The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-04
SENATOR JOnNsoNS RAILROAD nrLI.
The Views of a Prominent shipper ON the
BALTIMORE & Ohio Railroad.
IRoNroN, N. IN. Febrnnry |.

lRoNTON, w. Va, February |,
Editors lntelngrncer.
Mr.. Johnson's railroad bill is so remar
kable thatit makes one wonder what tn,
honorable member is driving at
Upon the cost OF doing given work mus
the price of that work depend. To violate
this law persistently means ruin. He who
offers to retail goods at wholesale prices
as permanent plan Of business, must de.
ceive his customers or rob himself. Can
the nail or shook manufacturer, the dry
goods merchant or the grocer, sell one
dollars worth Of goods on the same per.
ccntage ofprofit that 81 900 worth can be
sold7 Can the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
escape the result Of such policy more
easily than the individual? The bill now
pending seeks to make the company do
what no successful business man could or
will do.
What, then, can be the object in intro.
ducing and enforcing this bill? To en-.
force Its provisions would wreck the mil.
road: Will that aid the people Of West
Virglnia7
Tie bill ignores the fact that our IatOr.
ests as a State and tho company's inter.
ests are closely allied. To inIure the mil.
road damages the State.
To make through rates MS high as local
rates would divert every ton Of through
freight to other trunk lines. Vanderbilt
and Col. Scott could then well indulge in
grand illuminations and general rejoicings,
but where would West Virginia derive It's
benefit? -.
Talleyrand once declared that blum.
der was worse than crime, and this bill
is enough OF q blunder to make any citizen
feel that his interests are unsafe in the
hands OF any legislator who will father or
support its provisions.
any action to correct errors in tho
freight rates should be conceived in A
spirit of justice to both the people and the
railroad. This bill is not Of such a character.
Il the company has been wrong this bill
directs the State toward the greater wrong
Of running the road upon which the State
Is largely dependent. II Mr.. Johnson's
purpose is to Brighten away all new rail.
road enterprises his bill is well drawn up,
but not otherwise.
My own relations with the company
have been satisfactory. I went to the
officers year ago rs 0 stranger to them
and they met my requests In liberal and
business like way. Since then the con.
tlnued decline in iron has forced me to
ask further concessions in rates. l have
yet to find the company IN an unreason.
able position. On the contrary, own
with pleasure the friendly interest always
shown and the prompt and favorable At
tenuon extended. They have frankly
owned that local rates have been too high
but that lower ones should be made here.
after. Their action towards this furnace
indicates, believe, future policy ma
liberal towards its local traffic as the great
disadvantages Of rugged country, spar.
sely settled, will allow.
The idleness OF the iron interests in this
section, to which reference was made in
your recent interview with Mr.. Keyser,
results from other causes than freight rates,
Some OF these enterprises have been lin.
tied in capital; are scarce OF good ore mix.
lures; are too distant from railroads; have
had unwise management, etc. It might
have been o glimpse Of this country an(,
these times that we live in, that inspired
in Hudibras tho lines,
! ~