The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-02
Local Rates ON the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad.

i. seems by the last shepherdstown
Rooster that the people Of Jefferson
county, West Virginia, have become
stirred up on The subject Of local treiShts
on the Baltimore q Ohio road. We read
that
coupcil, held at Kearneysvil!e, Geo. ".
EIebslberger, John q. Strider, Esqrs,
and Col. Robert W. Baylor, were ap-
nointsd n committee to draft petition
= he presented to the next Legislature oil
,Sis State, setting forth the fact Of the
injury and iniustiee being done BY the B.
40. r. r, Company, In their diecrimin.
s,ion Of freight charges upon the pro-,
ducts Of the industries OF our state, ana
especially this county"
According to the report Of the paPer
from which we quote, the discussion in
the council developed the following fact:
aThat upon a careful computation Of
,hs difference in the annual amount OIL
ireieht charges, upon grain and other
shipments ifoui Jefferson county, COM
pared with the charges made upon other
roads, for similar freights and distances
itamoupted 10 siztythousand dollars annual
Iy. or two millions four hundred thou,
sand dollars, for the forty yeara the road
has been lreighting from that county"
The report Of proceedings in the cOun'
~ Council further sets forth that inas-
much a. the last annual report OF the
railroad company ahows . surplus fund,
which represents net earnings, to the
amount Of sse,1s9, sl2, it is plain thati it
largely came out of the charges upon
local transportation. This is the charge,
in effect, made in the published proceed
ings Of tho meeting. Therefore the meet
ing adopted a petition to the two houses
Of the West Virginia Legislature, setting
forth that the local rates on the railroad
are "proyipg %ruinous" to their prospect.
,y-adcprsssing the value of'heir lands"
and "driyiug eapital.and enterprise" out
ofthe county. sand Whereas" says the
petition,
"The B. & o. Railroad Company is a.
This time charging IS esass par hundred
pounds on grain aud other freights from
charlestown, Jefferson county, w. Va,
To The city Of Baltimore, distant 81 miles,
it's only charging upon the same char
ac,er Of freight from Chicago, Ill, to
Baltimore City, $50 mia II esat' per
hundred pounds"
Therefore, the petitioners pray the
Legislature Of West Virginia to grant
them the relief which ia to be obtained
under section 0, article Ii of the State
Constitution, which section reads as tOl-
lows:
aRAilroads heretofore constructed, Of
that NAV hereafter be constructed in thu
State. are hereby declared public high
vays' and shall be free 10 all persons ioi
the transportation Of their persons ant
property thereon, under such regulation
a. shall be- prescribed BY law; aud INT
Tecislature shall, from time to time, pas
lava apnlicahle TO all railroad corpora
lions in the State, establishing reasonable
maximum rates Of charges for the trans,
portation,of passengers and freighls., ant
nroyidinr for the correction OF abuses
ibs prevention OF Observation-Disclosures
bstwesn through and local or way ireigh
and passenger tariffs, and for the protec
lion Of the just rights Of the public AMI
shall enforce such laws BY adequate pen