| From the Western Democrat (Charlotte,
N.C.) |
| |
| April 5, 1864 |
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| It is stated that the enormous
freight charges on the Railroads prevents supplies of provisions from
reaching the various cities and towns of the Confederacy. A
correspondent of the Richmond Enquirer speaking on this subject, says: |
| "Permit me to tell the
good people of Richmond one great reason why your market is so bare of
country produce. Here it is: On all such articles as we send in
baskets, buckets, boxes, &c., the freight on the {Richmond
&} Danville road is from six to eight times as much as we
used to pay the wagons in old times, before the road was built, and
then half as much to bring the empty vessels back again, making the
cost of a little box about as much as we used to pay on a hogshead of
tobacco." |
| We suppose something prevents
provisions from coming to market, but it is not always the railroad
freight, (though that is unnecessarily high,) but an indisposition on
the part of producers to sell. It seems that some of them would suffer
their grain to rot and the people to starve before they would sell.
There are enough provisions in the Confederacy to supply all if those
who hold a surplus would sell it. |
|