The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-01
SOMETHING ABOUT THE VIRGINIA
STEAMSHIP COMPANY.
Richmond and Petersburg to be
Punished by an Annoyed
MOnopoliSt.
4 TENDER WOUND PROBED BY MIR.
LYON a DELICATE WAY.

Our report Of the proceedings before the
Senate Committee on Roads at the session OF
Thursday night stopped at the point where
Mr.. Robinson, president Of the Scaboard and
Roanoke Railroad Company, was surprised
TO find that the tariff-tabIc Of that road,
which he had been quoting to show the
lower rates on that road than on the Peters.
burg road, was not the only one In use and
on the presentation of the other, providing
for higher rates, which was presented by
Mr. Lyon, said hc would look into the mat
ter.
Mr..Lyon asked if the table of the Peters
burg road from which he had been quoting
was not made hy Mr.. Chic, superintendent
of the Scaioard and Roanoke Railroad Com
pany. and Mr.. Spligg, superintendent of the
Petersburg Railroad Company.
Mr.. Robinson did not know. but thought
Mr.. Chic had nothin" TO do with it.
Mr.. Lyon: Do you not know that that
table was made out by Mr.. Chic and Mr..
Sprigg in May, 1872:
Mr.. Robinson: They may have met and
had some agreement, but do not know
of if.
Mr.. Lvon: Do you not know that they
agreed not 10 uEdcrhid cacl! other?
Mr. Daniel: Mr. Robinson, if there WAS
.!ch an agreement, did il not have rctcrcuce
to the transportation OF freight from Weldon
TO Portsmouth on the one hand and from
Weldon to Peter, burg on the other?
Mr. Robinson: | suppose it was not TO
undcrbid at Weldon. They often met to
arrange rates from Weldon to Baltimore,
philadelphia. and New York, but there
couldn't possibly have been an agreement
between them as 10 local rates to Ports
mouth.
Mr. Lycn here exhibited tariu-tablc of
the ScabGar,l and Roanoke road showing that
The rates oltIansporlation on That road were
in several Instances higher than those on the
Petersburg road.
Sir. Robinson These rates seem to be
generally the saline as those of the Peters
burg road. but dou't think we are opera
ting under this table.
Mr. Lyon: l. there not iHscvcral instances
4 slight advance upon our rates {!
Mr.. itobiilSon: Yes, there is slight ad-
vance. but think Mr. Chic must have got
ten this table for transportation from the
station. | think l can reconcile any dis.
crcpancy hy the next meeting of tie COM
mittec. You will notice that this does not
embrace the tariff to Portsmouth.
Judge Ould inquired how the rates on the
Petersburg railroad compared with those of
the Richmond, fredericksburg and Potomac
road. The comparison seemed to be unfa-
vorablc to the former, it being alleged that the
Petersburg Railroad Company charges the
same for 156 miles that the Potomac Railroad
Company charges for Ga miles; but on cross
cyoninutia,, IT unpnnrnl tbot tho Ui,I,pnnh
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Com
pany charges the lowest rate tor trausporta-
ton Of articles which it does not have ocel-
sion to carry (such as cotton), and that that
company charges as much for carrying freight
from Guinea and Milford stations 10 Balti-
more as from Richmond to Baltimore.
MIR. Robinson was then examined at length
by Judge Ould 10 slow that the cheapest
way for the Petersburg Railroad Company to
get their freight north was 10 60 by City
Point, the defence claiming that the distance
by water WAS much less and that it was
great deal chcaperto equip and put on line
OF steamboats, than to build a railroad. 1hIr.
Lyon here called attention to the fact that the
Petersburg Railroad Company has no right
to run line of steamboats,.
Judge Crump followed in an attempt to
prove from the reports of the Petersburg
Railroad Company that it was to get an
outlet north at City Point. He read from the
proceedings of il stockholders meeting held
on the Goth OF March lust Il resolution Of
felcd by Mr.. Lyon instructing tile directors
to proceed at once to build railroad from
Petersburg 10 City Point.
Mr.. Robinson: ! always understood that
they were going to build such road.
Judge Crump: Do you know of any rea-
son why they should not build itI
Mr.. Robinson No, sir; unless they have
spent all their money.
Mr.. Lyon: Do you not know, Mr.. Robin
son, that since the adoption OF that rcsolu-
ton the Virginia Steam-Packct Company,
with which we expected to connect, has sold
out TO McCready, Of the Old Dominion line !
Mr.. Robinson | know that the opposition
line has been taken OIL.
Judge Crump: Don't YOU know that this
company had only ole boat running at that
time:
MIR. Robinson: think so.
Mr.. Lyon: What was the name of that
boat?
Mr. Robinson The w. p. Clyde, ! think.
Mr.. Lyon: What became Of the George B.
Upton! -s<
MIR. Robinson: II was damaged, think.
Judge Crump: Do you not know that the
policy of the Petersburg Railroad Company
to which 1 have referred was redfHrmcd by
the company Us late rs June II, 1922
Mr.. Robinson: I do not know. think
it was in the report.
Dir. Lyon: No, sir; it was not.
Judge Crump: Well, we. will see.
Judge Crump then read from the report
Of President Ragland ut that meeting in
which the importance of building the road
from Petersburg to City Point was again
urged, and it was stated that surveys and
estimates for the work had been made by
engineers of the Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio Railroad Company.
Dir. Lyon: But the stockholders said no.
thing about 1t. At that time, repeat, there
was competing line to New York, which
has since been bought of.
Judge Ould: The stockholders and the
directors were one and the same.
Mir, Lyon: After that report was present