The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-23
Transfer Taxes and Freight Discrim
nations against Charleston.

Editor of the Journalof Commerce: In
the minds of many of the merchants of
this city there is great necessity for
changes in several matters touching bus
mess.
1st. A union freight depot near the
water, so that vessels can load and unload
directly out and in the freight depot,
would save the unnecessary expense of
forwarding. The expense of transfer
under the present system, alone is quite
enough to drive from Charleston such
trade as that which has the advantage of
importing over competing lines. 1t has
been remarked that the Enterprise Rail-
road was great addition to the trade of
Charleston in facilitating through freight
at low rates. The road, if the road beds
are kept in order, as passenger road, is
certainly an improvement. But freig hit
such as is now carried by the Enterprise
Railroad can be carried for ten per cent.
less by wagon, and if our streets are kept
only in reasonably good order, such con-
tract would be desirable one. A union
freight depot along the water front, so
that vessels can load and unload through
freight, or other freight, if is desired,
direct out and in the depot, would enable
us to compete with Port Royal, Savan-
nah and Wilmington, and also bring back
to us from Alabama, Georgia, part of
North Carolina, and the upper portion of
South Carolina, the business now diverted
the trade for heavy goods such as bag
ging, ties, phosphate, salt, syrups, and
raw sugars and molasses.
End. We should do away with the habit
of discriminating freight arrangements.
This assuredly is killing the goose that
lays the golden egg We are positively
driving our very best trade from us, and
build other markets in opposition. Fully
two-thirds of the very best trade above
Columbia have already left Charleston.
And, as to the extent our cotton business
suffers in consequence of high rates of
freights from Anderson and thereabouts,
the inclosed letter will explain to you.
Will you explain, and in that way con-
vince the officers of the South Carolina
Railroad, agents of steamers, factors and
merchants that in the past the commerce
of Charleston has been injured, and con.
sequently their own business through
heavy freight charges and discrimination
in freights on goods from Charleston.
1t is high time that something should
be done. In few months we can look
for the trade to open. What should and
could be done without delay, is to re-
move the discrimination in rates of
freight on such goods as are shipped from
Charleston to the interior of our State,
and also without the least delay, reduce
rates of freight ON cotton, especially from
the upper portion of our State. This lit
tie change alone will work wonders for
Charleston and why is it that the South
Carolina Railroad works so persistently
against the commerce of this city?
CHARLESTON.
IT have the promise of lots of cotton
here but we must certainly do something
on freights. Can't you get the merchants
to hold a meeting and work on the rail-
roads2 If something is not done, we
will lose $4,000 bales of cotton and any
quantity of trade. With low freights we
can regain all of this trade.''