The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-30


stated that his people preferred IN many ia
stances. To ship South 70 the consuming mar
kets South and not 70 Richmond. ou, still
the fact remains that the articles referred -
do come TO Richmond via the crcuitous route
OF tynchburg and Danyiile.
letter was then read from p shipper AZ
Stanton IN reference 10 the rates on wheat
and hay. This writer said that on these
articles the charge
From stanton 30 Richmond. 1876 miles
rate per hundred pounds. ~ cents.
By the Norfolk and Western. for similar DIS
tances cents.
From points north Of Basic City TO Roanoke.
10 ents.
From points north Of Basic City to Rich
mond. f. cents
From Mt. jackson 70 Baltimore. 10 cents
from Mt. Jackson % Richmond. - cents.
Nniie the rate ir 10 Louisville and Cncu.
nati 10 Richmond respectively about 81 all
633 miles. is Isl cents
letter WAS then read from a ri hm0nl
merchant. accompanied by a communicate
from freight agent. showing that shipment
of goods from Richmond 20 ilkhorD. .0)
miles was three weeks on the way. ard ru-
nerOus instances were referred % % the same
tenor. complaining that the delay was utterly
destructive of our trade with Southwest < III.
ginia when goods from Philadelphia. Balti.
more and points ~ Tennessee reached taat
section in q week or ten DAYS 10 most from
time OF Shipment. Attention was also called
to the fact that Western grain az Richmond
was transferred from one road TO another
without charge but that Virginia gra.n
had TO pay transfer olarre. De-
spite the fact that the former shipmeu.
en- Dyed low through rates. aud che hitter hai
20 pay high way freights tlAt She privilege
OF milling ia transit which is the privile q
taking wheat billed % Newport News 0uf 10
Richmond and substituting an equa. weg.
OF -four and sending 20 on to Newport Vows
without additions, chargel was allowed 90
Western grain and not aHowei on Virginia
grain. while the latter was the wheat most
suited for the Hour sent 10 Newport News
and thence shipped o. south America
In conclusion stated that these instances
were selected from many others II the same
character. but that would not weary tae
committee by multiplying them. as thought
them sufficient 20 illustrate the fact that tle
whole question resolved itself into this
That local trade and local travel was enc
tirely subordinated 20 through trade and
through travel that this was an eyn winch
existed everywhere that where competition
did Mt come into play proper facilities.
proper dispatch and proper rates were
not afforded that AT junction points.
prOper connections and the proper inter-
change of tranlc upon equitable rates did MT
exist that through rates were often utterly
demOralZed and destructive or local inter-
ests and read the uncontrolled statement
of "a railroad official 10 prove teis conlluon
rs 20 through rates that the railroad them
selves i'm vain endeuyOred 20 form associations
and agreements % remedy these evils. but in
many instances utterly failed % DO 40 that
instead OF "A railroad commission lmped lg
railroad Development Gripping and wrech-
ing these institutions. as was pre-
dicted they had not done 80. bui.
on the contrary. the railroads Them
selves. while presenting the appearan.
OF united mOnOpOlles arrayed against the PEG.
pie. were mass OF antagonists, and thar
they themselves alone wrecked each other
that the only remedy for these evils M the
belief of the Chamber was the creation of
properly constituted commission with ale
quate powers.
the way OF trade with Piedmont Virginia. Col
onel Purcell referred 70 publication which
mad appeared in the papers some time ago.
and was not al the time cOntradlcted. MuAe
this state OF affairs does not exist at the pout
mentioned now. IL SO clearly illustrates iAe
difficulties from which we have suffered in
that section that II Is worthy Of special notice.
Rate on coffee. mOasses and flour from
Baltimore 70 range Courthouse. twelve cents
per 100 pounds. distance al out 10 niles
Freight on same articles from Richmond D.
Orange Courthouse. twenty-fOur cents per .VJ
pounds: distance about nuety-hye miles
Upon inquiry at the Chesapeake and ONO
office / am informed that the rate from Rich
mJnd TO Gordon vile about eighty.
miles is twelve cents. and tho rate charged
by tho Virginia Midland Tor the short haul o.
less than nine miles from bOldon0NiAo I'd
Orange Courthouse is twelve cents. OF the
same as the rate charged by that line f0f
haul of 80 miles from Baltimore. This policy
absolutely shuts Richmond out from all points
on the Virginia Midland road, aud The same
Motley pursued by the Shenandoah Valley anI
Baltimore and Ohio excludes Richmond r.n
Piedmont Virginia and the alley OF lrg.i.a.
ana those sections from the benefits Oi cOm.
peting market while the discrimination against
passenger travel along those lines O. l-ca-
moud Is equally pronounced. no cOnuer-
ton Of importance exists AZ tho several
functions OF tho Virginia Midland. Nheufn-
dOah Valley and Baltimore and Ohio with TO
Chesapeake and Ohio Thus II Is that lle
relations that existed between Richmond
and that great section Of the state prior CD
the existence Of those roads are ruiely
broken. and broken by corporations whose
Office should be % establish aud per eot
them. The powers derived from tie tate
for tho purpose OF promoting lntercour-o
between the sections are employed 20 esirnnAe
those sections These are some of tue evils
against which the public Justly complain. anl
for which prompt remedy should ia pro-
ylde1. Let the Legislature create "a comms-
sion with powers 70 deal with this sub ect
"MERoHANl.
/ would simply add that the fact that many
of these evils have been corrected in tls rs-
cent past is DO argument against the aece+
sty for the passage az such law as the go
proposed This proposition need not i3
argued, as it must DO apparent 10 any thol-. p
ful mind. r. A. DCsLop. secrotary
"