West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-03-09
REPORT ON STATE DEVELOP
MENT.
BY the Tax Commission.
CONTINUED from last issue.)
rsrp .rro~s coNTrSI-ED.

heard this conversation.
West Virginia Land Owner-'If
nv land was in Pennsylvania it
would sell for $500 an acre and l
offer it at S."
Land Buyer-"How near is it to
water transportation"
West Virginian-"It is not near
a river but railroad runs through
it."
Land-Buyer-"I cannot make any
offer, because in your State the rail
road company exacts all the profit
and no sensible man will open mine
unless he is in partnership with
railroad official"
THESE ILLUSTRATIONS MAY BE MULTI
Piled.
The foregoing instances are given
as illustrations of subjects which
should be investigated and about
which the facts ought TO be pub
lished. But such illustrations might
be indefinitely multiplied. For ex-
ample, we hear it stated by persons,
in a position to be acquainted with
the truth, that the Ohio Central
would have been united with the
Richmond & Allegheny to compete
with the Chesapeake and Ohio if the
latter company had not frustrated a
consolidation of the former roads by
methods and by practices which are
illegal and which are ruinous to the
public welfare, and which could not
have succeeded had publicity been
given to the Vaccinations of the
companies concerned.
Again. We are informed that the
Chesapeake and Ohio managers have
been scheming to bridge the Kama
wha at Charleston for the purpose
of so impeding the navigation of
that river that it will not be able to
compete above the city with the rail
I road.
Again. We are informed that the
coal and lumber industries in this
State, dependent on railroad trans
portation, have not prospered be-
cause, unless there is partnership
between railroad officials and local
producers. the rates of Transports
ton are excessive. The freight on
soft coal to Charlestown (100 miles
is $2.06 per ton and the price at the
mine is one dollar. If it be true
that lower rate will not yield re-
munerative interest on the cost of
the railroad, then both the consumer
I and the owner of the mine are will
ling to pay this high rate. But if it
be true (and we have every reason
/ to believe that it is true) that the
charge for transportation is very eX-
: orbitant. then both consumer and
producer are very unwilling that the
railroad should extort this eXtrava-
giant freight. There should be an
investigation to ascertain what rates
are Just and what are unjust-the
people wish information on this
point.
Again. We are informed that the
reason our coal industry languishes
is because railroad officials discrim
mate against such producers as are
not in partnership with them. That
is to say, no coal producer is making
money unless he is in partnership
with some railroad official. The
writer of this report does not pre-
tend to assert on his own response
bility that such a state Of affairs
exists; it was his purpose to per-
sonally investigate this matter, but
it has been impossible for him to
find time and opportunity to do so;
the foregoing statements, however,
seem warranted by the concurrent
opinions of every person, without
exception, with whom he has con-
versed and who are in a position TO
make an impartial representation
and his inquiry in this behalf has
been diligent and extensive.
/ IMPORTANCE OF THIS MATTER.
These illustrations are surely suf-
ficient to arouse our people to the
infinite Importance of creating some
agency which may be relied upon to
unearth and give publicity to facts
which would otherwise escape gen.
eral attention.
No one can fail to observe that, as
things are now conducted, the man
ayers of our highways have the
power to fix price on every article
offered for shipment. These man
ayers are men anxious to make
money; if they can buy coal at one
end of the line for 80 cents and sell
it at the other for SIS, it is reasona
BILE to expect that they VIII do so.
The value of the coal and timber in
this State is so great that the figures
appal the mind. For example, we
have recently seen the statement
that gentleman who, ten years ago,
was probably not worth $4,000, ten
wears hence will have acquired in
West Virginia private fortune of
$15O,OOO,0O0; but it requires no ar
gument to prove that State is not
prosperous when one man may ac-
quire $15O,OOO,OOO in so short time