Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-09-27
CORPORATE ABUSES.

1Hcic 10 d CouuftiOu prevailing In
Virginia which if our legislators and
the members of our Constitutional
Convention should take the trouble to
investinate, would astound any and
all of them outside the railway attor-
neys who so largely enter into the
convention and we suppose will as
usual compose a potent part of the
next legislature. It is this F! 1t is
| the discrimination of some of the
leading lines of railroad in this State
IN favar of PET coal operators. We
do not propose, nor indeed could we
II our whole space were to be filled
with it, tell a small part of the extent
to which this is carried by these corpo.
rat1ons. Not long since gentleman
well known to us wrote an official OF
one of the leading railroads asking the
friedly cooperation of that road in
opening coal mine. All be asked was
that the same rates and facilities be
accorded him that were then accorded
to other operators in that territory.
| What reply did he receive First he
| was told that TEE CONDITION OF THE
COAL MARKET-think of 1.-THE con
dition of the coal market, did not war
rant the opening of new mines. In
heavens name when did a common
| carrier before tell shipper that the
condition of the market did not admit
of bis sending his wares to market,
and refuse for this reason to transport
them ? If it had been ducks, or chick
ems, or wheat, OF hogs, OF cattle, the
same might have been said. Was it
ever said? Does not the shipper in
stead of the carrier risk the market =?
For the same reason this same official
might refufe to haul soldiers, he hav-
ing made up his mind that no more
soldiers were needed, where soldiers
were being shipped. Another reason
he gave was that the equipment Of his
line was fully taxed by the present
output of coal, as if common carrier
were not bound to haul all stuff offered
or get out of the business, and let
somebody do it who would A cues
tiOn asked was, what market the pro
posed coal output would desire to
enter3 This demonstrated that the
railroad dictated what amount of coal
should be shipped and thus controlled
the price, that it Disseminated in
favor of one person over another, thus
controlling the price of coal lands and
the development of the country, that
it thus bled consumers at will, and
did thousand things violative of
Its charter rights, and wholly incom-
patible and inconsistent with the
powers vested in it, or that were ever
contemplat ed by the people who first
passed the laws under which their
charters were granted.
We have not given the names of the
roads, there are more than one in this
State doing the self same thing, we
have not given the names of the per.
sons who have been affected 10y this
policy, but We are prepared to do so,
and that such a condition prevails
and has prevailed for years in this
State, is reflection upon the men who
have composed our legislatures in the
past. If it continues it will be a re-
lection upon those who shsll compose
that body in the future, and will show
q servile trucking to our corporate
masters, to an extent that should
bring shame to every citizen of this
The richest mineral
portions of this State have been held
IN vassalage by this practice for years,
1er coal lands, more valuable than any
that Pennsylvania or indeed any por-
Jon OF the known world today con-
aims, are worthless except as farm |
ands, the States growth is retarded,
Ter resources decried, her people des-
)oiled, by this conduct on the part of |
she has fostered, but
which have, like the viper, turned upon
Ter when nursed into life. If our
convention nor our approaching legis-
allure are able to right this wrong it
nay continue to impoverish us, but
his will not deter us III our efforts to
zee that it is righted. We will be de-
eived, however, if something is not
one.