The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-09-30
MUST HAVE BAS|NG
POINT IN STATE
''Pretext'' Offered BY Railroads
Penalties Towns With
Water Facilities.
tBy y. Is. tndcrw ood. Of Fayetteville.
Advisory Committee. just
Freight Rate A~ociationl

do not think the trouble is With
the rates So much. but 1t is with the
discrimination in favor Of virginia
cities l notice in your paper that
you are putting comparisons above
Virginia cities and below Virginia
cities For instance. the shell case
going to Goldsboro. do not think that
your reople have the right conception
or this proposition. You do not reCog-
nlZe the conditions. hat cars coming
10 Nlrglnla cities from the west arriN.
there in 10000 pound cars and are
shipped out below Virginia cities into
the Carolina territory in any uantity
at the same local rate that applies be-
low the Virginia gate-ways. The rea-
son why this rate is so low from the
west TO the Virginia gate-ways Is on
cou OF the heavy tonnage. The
less than carload rate to N~irginia cities
is 33 Ia per cent higher thar the car
load rate. II his same thing applied
in North Carolina II looks TO me that
the business would be thrown in North
Carolina instead Of Virginia cities. In
other words, if the railroad companies
would use the Official classification in
stead OF the Southern classification |
think that this would relieve the sit
uation a good deal.
L nave Idu w my Mn teNouO u
doubt that the trouble lies with the
Corporation Commission of North
Carolina. For instance, ! will give
you an illustrations: The only solution
| can see is that the intra-state rates
are not based on water competition.
For instance, 100 pounds OF sugar
from New York to Richmond. Va, is
10 cents. and 100 pounds Of sugar
from New York Il Wilmington, y. c.,
is 10 cents. The rates are made TO
apply through Virginia gate-ways for
western and central North Carolina,
and these rates are exorbitant. The
Corporation Commission does not rec
ognize that they v jurisdiction I,
make the rates Of business originating
In the State and ending in the State
l do not know the exact figures from
Virginia cities to StateNille or Marion
N. c., but l do know that the only way
to reduce these rates is to do 50 h,
making the basing point Wilmington
n. Z. For instance, We will say FOL
argument hat the rate from Rich
! mOnd to Marion. n. c., is % cents OF
sugar and this rate could be worked
| through Wilmington, y. c.. If the Cor
pOratiOn Commission would reduce IN,
| rate from Wilmington to that point
2 say to IL cents. and by doing this tn,
merchant woul get his sugar deliv
t cred there for 27 cents. AS soon a
tnlS "OuIu OCCUR the IdbtTodOS NtuIt
reduce their rates immediatel
i, through Virginia gate-ways to NEE
these conditions; thereby saving IN
. merchant at Marion 5 cents IN III
G sugar. These figures are not accurate
g but are given for demonstration
The only solution that | can see
S hat We will have to have a basin
point in North Carolina. When tn
occurs then we could put on car an
less than carload business from Viz
ginia cities. and j believe that the rat
v business would be adjusted. but IN
preteXt offered by the railroad compa
MES in their recent conference sui
nitted to the Just Freight Rate Assc
citation it penalties all water points i
North Carolina.
l Under the present state Of affairs
will only be a question Of time vine
& the entire heavy business Of this STAT
will drift to Norfolk or Richmond. v,