The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-28
NORFOLK IN GRIP
OF BIG MONOPOLY
Startling Revelations From, Nir-
ginia's City by the Sea.
Arg They True:
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSY
Strangulation Hold on Growth OF
Great Seaport Must Be
Broken Up.

There comes from Norfolk n fearful
story. The Lcdgcr-D Dispatch OF that
city prints IL under scare headlines
Here 1t Is. and II may, afford Rich
mond a hint or suggestion to be taken
In time The afternoon paper of More
folk SAYS:
Business Manager AIcSolgin. at the
meeting of. the board OF directors OF
the Chamber of Commerce, yesterday
made brier outline OF his four months
investigation in ihc Norfolk situation
as port His revelations We're start
ing, and in number of Instances
were next 10 sensational. Among
other things, he stated:
The Norfolle steamship and rail
road situation is, In its operations, as
complete monopoly as the Standard
Oh Company; that the Joint owner
ship and control of Norfolks railroads
ana coastwise steamship lines and all
OF the harbor front constitutes a mo-
nopoiy which, in its working out.
eliminates Norfolk as factor for the
location of manufacturing and dis
tributing houses.
The part that discriminates against
Norfolk mainly is that port to port
rates made by coastwise steamship
lines are neither regulated by the In.
terstate Commerce Commission. by the
courts. nor any other body, although.
through rates are regulated; as this
WORKS out in practice. ii costs. for
example. % cents per hundred weight
10 ship certain commodity from Bos-
ton 10 Norfolk. and 1t costa IS cents
per hundred weight to ship the same
commodity from Boston to Lynchburs..
via steamship to Norfolk, thence rail
TO Lynchburg; thus the carriers arc
wiling to give interior points like
Lynchburg 7-cent lower rate than
norfolk. iii addition to the cost OF
transferring at Norfolk. in order to,
give Northern cities, like Boston. New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. 81
monopoly of the Southern trade. They
can do this, because they are at liberty
to charge any rate they please between
boston and Norfolk, New York and
Norfolk. Philadelphia and Norfolk.
Baltimore and Norfolk and ali otber
Southern ports.
sducIching Norfolk.
Another means OF squelching Nor
folk as a business city is the practice
or the Merchants and Miners Line to
ply from Baltimore to Savannah and
Jacksonville. making Norfolk n porr
Of call on the way South from tjmo to
time to take on freight for the South
ern ports that is delivered TO, them here
by railroads from their. Northern ana
Western connections, but while stop
ping here they refuse to permit Nor
folk shippers to load any freight In
their boats to Savannah and jackson
Vile, and take advantage OF the low
water rates, because their friendly rail
connections would resent this Intrusion
on the part, seof the railroad-owned
steamship lines if they did not refuse
to carry Norfolk goods SOUTH. In order
to,permit them to eXtort the price they
receive by rail- This is also true of
passengers; for example, liz a man
wishes to travel South from NorroiK
via the Merchants and Miners, 1t is
necessary for him to goito Baltimore
to take the boat, although 1t calls at
Norfolk; II he is unreasonable enough
tosinsist on taking the boat at ,NorfoIk
instead of going up to baltimore, he
is compelled topay the cost O rhis pas
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