The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-24
The Rallroad Connection.


The Railroad Connection.
nj have read correctly, as have tried TO
do. the proceedings of the meeting OF the
| Chamber OF toiilmerCe, held on the lctn OF
| this month. the Chamber proposes con-
yention "to be held on the - day oil
November. to consider the railway service
| of Virginia" That this convention shOulu
be charged with the duty OF formulating
some plan OF State regulation OF railroads
| IN he presented 10 the Legislature at It's next
session" That ''trade organizations ana
Farmers Alliances and merchants through
ont the State should be invited 10 send dele
Gates upon basis Of representation, 10 De
determined by committee OF directors"
That "the convention should be under the
auspices of the Chamber"
Without taking the time or space neces-
sary 10 proper argument OF all the matters
suggested by these proceedings. respect
| fully offer one or two remarks upon thein'
lI.) The determinations In favor OF paul
more against Richmond are based, thlnh,
mainly upon the greatly superior snlpplns
| facilities of the former city. In the report
NJ 1850. of the Chief of Engineers on river
and harbor improvement, page III, una
that "tbe channel Of the Patapsco
river has depth at mean low
| water Of u feet, with an average rise OF tide
Of about Is inches. The channel mas a
| width of 400 feet. and the Fort McHenry
| channel has a least width OF 20 ieet WIN
considerably greater width at the angles
| In TO June 30, 1889, the United states
had expended on the work S2,3JJ, i''o'Z .,
and the city of Baltimore and the STATE oil
Maryla, d 100000. (The amount appropri-
ated by act of August II, lSsS, was S3oo'-
| 600. ali of which had not been expended NJ
i a a. 4
mated required for the completion OF eN-
| isting projects is 100000; total, s3'oJ9,'
| 1921. -,
The available draught in James river
from the sea TO City Point at high tide was
nineteen and half feet, thence to Kings
| land eighteen feet, over kngsland sixteen
| feet. thence TO Richmond sixteen and nan
| feet, (As the mean rise OF the tide IS three
and a half feet. il is seen that the ruling
depth at low tide is thirteen ieet:) ne
width Of channel, when completed Is 10 .,
| 100 feet from the sea 20 CITY IOlnt. "VO u
| Drewrv's Bluff, and 200 thence TO Richmond
| In 10 July /. 1850 (see report, PIP. 1874 -
the total expended by the United states ON
the river has been 81 ,09ij39.S5; IN addition
the CITY of Richmond has expended nearly
| $500. 900 1.-THE amount appropriated by act OF
| August il. 1855. all of which has not been
expended at this date, of the surplus was
s25j. OOM; estimated amount required "a
| complete existing project, S3,3b,OiOi TOTAL
! e.. $50. GOg.SG: expended on PatapscO a.
above. S3,5j9, 1897; difference Sl,vi 'o''.
| think when we consider the iull import
of these facts. we will see how, other things
being equal. Danylle, though one hundred
| and eigbtv-nine miles further from the capes
| via Baltimore than via Richmond, and only
half the distance 10 deep water nj Ken
mond. as compared with deep water at Bal
timore. Danville, like all Southern and all
| intermediate points. will prefer Baltimore
| with twonty-seyen feet of water 10 Ken
mond with thirteen feet-nOt hall as deel
nor Though begun in fSiO--twenty
wears ago). more than One-iifth completed
| to Judge by the estimate OF expenditure J.
| e.. if the policy of making harbOr AT KOCH
| etts is 10 Je adhered to. 49,.
But other things are not equal. ibere are
merchants and capitalists III Baltimesl
who are active stockholders in the railroads
leading through Virginia to their city. III
rectlv and by sympathy and contact with
other business men. they are always Watca
inc To see that the railroads favor the trade
Of Baltimore.
| suDpo-e our Richmond business men do
not own an appreciable interest in any OF
the railroads whose adverse policy the
| Chamber Of Commerce makes the subject oil
complaint. nor in any others. On the con
trary, | think numbers Of them made tb'
mistake specializing IN the stocks OF soiil'
of the railroads leading directly 10 this city
and thus sacrificed to mere money Other
considerations worth a great deal more
| than that money TO the public, ana also u
men of public spirit. ...
| I'm the Indifference which Richmond (with
one spasmOdic exception, III 1870, DelleNcl
has ever shown to the improvement OF
lanes river. though il has been conducted
out of a fund contributed bv the initeo
states, whilst Baltimore was energeiicall
pushing the dredging OF the Patapsc"' ou
of the same fund. and in the readiness WIN
which our capitalists sold out their III
iuential interests in railroads, 40 l see oi
| think see. how Richmond with her natural
superiority to Baltimore, has dropped 50
| far astern as TO excite the alarm OF the
Chamber Of Commerce. g..
2D one other point: This convention, II
is said in the report, SHOULD be under INC
| auspices Of the Chamber" According % th'
dictionary. auspices means, influence. pa
| tronage. care. protection. And this, judge
| by the context. is the sense in which the
word is used in the report. As Tor instance
| when they say that the basis oil representa-
| ton should be determined by committee o
the Board of Directors (Of the Chamber)
| Now "A glance at the map and a glance at
the history Of our railroad legislation VIII
show that very large proportion OF
the people Of Virginia have traded
| with Baltimore for many years; and
one OF the fercest and most prOtracted
struggles in our legislation, lasting FOL
more than twenty-five years-irOm 81 u
| 1S60-and still kept up at the end oil nlty
wears. as appears from the paper | am con-
! sidering, has grown out OF the claim OF
I those sections to have trade connections
with Baltimore. or course, as between
these interests and Rlchmond's, there u
more or less friction. How will we avoid
| that i'm our convention
In addition TO that, the Farmers Alliances
throughout the State are invited TO send
delegates 10 the convention upon this same
| basis, Does not this plan ignore the fact
| that there is, to say the least, suspicion
on the part of the Farmers Alliances against
| Richmond. as against all other cities
Whether or not this be mere prejudice on
not. is not the question. The gun may not be
| loaded. But the man who thinks II is acts ac'
cordingly. The rural people comprise four
| ffths of the population Of Virginia. tht
urban population One-hfth; and Richmond
and Manchester only One-third of that, on
one-ffteenth part of the whole. Is il likely
| that the farmers will agree that their voting
rights in convention shall be fixed by 50
small a prOpOrtlOnY
| | ask the question in good faith. II the
convention meets hope II may succeed, ioi
nothing is more desirable than that the
railroads shall he subdued TO the will of the
people and taught 10 conduct themselves
with integrity and with respect for the
rights of others, and to observe common
honesty in their dealings, as they do not
| now.
| make the above suggestions. present
ing them as briefly as ! have been able Il
do. for the consideration Of the very worthy
gentlemen who have taken this matter In
charge. FRANZ IT, MUFFIN
TIE FIXED STARS.