Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-06-01
COMMUNICATED,
3. e o. X. X.


Mr. Editor-Dear Sir-I have noticed
in your valuable paper several commu-
nica,ions and editorials on the subject
Of the Is. & o. II. r., and its charges,
&c.
Do not understand me as defending
the railroad against the interest of the
people, yet l think there are two sides
to all questions, aud the railroad gets
the benefit of only one side.
Now we have had committee of the
Legislature appointed, ard they expend-
cd the appropriation of five or Elk hun
dred dollars, aud they tell you that the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is discrim-
mating in lis charges, but 10 VIVA. ex-
tent we have never been able to learn.
Why don't they tell the people what
rates per 100 lbs the railroad company
has right to charge, and let us see
what amount too much they are charg
ING. What does the charter allow them
TO charge is the question.
! do not believe the railroad company
is charging one cent more on freight
than the charter allows them, and as ior
discrimination competing lines is the
cause of it. 1t would certainly be bet
ter for the company if they could get
50 cents per 100 lbs. to Wheeling in
stead of So cents; but you must remem-
Der the Pennsylvania Railroad reaches
that point, and one cuts against the
other. Unfortunately Jefferson county
has 10 competing lines, or she would
have the same facilities Of discrlmina
ton, and | venture TO say there would
not be word said.
If because the Pennsylvania Railroad
will haul freight 10 Wheeling for IS
cents per 100 lbs, must our Legislature
saw to the b. & o. II. r., "You shall
not do IL; you must charge uniform
rates that You charge to Berkeley and
Jefferson counties. The B. d o. Il. X.
built their own line through our State,
and paid the assessed damages TO our
citizens along its lines, without asking
anv fo,ca or county subscriptions to be
gobbled by few and then the work TO
stop, hut they paid their way through
our Valley and across our mountains,
and / think they are justly entitled TO
do a business as long as they do not
charge i'm excess Of their charter TO peo-
ple in our State Your correspondent,
"A. o." says the object in granting the
charter was to develop the material in
tercS: of the State. suppose If the
Legislature that granted the charter to
the company could have seen that grain
would be hauled from Chicago to Balti-
more Tor about one-tkird it is hauled
from here they would not have granted
the charter. Well. we would have
been minus railroad, for they would
have gotten it somewhere else. The
truth of the whole business, the fight
acains; the s. IL o. X. X. is political
hDbby, and it has so panned out in eve
~ communication written to your pa
per See how "A. O." winds up by
warning the dear people that the railroad
company is quietly looking to the cleo
ton of lis friends TO the next Legisla
tnre. He also speaks Of five laws being
enacted by the last legislature against
the b. & O. H. Il. ! do not Know what
the FIVE laws were, but will venture 10
say that four cut Of five will be diSad-
tace to the county. l know one law
passed that he includes; that was pro,
hibiting the counties along the line from
compromising The taxes This l know
is disadvantage. The company had
arranged to pay lis taxes with nearly
every county along the line, and Jhl'
tar, passed by the last Legislature
knocked the whole business in the head
Now the Is. d 0. Il. K. does not wan
to compromise a just and legal tax, bu
they think the school tax an unjust one
and therefore they proposed to compro
mise. Now they vii. 90 back to the
charter aud see if it compels them tt
pay the tax.
Ii the money that has been spent law
ING against the railroad had been spen
by sending few good business men t.
meet the company half way in com
promise, it would have been far bette
for the State.
Very truly, FAIR PLAY.