University of North Carolina at Asheville
D. H. Ramsey Library
Special Collections/University Archives

Ephemera

HEAVY FREIGHT RATES:
How the Southern Railway Discriminates Against Us

"Southern Railway Voter information," D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, UNC at Asheville 28804
Title HEAVY FREIGHT WEIGHTS: How the Southern Railway Discriminates Against Us
Identifier  
Creator Unknown. Political flyer.
Subject Keyword Southern Railway ; Asheville, NC ; Rutherfordton, NC ; freight ; railroads ; commerce ; politics ;
Subject LCSH Southern Railway (U.S.) -- History -- Pictorial works
Date Date original:  [?] ; Date digital:  2007-01-05
Publisher  Publisher: The Inland Press, Asheville, NC ; Digital Publisher   D.H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804
Contributor

Type Source type:  Text 
Format image/jpeg/text ; single page folded - 4 pages
Source Frank Coxe Collection
Language English
Relation  
Coverage early 1900's ; Asheville, NC
Rights Any display, publication or public use must credit D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville.
Copyright retained by the authors of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor None  
Description A one page political flyer folded into four pages that argues that the excessive freight rates demonstrate the need for a competing road in western North Carolina. The flyer is of  unknown origin and date, but most likely dates from the early 1900's.. 
Acquisition  
Citation HEAVY FREIGHT RATES: How the Southern Railway Discriminates Against Us,  D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804
Processed by Special Collections staff,  2007
Last update 2007-01-05
ITEM
Page Item I.D.# Description Thumbnail
Page 1 sou_di0001

HEAVY FREIGHT RATES
How the Southern Railway Discriminates Against  Us

STARTLING FIGURES SHOWING THE NEED OF A COMPETING ROAD

Asheville is 292 miles from Charleston; Rutherford-ton is 291 miles from Charleston; but the freight rate to Ashevilie is much more than to Rutnerfordton.

sou_di0001mod.jpg (308252 bytes)
Page 2 sou_di0002 T is well known that the Southern Railway reaches both Rutherfordton and Asheville. The only difference is the benefit of a competing railway (the Seaboard Air Line) in one place and a railroad monopoly in the other. Let us examine a few items taken at random to see what this difference amounts to in the matter of freight rates. The articles on which this comparison is made are those in daily use by our people. As Asheville and Rutherfordton are the same distance from Charleston it would naturally be supposed that we would get an equal rate. Examine the facts as shown in the following table giving the freight rates on 100 pounds from Charleston :

SHOWING WHAT   COMPETITION   WILL,  DO  FOR   FREIGHT  RATES

[table]

These are startling figures, doesn't it seem so? Think of it, we are, and for years have been, paying from 34 to 192 per cent. more freight than we should have been paying. If an average is made of the above, it shows an average excess in freight charges against Asheville of 92 per cent. Now, who is it that pays this excessive freight? The merchant who sells the goods must add the freight charges to his prices. Those who have to pay for it are the farmers, the laborers, the mechanics, and in fact the people generally.

How do you like it? Are you going to live always .under
the yoke of a single railroad monopoly, or shall we enjoy the
benefits which would inevitably follow the building of a competing
line into our county? 

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Page 3 sou_di0003

In the pamphlet recently issued, entitled "Reasons why you should vote for $200,000 in bonds to the Appalachian Interurban Railroad," it was estimated that the saving to our people by having a competing railroad would be about 20 per cent, on a $2,000,000 freight business. If the saving should equal 92 per cent (as above estimated), the amount would be $1,840,000. But suppose the decrease in freight charges would average only 20 per cent.; that would mean a net saving of $400,000 or twice the amount of the bonds each year.

Rate on Flour Minneapolis to Asheville  ............ ...92c per bbl.

*'                "                "      to Norfolk, via Asheville. .44c
Being 48c [109 per cent.] more to Asheville, although the long
haul from Asheville to Norfolk is saved,

But this saving on freight rates is not all. It means the building of factories to convert our timber into finished pro­ducts, and employment for our people. Every shipper of'farm products and every merchant knows what poor service is given at present. He understands how difficult it is to get cars when he wants them; he also knows what it means to have his freight delayed days and days. And it is with great difficulty that claims can be settled.

All this is said with no malice towards the Southern Rail­way. They charge high prices just as a merchant would if he were the only person doing business in town. Nevertheless, the reasons given above are sufficient to induce us to put an end to the discrimination by demanding a competing railroad. We now have such a railroad offered us practically for the taking.

Vote for it on October 29.

sou_di0003mod.jpg (341344 bytes)
  sou_di0004 If You Stay Away From the Polls, Your Vote Will be Counted Against the Railroad. sou_di0004mod.jpg (244417 bytes)