| From the Wilmington Journal |
| |
| August 25, 1864 |
| |
| Reduction of Prices |
| |
| To the Editors of the Journal,
Wilmington: |
| |
| Gentlemen: |
| I have read in your paper
today, the admirable letter of the new Secretary of the Treasury, and
hope the Commissioners of Prices of this State may re-assemble and
reduce their lately revised schedule of prices -- they are too high. |
| I was pleased to see the
Goldsboro' Journal discussed the subject very fully a few days ago, and
I hope you and other papers in the State will join in demanding a
reduction of prices. |
| The misfortune seems to be the
commission is too small and is composed of farmers who have themselves
produce to sell. Why not have, say five members, or at least three, one
farmer, one mechanic and one merchant or financier. |
| You can readily see that all
farm productions are much higher than mechanical productions. I don't
suppose this was intentional. I am willing to believe it was through
ignorance; but that does not relieve the act from injustice in its
effects. |
| I will close this note by
asking a discussion of the prices. Say $60 a barrel for flour in North
Carolina, and $20 a barrel for it in Virginia, $7.50 a bushel for wheal
in Virginia and $15 a bushel in North Carolina. Why this difference? |
| The honorable Secretary of the
Treasury says, "I do not think the planters and farmers should alone
be called upon to decline in favor of lower prices. Manufacturers,
railroad companies and every great interest of the country should
contribute to this reform." |
| I beg to say one word on this
including of railroad companies in high prices as paid by government. It
does not seem to be known to the high cabinet officers of the
government, that the railroad companies pledged the government at
Montgomery to work for half rates. And again at Columbia, in April last,
simply doubled those half rates making the relative charges, as compared
with private freight and passage, as three-and-a-half to four times
less than for private parties. While farmers and planters set from
three to five dollars a pound for meat, and like fabulous prices for
every thing else, Railroad companies get less than one-third private
rates. |
| Politicians may find it
profitable to praise the farmers for their "patriotism," but neighbor
where is the "extortioner," after the producer of crops is
removed? |
| NOT A DEMAGOGUE |
| Aug. 19th, 1864 |