Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-06-26

apouI Dy natural conditions htt r
Stow tina the development IF trafB,
20 and from the port of Norfolk wa,
ING condition that brought il ahont
suggested early in nv argument
Inat while we have no TRANSPORTATION
Lacilitles comparable to those of. On,
virginia competitors that we have No
used what we have for its full valne
Inc same ocean that serves Norfoll
! beats upon u shores. We have II
process OF development at Cane
a harbor that will not have
a superior on the Atlantic coast. and
a line OF railroad is soon to be ex.
tended to it. The Wilmington port il
not p equal of Norfolk. but twill
serve. 1t does not commend the en-.
terprlse OF our people that almost
the highest rated freight territory in
our State comes down ten miles of this
magnificent port of Wilmington. with
its tWenty-six foot depth of water
harboring ocean liners.
l believe that the North Carolina
Merchants Association and the neo-
pie OF the State generally are in verv
great earnest in this matter MAJ 7
oner you a suggestion that in thor
oughty practical, and that If carried
out would In q very short time revo-
rate conditions in the State.
and that would eventually emanci-
pate the whole State from it's unjust
freight rate burden?
Organize for Action Now.
Begin the organization of a com
pany to put on a line of boats from
New York and other Northern ports
% Wilmington that will put the Nor
folk rates into Wilmington. Get sub
scr1ptlons for not less than five hun
dTed thousand dollars. o fstock, and
ask the Governor ard the General
Assembly when it meets in. special
session to duplicate the amount of
stock you subscribe, not because we
are mad with anybody, or trying to
blum anybody, but because we need
the service and have the
with which to get it. / have the con-
hdence that the State would not hest
tate at this time to join you in such
an enterprise. You have a Governor
who is intensely and periodically in
earnest in this matter. 1 believe Won
will find the General Assembly re-
sponsiVe to any plan of relief that
Goes not do violence to legal rights
and orderly procedure. The State has
spent enough in the construction of
relatively unimportant local lines of
railroad in the last ten years to have
put on such a line of steamers. The
Federal Government has spent mil
lions OF dollars in the last ten years
to improve u facilities for water
transportation and we have not spent
a dollar to avail ourselves Of them.
Such an enterprise would put Will
m1ngton on an even rate basis with
Norfolk, but do not think for a min
ute that it's benefits would be con-
fined to Wilmington, for it would
project largely reduced rates to the
larger part Of the State, and it's ben
ehtS could be to a considerable ex-
tent eQualized by making a less rate
to the port If for re-shipment interior
than the rate to Wilmington proper,
just q sthe boat lines to Norfolk now
make a rate of 80 cents to Norfolk and
23 cents to Norfolk il for re-shipment
beyond. We can use these boat lines
to get the freight into the State from
around behind this high wall Of inter
State rates, and then if we can not
UlOIIIUuIC IuCm H1Iulu Iu0 OLdIS,
where the State does have the rate
making power, in competition with
outsiders, we will have only ourselves
to blame. A subsidiary line of river
steamers could reflect rates but
slightly higher than the Norfolk rates
a hundred miles further inland to
Fayetteville. We would quit build
ing up Norfolk and would begin in
real earnest the development of traffic
to and from own ports that would
speed the day when we will have
trunk lines of road from the North
and West with weight of tonnage that
would justify the application of the
long and short haul principle to in
termediate points on their direct lines,
and would eventually put something
near the Virginia cities rates ON our
main lines throughout the length and
breadth of the State.
By the time this plan could be got
ten well under way the government
will have completed a free inland war
terway with a minimum depth OF
twelve feet to Norfolk. Had it oc-
Cured to you that this will open up
the most ideal transportation facilities
protected inland route-to boats
with capacity of a hundred car loads
of freight, from Elizabeth City, Eden
ton, Plymouth, Washington, New
Bern, Morehead, Beaufort and other
prosperous North Carolina cities, to
the great commercial metropolis of
Baltimore, at the head of Chesapeake
Bay? A subsidiary line Of smaller
boats could be put On that would put
the Norfolk rates from Baltimore
into these Carolina cities, and such a
line of boats, operated in connection
with the New York line, with a con-
nection at Cape Lookout, would each
develop immense volume of traffic for
the other.
State Aid is Predicted.
There is opportunity here for the
development of an empire of trans
portation that is worthy of the best
efforts of the State and of the people
OF the State that would dominate the
rate situation in his State, and that
offers promise of rich reward to the
investor while giving to our people