The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-18
SHALL DISCRIMINA ALTON AUfAI>oA
NORTH CAROLINA
END?

There is O1SCioSlon a.
why Virginia has larger cities IMAM
North Carolina. In the early days y
water transportation the terrors y
Hatteras was the answer. But no"
that nearly all transportation IS ps ia
the answer is that the big rallroaus
run through North Carolina to V1r-
GINA cities and they grossly discrlm-
mate against North Carolina cities IN
freight rates. It is bad enough 70
charge excessive rates. but 1t IS mex
tusable to charge Virginia rates 50
much lower than are charged NortH
Carolina towns.
The business and political parties
and legislators have protested against
this injustice for hat a dozen years.
but no relief has come. Whenever re-
lief is asked. q railroad official comes
to the State. tells how dearly he owes
North Carolina, makes a Fourth OF
July address, and then continues 70
charge North Carolina rates that pre-
vent growth and enlargement. 10
show the effect Of his outrage, the
following letter written by one of the
largest merchants in North Carolina IS
appended:
10 the Editor: When l was a boy
some years ago an old ~pedagogua,
catch question somewhat like the fol-
lowing. If a frog in a Well 30 feet
deep jumped up ) feet every day anu
fell back 4 feet every nigl,. how long
would it take him to gel out OF the
Well" and it was reported that one
fellow. who was particularly strong on
mathematics, after figuring on TINS
some weeks was finally approach
ed by the teacher With the inquiry rs
&c whether he had gotten the frog out
OF the we'll. lie said he had not but
the teacher to be silent for q
few moments for he had figIfed that
the frog was within about OF hell.
This reminds me very much OF some
Of the conditions that prevail with re-
to the railroad rates hat the
Railway Company exercises
between North Carolina in its discrim-
against it in favor Of Virginia
Mr.. Finley and Mr.. Green both came
down to his country visit u cities
and towns, give forth high sounding
speeches, f!atter Il business COM
with the prospect of future
and development and tell what
a great people We are and how Won
derful We are developing and then so
back and the next week put into oDer-
alton rates that are 50 di~scriminatorN
if figured on the basis that the
boy figured the frog problem we would
have all been within 4 Of q country
n which clothes would be q burden on
count of heat.
This reminds me Of another Incl
dent. A short time ago a Quaker
preacher down on the ASheborO and
southern Railway, after waiting for d
rain some two or three hour ana
laving it marked up from time to time
a depot half full Of people wait
ng for it to arrive, and there hap
oened to be q drummer in the crowd.
if he had eyer been q sunday
scholar, had evidently mixed
the world to that degree that he
lad learned some Of the strong ex-
used ny the men of the
world, and when the agent marked up
he last delay about half an hour or
the drummer could contain him
elf no longer. and gave forth some
# these strong expressions he had
The Quaker preacher lis
ened to him and being a godly man
up in front Of him and looked at
seriously and said: Thee is not
Methodist; thee is not a Baptist:
nee is not q Quaker nor a Presbyte-
Thy swearing is unknown to
ears but If thee was ever justified
n doing SO wicked a thing as thou
TT doing now | am satisfied that this
the time 1t seems that this is very
-~Iplicable to the management of the
southern Railway in their discrimina-
DRY rates against North Carolina.
AS an illustration, take the cities of
Greensboro. Raleigh and
tlnston-Salem on goods coming from
he South, say Chattanooga:
Car Less
Load. Car
Load.
tn Glass North Carolina
Point -. ....... .33
DanVll!e, va. ...... 20 :
ame Article-4th Glass
North Carolina Point. so
Danville, Va. /. 49,. -
ame Article-4th Glass {
North Carolina Point. ga {