| From the Wilmington Journal |
| March 17, 1864 |
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| For the Journal |
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| Messrs. Editors |
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| Will you allow me a
small space in your columns to make known some facts that, in my
opinion, ought, long since, to have been brought to the attention of the
Government, and all others concerned? At a Convention of the Directors
of the Rail Roads in North Carolina and other Southern States, held last
fall or winter in a Southern City {in Macon,
November 25}, a Committee was appointed whose duty it should be
to fix upon and report to the Convention the rates of Government
transportation; to establish some stated and uniform price for the
transportation of soldiers under orders, and also for officers and
soldiers travelling on furlough. This Committee did recommend a certain
rate of transportation, which when submitted for the action of the
Convention, met their approval, and it was determined that the rates
recommended by the Committee should go into effect on and after the 18th
day of Dec., 1863. The following is the agreement entered into between
the Directors of the different roads and the Government in regard to
officers and soldiers who might be travelling on furlough or under
orders: "Where a voucher is given for the transportation of 100 men, or
a less number, it shall be paid for at the rates of 4 cents per man per
mile; a voucher for any number over 100 shall be paid for at the rates
of 2 1/2 cents per man per mile. All officers and soldiers on furlough,
at the rates of 3 cents per man per mile. Commissioned officers not on
furlough and Govt Agt's travelling with or without requisition for
transportation, shall be charged full local fare." I merely desire to
call attention to this to show that there has been a breach of faith on
the part of the Railroad companies, and I propose to point it out. It is
expressly stipulated that all officers on furlough shall be charged
at the rate of 3 cents per man per mile. Now, the railroad companies
may come up to the contract in every point save one; yet, if they fail
in this one point, it is no less a breach of faith, and as such the
Government ought to be notified of it; for a contract broken by one
party is no longer binding on the other. But to the point. I am an
officer in the army, and have often travelled over the different roads
in this State, and I find that my experience coincides with that of
other officers who have been on furlough, and whom I have heard speak of
it, and in no single instance that I have heard of, has a furloughed
officer been allowed to travel at the rate agreed upon; in every
instance full local fare has been charged. This is nothing more
nor less than an imposition, look at it as you will, and shows
conclusively that some one is to blame. The Government never pays over
the stipulated price, for the reason that all furloughed soldiers are
furnished with transportation, and when the vouchers for transportation
are presented for payment, they are cashed at four cents per mile,
according to agreement. An officer on furlough is not entitled to
transportation and the Rail Road Companies, in this and other States,
have taken advantage of this, and hence have invariably charged them
full local fare, knowing that the government will not the loser by it,
inasmuch as the offices have to pay their own fare now, I ask, in this
fair, is it honest? It certainly is not, since it is charging
nearly three times as much as was agreed upon -- and now that this
breach of faith has been made known, it is to be hoped that the
government will take notice of it, and demand that the Rail Road
Companies abide by the written compact, and see that its officers have
justice done them. |
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