Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-06-26
rpE1cHr RATE QUESTION.
..,ution offered by MIR. A. J. Max
well, Who Has Studied the Per-
licking Subject in all its Phases

Wilmington, June 10.-TOday s
.,sion of the eleventh annual
setting Of the North Carolina
worchants' association at Wrights
Iil1e beach was featured by the
'adress Of A. j. Maxwell, of Raj
';nb clerk of the North Carolina
'ornoration commission, who pro-
oosed as a solution of the unjust
piud discriminatory freight rates
=, North Carolina the formation
n a 100000 steamship. line to
NV between Wilmington and
porthern points to come in compe-
t;tion with the railroads.
Mr.. MaxwelPs Address.
Mr.. Maxwell discussed in his adj
aross the subject of freight rates in
North Carolina. He declared trans
nortation the greatest public question.
fntra-State rates were touched upon
briefly, the speaker paying most at
tention to the question of Interstate
rotes, declaring, however, in passing,
tbot the State had the lowest scale of
;ntra-State rates of any State in which
Tho railroads crossing North Carroll.
rs operate except the scale obtaining
NJ the Southern main line between
washington and Richmond. Va. which
vas brought about by competition.
The State not only has the lowest
scale but requires the largest per-
,centage of deduction from these rates
for joint haul, of any State in the
Union.
Taking up the question of inter
State rates, which he discussed at
length and very interestingly, hold
ing the close attention of his audi
pnce throughout,Mr. Maxwell traced
the history of the conditions which
have brought about the low rates OBJ
tanning to Virginia gateways, on
which all North Carolina rates are
based.
He showed that these gateways
awe their low rate to the strategic
nosition of Norfolk. In the past COM
retition for trafice arising in the Mid
die West was keen among the rail-
roads from Chicago to the seaboard
cities. 1t finally reached a stage
whereby Chicago could ship commod-
tiles to Norfolk and thence to New
York by boat cheaper than it could
ship direct.
Shipping developed until. many
boats now ply between Norfolk and
the Northern ports, and Virginia has
developed her port resources to such
an extent that she has. obtained an
advantageous rate, which extends to
the mind Virginia cities. North Car
,olina has not developed her waterway
facilities, and Mr.. Maxwell declared
that this development, in his opinion,
was the answer to the rate question.
Analysing the injustice of the inter
State scale as it affects North Caro-
lima with reference to Virginia cities,
Mr.. Maxwell said that while inter
State rates were lower in this State
than in any adjoining State except
Virginia, the State is denied the COM
pensatory benefit of close proximity
10 the rate-basing points Of the sister
State. The rate charged on ship
ments through Virginia cities to North
Carolina points is out of all proper
ton to the distance an dis altogether
in%excusable and i~ndefensible. The
rate difficulties of North Carolina
hang right here. It is not that the
State is charged more for a short haul
than others are charged o a long
haul over the same line, but that it is
charged an excessively high rate for
the last part Of a long haul, coming
into the State.
"This high rate scale for the short
haul from the Virginia cities on
through business covers the great
bulk of our freight rate grievances"
said Mr.. Maxwell, "fer probably W
per cent of our freight traffic either
passes through the Virginia cities or
is based on the rate via that route,
and this high rate for the short haul
enters into the rate on all this trahc.
There are, of course, other just gr1eV-
ances, one of the most .aggravat1ng OF
which is the peculiarly e~xasperatng
condition that on a number OF the
most important commodities carload
ratings are made from the West up
to the Virginia cities, where they are
permitted to break bulk, and for the
last part of the haul from the Vir-
ginia cities into the State the rate is
the same whether carload or single
package. You can easily understand
WHIT an unfair advantage this gives to
Cur Virginia competitors"
Mr.. Maxwell. advanced three propo-
sitions as remedies for the States
rate neutrality-suspicious. of the rail-
roads to come to an amicable and fair
agreement, which ha Stalled; appeal
To the Interstate Commerce Commits
Sion, which has. already been done,
there being a number of suits now on
ME by the Corporation Commission,
which has already won reductions IN
several other cases; and third. the de- !
Velopment Of the States port facili-
Ties. his is what Mr.. Maxwell held
;aloft as the final and everlasting set
tlement of rates.
He said talk of the Legislature do
!fg anything with this purely Federal
matter was idle. He declared that
the State could win nothing of good
out much of harm, by seeking repri-
sails for the failure of the railroads
70 be just and fair. The thing to do
was to bring about the same condi-
IONS at Wilmington that have won
IOr Norfolk and Virginia the low