The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-07-01

VI Ills dCO Nudl CcIllS IuC GSeoG ACA'
nessee and Virginia Railroad Co,
we find the following language:
provided, that the charge for transportation
or conveyance, shall not exceed thirty-fVe cents
per hundred pounds, on heavy articles and ten
fore for eyeTY bnndr miles. And provided
also that said company may, when they see "a,
farm OUT thelr rights OF on tLe sI
road, or any OF its branches, subject to the rates
above mentioned.
We have not before US the charter
Of the East Tennessee and Georgia
road, (old Hiwassee). nor have we,
after some search, been able to find
it. We have examined the charters
of number of other roads, char
tered in the early history Of railroad
legislation, and we find the same re-
striction as to rates in all; and we
have no doubt that the same provis-
ion is in the Hiwassee charter.
But if it should not be, still the
act of consolidation would bind the
entire company now.
It thus appears to be clearly the
law of the land that these railroad
companies are restricted in their
charges to q certain rate. That rate
is thirty-five cents per one hundred
pounds per one hundred miles. No
reasonable man will say that they
have by this law q right to charge a
greater rate for a shorter distance.
Our proposition was, in substance,
that greater rates are and have all
the time been charged than thirty
five cents per hundred pounds per
hundred miles. Now 10 the testi-
mony. We recur again to the local
tariff of the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia railroad, now in force.
The following articles are classed as
frst-class, by that tariff: "Agri-
cultural implements, such as NOW
ers, reapers, threshers, &C., stations,
jacks, single horse, COW, OK, hogs,
sheep. goats, beeswaX, bed steads.
books, boots and shoes, brooms, can.
dies, carpets, coal oil, cider mills,
cotton yarn. dry goods, drugs and
medicines, dye-stuffs, eggs, fan mills,
fresh fish, green fruit, ginseng glass
ware, groceries, green Lides, hol
low ware, household goods, horse.
powers, saw mills, seeds, sewing ma
chimes, skins, furs and peltries. fan
cy soaps, stoves and stove furniture,
tobacco, turpentine, varnish, coaches,
wagons and vehicles Of all sorts,
wine, wooden-ware," &C., &c.
Many articles, such as corn shell
lers, horse rakes, fancy bed-steads,
baskets, bonnets, chairs, feathers,
mattresses, dressed poultry, &c. &c
are classed as double, triple, and
even quadruple first-class.
Now, from Morristown to Knox
vile, is less than half a hundred
miles. BY this law the railroad can
charge less than II cents per hun
dred on any of these articles for this
distance; yet it has never charged
less than 20 cents per hundred, on
first-class freight between these
points.
From Morristown to Bristol, is SO
miles. BY this law the railroad can
charge not more than 81 cents for
this distance on frst-class freight !;
yet it never charged less than At
cents.
In short, it charges more than the
law allows on frst-class freight for
all distances up to 227 miles, and
for all short distances, nearly or
quite double the lawful rate.
A number of articles of common
use, such as clover and grass seeds,
leather, saddEery, shrubbery, trees,
ETC., are classed as second-class.
This tariff shows that the company
charges more than 50 cents per hun
dred, per 100 miles, on second-class
freight for all distances up to $50
miles.
There is not an article shipped
over the road for aless distance than
% miles, that is not charged more
than lawful rates, with two excep-
tions, these are bricks and hay.
Now, we do not know what others
think about it; we think the freight
tariff on every road subject to these
restrictions, ought, at once, to be
modified, so as to comply with the
law upon the subjects. We think
further, that shippers. and receivers
of freights, ought, at once, to de-
mand and enforce their rights.
We shall quietly, calmly and truth
fully continue recurring TO this sub
iect. 1t is matter that should not
be smothered from just criticism sim
ply because the GAZETTE rs the only
paper that dares in its feeble way to
expose the extortion farmers and
shippers are subjected to.
We will, perhaps, look into the
farming out operations next week.