Year: 1868

GENTLEMAN I'm view of the fact
that many of you are not familiar with
the usual mode of navigation, as prac-
ticed on Elk river, or the kind and
character of commerce carried on up
and down said stream and consequent
ly are not prepared to correctly judge
of the utility to be derived by the pas
sage of ''Senate Bill No. g." styled "a
Bill to incorporate the Elk River Nayi-
CATION Company" / take this method
and opportunity of assuring your hon
orable body, that no greater legislative
calamity can be INFLICTED upon the
masses Of the numbering community on
that river, than by the passage of that
unjust, discriminating and infamous
bill. Although Objectionable through
out, yet the most abominable feature of
said bill is the sixth section, which reads
as follows: "That the company may
demand and receive at such points on
said river as may be selected by the
President and Directors of the compa-
ny in general meeting, such tolls as
may be in their opinion reasonable: Pro-
vided, that the tolls shall not exceed
fifteen per cent net on the cost of i'm
provement, including repairs &C., Pro-
vided further, that tolls shall not be lew
led on any article of commerce coming
into the limits of the improvements
10y way of the river, from above Por-
ter's creek; Provided further, that tolls
shall not he deManded until and before
the river has been improved to Jarrets
Ford" Although it is prepOSterous to
suppose that the Legislature will ever
seriously think of tine final passage of
such bill when familiar with the facts
in the case, yet for the sake OF aTGu-
ment, suppose you dopass such an act,
with such provisions, what will be the
consequence Why in the first place,
the stock in all probability will be taken
by few individuals in Kanawha coun-
ty, who will at once proceed to do
small amount of work on said river
between Charleston and JarretS Ford
some twelve miles), and then proceed
at once to collecting tolls, in accordance
with the provisions of the sixth section,
while such section, however, restricts
the rates of tolls, and looks fair enough
on paper, but which will work out in
this manner. Suppose that the COM
pany expend $4,000 on their improve
ment (Which will be little enough If
they propose to improve the navigation
of the river to any purpose), and agree
ably to their charter are allowed to
collect $500 in tolls, or fifteen per
cent; and suppose the aggregate
amount of lumber and produce
shipped up and down said stream
does not amount to over SO, 900 per an
mum (Which is really about the case,)
then you will see that those persons en-
gagged in business on that river will be
or can be taxed 30 per cent. on every
dollars worth of capital Invested, for
your bill proposes to allow the "Direc-
tors of the Company to charge and col
lect such tolls as may be in their opin-
ion reasonable" subject alone to that
iniQuitous II per cent. restriction, that
will invariably work as above indicated.
And aside from these grave objections,
we can see no possible benefit to
he derived to the citizens OF those coun-
ties bordering On Elk river by the
Inauguration of such company
The principle business done there is in
shipping 20 Charleston lumber and
cooper stuff, which cannot be marketed
only ut certain seasons of the year when
the river is considerably swollen, or in
other words when there is a "boat-tide."
Consequently the mere chGmeling of
of Elk river to its source, wOuld not, in
the least, facilitate or improve the pres
ent mode of transportation. Aud rs re-
CARDS the mp river freight, locks, dams
and channels would be a nuisance to
those canoe men who navigate that
stream, and who can scale prccipice
at an angle of forty five degrees with
their light crafts.


We could enumerate many more OBJ
iectionable features to this proposed
bill, but think we have said enough TO
satisfy all unbiased minds of the injus-
tice and improperly of the measure.


G.. I. TAYLOR.