The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-02-27

peclally II competing Win some Tfdl
line, it will as a general thing accom-
modate the very iarthest points first,
for two reasons first, because if they
do not accept it when offered, the rival
line will get It, and secondly, because
they know the freights all along the
main line are always at their com
mand, and they can force it to wait.
As a result of this policy, originating
out Of pure s%elfishness, we find that IN
nine cases out of ten, when there is q
demand IN the South for Il bacon,
more facilities are offered to what is
known as "The Green Line" OF
through freights than to local freights
that is to say, their motive power, WI
arc innocently told, is engaged to take
the through freights; and we, poor
supplemented Tcnnessceans, accept
this as a valid excuse and stand by
with perfect resignation, waiting ON
turn and seeing, day after day, the en-
gines, paid for, in seme instances, with
the proceeds Of our bonds, engaged
drawing long lines of cars marked,
Green Line" from Cincinnati 10 st,
Louis, until there is reported q fall in
the market. Then perhaps we are
told in a day OF two u bacon has
gone forward, and by the time iC gets
10 Atlanta, Macon OF Augusta, the
price has receded II or two cents.
Meanwhile the Cincinnati dealers have
made large sales, realized handsome
profits, and stocked the market so that
Tcnnesseeans who have been waiting
the pleasure Of these railroad magnates
have TO either sell at greatly reduced
prices or leave their bacon with com
mission merchants, submitting TO cX-
tortionatc charges until the malk et inn
proves.
To make matters still worse so far as
the Tenncsscans are concerned they
are charged higher frcights to the
Southern markets than is charged for
the freichts of Cincinnati, st. Louis
and Chicago bacon dealers.
Again, take the article Of wheat,
which is largely raised in Tennessee.
Shippers along the lire of the East
Tennessee, Virginia & Ga. railroad
say they are charged SO and 80 cents to
ship their wheat TO the Richmond
Mills; while at the same time wheat
from the rich lands of Missouri, Hi
nois and Ohio, is shipped on the Green
Line il bulk Ut 22ls cents. IL is adj
luitted By the railway companies that
this latter rate does not pay the
companies any profit, and they make
this explanation:
Two or three extensive marble quar-
rieS are opened and in active operation
in East Tennessee, besides a number of
furnaces furnishing pig iron. These
marble men and pig-iron manufactu-
rers say, give as low rate of
freight and We can send our marble
and pig-iron to the great western mar
kets. Our railroad managers say if we
can get back loading that will pay for
hauling the cars back we will do it.
SO they arrange with the western lines
accordingly, and it turns cut that the
wheat Of the rich northwest is Ishippcd
through on u lines Of railway at the
mere cost OF pulling the cars, and all the
vast interests Of all the farmers of Ten
nessee are sudordinatcd to accommo-
date two or three pig-iron establish
ments and a little marble quarry ortwo.
Meanwhile the railroad managers say,
40; what 4 great deal We have done /;
we have enabled these men to sell
their pig-iron and marble at a profit and
bring money here that otherwise
would have been somewhere else"
While we admit this iSa fact, we main
tain that il has been done at Il cost to
the great farming classes Of ~ to 10
cents on the bushcl on every bushOl OF
wheat sold by them, for those are the
extra charges aud determinations
charged on Tennessee wheat to make
up the profits to the company, to re-
imburse the losses on this through
freight. Meanwhile hundreds of thou
sands Of bushels of wheat Of the crop
Of 1876 lay in warehouses along the
line, bought at $l,l0 per bushel, that
under the system Of charges could not
be shipped, and n large portion WAS
thus delayed till the Inflow from the
great northwest reduced II to 90 cents,
in many INSTANCES ruiniDg or best
business men.
These unjust determinations have
been going on since the reorganization
of the railway companies after the war,
and will continue unless the law-ma-
king power shall take the matter in
hand. Two objects ought TO be accom-
plished. First, to compel the compa-
MES to ship for Tcnnessceans on at
least as good terms, if not better, than
for producers Of other States. Second
~. TO compel them TO take our produce
when offered, in advance of foreign
produce, and thus secure to our farmers
The benefit Of the first market. If this
Legislation can be secured it will result
In immense benefit to our farmers, sa-
wing annually hundreds Of thousands
of dollars. The extra ~ cents charged