The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-04-06
Railroad 7reights Again.


schedule o. Railroad freights. Mostpsrsons sup
pese that our complaint lie altogether Of the high
freghts charged Well, we do think the aver
| age is high, but that could be borne III IL was
equally diL tributed, so that each poitt on the
road should be made to carry lis pnaher share
of the burden. 1t is not the kiy6 d but
the unjust discrimination made In distributing
them that We complain of, by which
| large part of heavy burden is taken from one
point and put upon the shoulders of another.
1t is not the aggregate amount Of freight the
roads receive that We complain of, but we think
it too partial and uni to make Shelton, Ssntuc,
Union and Jonesville pay over double the freight
that Spartanburg does, particularly as the latter
point is from twenty to forty miles further
Give us q pro rata saskatchewan if the termini
| are given small advantage-aud The Railroads
would bear no complaint from us but while the
discrimination continues SO very unjust that it
| is driving business to one point and running the
property, trade and oil other interests of oil
| other points along tho line of the road we are
compelled to oppose il with all our might.
We take the broad ground that the policy of
Railroads in South Caroline has been suicidal
| y
large. Instead of SO arranging their freight
charges and accommodations as TO BAild up and
incl ease the business along their lines they ha ve
spent all their energies in the vain effort to COM
pete in low freights with roads running through
other States, thus driving all the trade of tho
State to other Markets and forcing the freight
to seek points for transportation where compe-
titon runs the freight charges to the lowest and
most unremunerative point.
One would think that the true policy would
be to build up the trade all along the road, by
offering every inducement to secure every pound
Of way freight at each point to encourage tho
establishing of new business points to induce
competition amorg the merchants at all points
to invite increase OF population along the road,
by affording equal facilities for travel and busi-
ness, and to keep as much freight as possible
from Railroads that seek 10 injure other lines
by ruinous low freights. Instead of that the
policy of our roads appears to be to ruin oil bus
mess along their own lines and drive the freight
into the jaws of competing lines.
Let us contrast the towns, villages and busi-
ness along the Airline road with those upon all
the roads of South Carolina:
From Atlanta to Charlotte the Airline road
is studded with new and fourishing towns, and
numerous mechanical enterprises are established.
Many of these towns already have larger popula-
tions, do more business and contribute more
patronage to that road than any Of the older
towns between the termini of any road in South
Carolina give to the roads on which they arc sit
uatcd.
On the otlisr hanl we find the towns along
the Railroads in this State becoming depopula-
ted property dcprccaing, trade seeking cheaper
railroad facilities end seneral depression among
oil classes of business people There are no
new towns springing into existence, no new en-
terprises established and no increase Of pcpula.
tion encouraged. This, it may be said isifs fesSlt
Of the unsettled condition Of our poisicat3
scarcity of money, &C.; but, we ask, why do not
these causes equally affect the growth of the
towns along the Airline Road2
No it is the policy adoptca by the Airline
road, to secure all the legitimate business along
its line and increase that business as much as
possible by reasonably low and equitable freights,
attracting trade and population to those towns
and building them up; while the contrary policy
pursued by the South Carolina roads, of making
enormous and unjust determinations in freight
rates in favor Of their termini is driving the
| business from their own roads, destroying the
trade of their Cwn State and building up Au-
gusta, Atlanta, Charlotte and other cities, to the
utter neglect of the legitimate business that
should be secured along their lines.
What have we seen the past few months? The
wagon roads running alongside the S. & U. X.
r., for thirty miles, lined with wagons hauling
cotton to Spartanburg, where il is either shipped
on the Airline road at moderate rates Sy by the
s. and U. X. Il. at the rate of S43 car load, and
those same wagons return loaded with supplies
that had never paid q cent of freight on any
South Carolina road Now, suppose an equiia-
bic rate of freight charges were adopted to
all points our read. Our merchants
would then be able to compete with those of
Spartanburg. They could give as high price for
cotton and sell supplies as cheap. There would
| be no imlucemcnt to haul cotton by wagon or
buy supplies at other points Every bale would
| be shipped on the S. and U. r. II. and every
pound of merchandise would necessarily pass
over the same road, at fair prices.
Railroad magnatcs laugh at the idea of the peo-
pie asking for Legislation to secure uniform
freight tariff, but the people of this State are not
the only ones moving in the matter. The Legsla-
| lures Of New York and Ohio have now bills be.
fore them which provide for the appoint
ment of boards Of railroad commissioners, with
power to fix the tariffs of freights through those
States, and they will pass. Wisconsin and In
diana already have such commissioners. The
people are willing to pay the railroad fair prices
for transportation of freight and passengers. All
ihax ask IL Tint all hands shall be traaied alike