Raleigh, N. C., September 1, 1864
| |
| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War Confederate States of America |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| In view of the late enormous advance
and still advancing rates of railroad fares and freights, I have
thought that they were very proper subjects of consideration by the
commissioners of appraisement, both in their conventions and in
their periodic State meetings. At present there seems to have been
no check or even opposition to the unbounded rapacity of these
companies, which equally with the high price of wheat and corn,
etc., threaten to destroy the value of our money by again flooding
the country with an inflated currency, and thus upsetting the
admirable plans of our wise and experienced Secretary of the
Treasury, Mr. Trenholm, who undoubtedly, if aided by a reasonable
support by the country, would soon reduce the recent chaos in our
finances to order and value, if not to a perfect peace basis. I
therefore propose at our meeting on the 30th instant to bring up
this matter for consideration, and to subject the rates of fares and
freights on railroads to the same scrutiny and action that the
farmers and manufacturers have submitted to, and hope we shall be
aided by the active support of your Department and that of the Navy
and Government generally. To prove the extraordinary and excessive
charges by the railroad companies of the Confederacy it is only
necessary to state that a rapid and constantly occurring advance of
fares and freights have taken place (and to which there appears to
be no check) till prices have advanced from the usual rates of 3 to
4 cents per mile up to 18, and even as high as, in the case of the
new Piedmont Railroad (from Greensborough to Danville), 20 cents per
mile is now charged, while the dividends of these companies are as
high as from 30 to 60 per cent. per annum. In short, I see nothing
in the whole range of prices and of speculation that more demands
restraint and scrutiny than the rapaciousness and greed of the
railroad companies of our country.
|
| Hoping to have your views, |
| I am, with high respect, your obedient servant and
friend |
| H. K. Burgwyn |
|
| September 2 |
| I have just learned that the Raleigh and
Gaston Railroad have again more than doubled their rates, viz, from
$10 up to $22 fare, and that the Petersburg and Roanoke Railroad
Company {the Petersburg Railroad?} have
raised theirs from $10 to $15.
|
| |
| [First indorsement] |
| September 7, 1864 |
| To Quartermaster-General for consideration and
remarks. Is there justice in these strictures; and what think you of
the proposed action for relief?
|
| J. A. S. |
| Secretary |
| |
| [Second indorsement] |
| Quartermaster-General's Office |
| September 10, 1864 |
| Respectfully referred to Lieutenant-Colonel Sims. By
order of Quartermaster-General:
|
| W. F. Alexander |
| Major and Assistant to the Quartermaster-General |
| |
| [Third indorsement] |
| Richmond, September 13, 1864 |
| Respectfully returned to
Quartermaster-General.
|
| The rates alluded to within are charged to
individuals. Government is charged for troops from 5 to 7½ cents
per mile, or about twice "peace prices," and on freights
in about the same ratio. These rates are not excessive, but on the
contrary extremely liberal. The roads find their profit in caring
for individuals, and if the private rates are cut down by act of
Government it is inevitable that Government rates must be advanced.
Speculators, etc., are thus indirectly aiding in keeping down the
price of one of the heaviest items of Government expense.
Transportation by rail is beyond all question rendered to Government
at lower rates than anything else in the Confederacy. It is true it
is done at the expense of the people, and in that view it might be
well to intrust the regulation of railroad charges to the
commissioners, but it should not be lost sight of that the
Government may be made to suffer by the operation.
|
| F. W. Sims |
| Lieutenant-Colonel, etc. |
| |
| [Fourth indorsement] |
| Quartermaster-General's Office |
| September 15, 1864 |
| Respectfully returned to the Honorable
Secretary of War, whose attention is invited to the views of
Lieutenant-Colonel Sims. It is believed that the action of the
commissioners could fix rates only for Government transportation.
|
| A. R. Lawton |
| Quartermaster-General |
|