Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-19
MEMPHIS VS.. II. LOUIS.
Ratween the Freight Committee or the
chamber OF Commerce and Capt
John =. seudder. President
OF the st. Louis Packet
Company.
The Question OF FreIghts Lost sight of
by Scudder. who INDUCES in Mere
words. and Windy Ones at
that-'Thrt Response OF
Our Merchants.

We published on Friday last communl-
cation, sent from this city to the st Louis
packet company by the freight committee OF
our chamber of commerce, respecting freight
determinations. Below Is the answer maze
to that communication. followed by the re-
Spouse of the committee. lie mercantlle IN
terests of Memphis, and the connection OF
those interests with river navigation, are so
deeply concerned in the questions discussed
that every citizen should take an interest In
a matter that may have strong influence
ST LOUIS. July I3, 1878
Nessrs T. Hanauer. NJ L. Meacham and A. D.
Gwynne, committee on freights. Memphis Tenn;
GENTLEMEN have your favor of the tenth In
slant, and am very glad to hear from YOU alInoun
ami experience should accept all you see IN news
pager as gospel truth. The facts are, thar previous
TO last Monday, the eighth instant freight rates
werz-to Memphis, twenty cents barrel and ten
cents per one hundred pounds and TO V5eSs9Irg
twenty-five cents per barrel and twelve ana ndli
cents per one hundred pounds. They were adVaneeo
on that date to all points between ST Louis ana new
Orleans TO thirty cents per barrel and fifteen cents
per one hundred pounds, so that the discrimination
il any, against your city, is In the TACT that We are
nos charging you the same rate as 10 Helena ana
points below to New Orleans This has NOT peen
the case since the organization OF this company,
except when freIghts were at an extremely low rate
Cur reasons for this that since the loss OF the
elevator the expenses In doing business at your wharI
are much greater than at other point on the Mis-
sissippi river. We have endeayored since
the formation of this company In every way, shape
and manner to accommodate and give Memphis the
benefit of low freights both from St. Louis 20 Mem
do away with the prejudice against foreign capital,
bloated bondholders, monopoies, and the ike
and have become discouraged. Ii you will give me
any explanation of it, will assure you 1t shall be
corrected or we will quit doing business in your CITY,
will undertake to give you only few OF the ad-
vantages your city has had from this line: First.
the company was organized in 1859, fratghtS then
ruled to Memphis ten cents per barrel and five cents
per one hundred pounds more than the New Orleans
with but few exceptions, they have averaged forty
per cent. less. Your city council seemed to enjoy
taxed US, frequently passing ordinances for the re-
moval of our wharfbOat etc Then we built an ele.
tWenty-seven thousand dollars, taking potion of
the landing that unfit for steamboat landing
been required in building an additional
wharf, paying to your city every conceivable tax
uiar wharfage tax and only a snoTt time previous
to its destruction the demand was made on US for
ever been charged for the transaction of business
through that blildng on the contrary, the saving
city at one dollar per ton less than can afford to
do it over levee. In other words that building
was worth more to Memphis mot to uS) than double
its cost every year Notwithstanding this there
has been an opposition but has met its full share of
| ago when Captain Kountz waged a war us for
the purpose, believe, of forcing US into pool ar
Iangement-whereby Memphis would have paid her
| full share Of the surplus tonnage IN the New
Orleans trade-.nMemphis gave him more 0Ie
together. Now you must not misunderstood me. as
do not deny the right of these gentlemen to man.
age their own business In their own way. and spend
| money as they may choose; but do say that a
packet company running its boats at all times, light
| or loaded, good or bad trips, should not be com
PEELED to meet the opposition of all wildcat boats
And is this that has and will continue TO destroy
all well organized and responsible carriers on the
| Mississippi and now there seems to be some
hitch in application for wharfboat which would
enable us to do business something less than now,
as paying for the privilege of doing business
over the Lee wharfboat. Very respectfully yours,
| A
| p. S.-The committee must not accept anything IN
| the above letter as personal, as we recognize In
| them all persons who have been uniformly friends
'-'' MEMPHIS July IT, 1873.
| John A. Scudder, President Memphis and ST. Louis
| Packet Company, ST. Louis:
DEAR SIR-Your favor of the thirteenth instant, in
reply of the tenth instant came duly to hai d
and contents carefully noted We exceedingly regret
| that a clipping from Memphis newspaper giving
the freight tariff of your packet lice should arouse
| unkind feelings toward Memphis or her people. We
| share with surprise that gentlemen of age and
perience should accept all they see in a newspaper
as gospel TRUTH, and for this reason we deemed ii
but Justice to you, and prudent part, to write
| you before giving credence to the publication in
| question. In this connection the committee ven
lures the assertion that had you acted with our PEG
pie with the same candor, the idea, as expressed,
capital, bloated bondholders and monopoly would
| never have found lodgment in your mind. Your re-
and the KOuntz line of steamers, all noted, but
as they are net in our line of defense we pass them
BY To correct the erroneous Impressions you enter
| tain, we respectfully submit that our committee
represent class of citizens whose kindly feelings
toward yourself is all you could wish, and whose In
terests in no wise antagonistic toward the com
pany of which you have the honor to be president.
Acting in the interest of those represent we dis
cover what we consider discrimination against our
city and her commercial interests in the published
| tariff of rates on freight to this point.
| We have many good reasons for protesting against
this discrimination. Only one we feel at all neces
sary to mention and that is you ask trade to pay
as much for carrying freight distance of four hun
| dred miles as you do the trade of New Orleans, a
| distance of twelve hundred miles We are not
| Helena.
| we intend to name them as reason why we should
have a lower freight rate from st. Louis. As com
mittee on frelghtS appointed by the Memphis cham
| Der of commerce, we respectfully ask you for the
best rate you can offer freight by your line OF
boats IRON St. Louis to this point. Echolng the sen
| timent of our entire community, by saying we sin
cerely regret the loss of your elevator and valuable
boats at tnis place. and assuring you OF personal
regards for YOURSELF we remain truly your obedien
| servants, =
| LOUIS HANAUER,
| of Scheduled. Hanauer d Co;
NJ l.. MEACHAM,
of Ii. i. Meacham Co.;
A. d. GWYNNE,
of Stewart, Gwynne Co,
| Committee.