The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-01-27
LOCAL FREIGHT PATES HAVE BEEN
PUT UP.


sigh Post and shows That Freight Rates
are III hsr.Now Than Ten Years Ago.
StatesvIile Mascot
The Raleigh Post challenges our
statement of last week that railroad
rates are in many instances higher
than they were twenty years ago,
and demands our proof. AS ths rail
road books for SO long a period are
not at our disposal we are unable to
go back for so long time, but our
cotton men give US the following
rates on cotton which had been in
operation for at least TEN years prior
to the fall Of last year:
From Statesville to Newton 8
cents, to Hickory 10 cents, to Nor
canton II cents, and to Asheville 10
cents. About the last of August the
Southern hallway sent out to cotton
men new rates on cotton which wei @
In many instances increases over
the old rates, as these instances will
show: From Statesvllle to Newton,
old rate 8 cents, new rate IA cents;
to Hickory, old rate 10 cents, new
rate JIG cents; to Morganton, old
rate II cents, new rate 20 cents; to
Asheville, old rate 10 cents, new
rate q cents. About one month af-
terwards the railroad commission
met and changed the former rates
on cotton to suit the new rates of
the Southern Railway, and extended
them to all the principal railroad
systems of the State.
One of our cotton men tell us that
these lower rates were in operation
when he entered the cotton business
ten years ago and remained in force
until August, 1897, when the rates
were changed and increased as
above shown. He does not know
how long they had been IN force be-
fore he became interested in cotton.
His character is unquestioned.
We have shown that rates have
been increased over what they we're
ten years ago, and what we intended
to convey in our article was that
rates had been increased over what
they had been when conditions were
much better and when cotton was
bringing twice as much as it sells for
now.
The Post cannot see "what the de-
probation of prices in one thing has
to do with the expenses Of manage
ment of another" We suppose it
means that because cotton is low is
no reason why the railroads should
not increase their rates for carrying
it. That might be true if the rail-
roads were hauling less of it than
formerly and were paying more for
their labor and material. But the
fact is that the amount of such
freight has been vastly increased,
railroad material of all kinds has
been wonderfully cheapened and the
salaries and wages of all railroad
men, except the bosses and "politi-
cal managers" have been greatly re-
duced. The legitimate outlays OF
railroads have been greatly reduced,
and at the same time the rates for
hauling the farmers cheap cotton to
the neighborlng factories, have been
enhanced in some instances over sc
per cent. Let the Post answer: II
the Southern Railway could haul :
cent cotton in 1896 to Newton for
cents a hundred pounds, why should
it be allowed to charge IA cents for
cent cotton in 1912 IT it could haul
10 cent cotton to Asheville for 10 cts
in 1893, why should it receive 81 cts.
for hauling cotton worth half al
much nowf Why should the old
State railroad commission allow
these increases at a time when ou,
farmers chief money crop is so low I