats, and sc
| project the travel upon this inland line
| 'rLis is the report made by the President
of this Petersburg road III 1867, acknowl-
! edniug his obligation 10 the efforts made
| by the Bay Line and Scaboaid road, not in
! the attempt to dry these roads up, us now
| charged, but i'll the successful effort which
| they made to keep these roads protected
| from competition. | desire to call the CON.
| mittee's attention to the statistics furnished
| upon that subject, keeping in view the fact
| that the charge is that the Seaboard and
| Roanoke railroad and Bay Line have been at.
tempting to "dry up" the Fredericksburg
| road. Here are the figures furnished from
1866 to 1872. ] have said before, and this
| matter is not open to dispute, that the only
question involved il the charge was the
question of travel; the question Of fi'cightS
was simply impossible. The Seaboard road
in 1885. received S91 0S6.79 for passenger
travel; in 1872 it received s03,2S4 S0-whilt
at this same period (!S55) the Fredericksburg
road received S1S2, 2,75Q.O9, and In 1872 it le
cciycd S244, 4,s62.01.
MIR. Lyon: Where did you get those
| Ggures from!
Judge Crump: Why. have you forgotten
! them!
Mr.. Lyon: No, sir, I havD't forgotten
auylhine. Where did you get them from
| Judge Crump: Tuey were furnished IL
the answers Of Mr.. Robinson, and III re
SPOUSE TO vour own questions. Observe, sir,
! because this is not Il matter that ID TO ps
! treated by any other than solid facts Inc
question is, Has the Seaboard liue been lSet
for the purpose of drying mp the trederlcEs
burg line? IausWer this by showing ina
in 1856 the passenger travel on the Seahcart
road amounted to S91 ,J86,l9, and IN 1917
was 1913, ,23l 30; tnat At the same time on tlit
Fredericksburg road i'll 1888 1t was SlS2,
7JU.G9. and in 1872 ss2i4 ,e62.ol, thus demon
stratiny that the ratio OF Increase OF traTe
on the Richmond. Fredericksburg and Poto
mac route has been constant, ana That tls
increase of travel on the Bay Line is scarce!!
peIccptible. The receipts in 1871 were less
on the Se;.board and Bay Line tban they
were in 1853, being respectively sd, ,9:C.l'
in 1855, aud SSS, S,525.l0 in 1871. That 50 f"
from the Seaboard road and the Bay Line
having been worked for the purpose OF dc
stroying the Fredericksburg route, the!
have been go worked rs to preserve it. Lool
at irs receipts when it was forced to pu
down its rates by the opposition of 1860. LII
the year ending February !, 1867, the re
ceints of the seaboard road amounted t.
SI5G,?52.12 on travel. Instead CT that trave
being kept up, it continued to decrease, ant
the next yeari it was 1886, ,3Ss.13, and the mex