The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-08
O. s. III.
The Anti-southern Railroad Meet
Ing.

I
meeting of those who are opposed to
the additional grant of 50, 600, 900 for the
Southern Railroad was held. The at
tendance was but fair, not over six hun.
dred people being in attendance at one
time. The character of the assembly,
however, was good. After the meeting
was called to order by Mrs.. A.
Miller, Hon. Alexander Long was
made President, and forty-hve Vice
Presidents were appointed. Mr.ELong,
on taking the Chair, made speech, in
which he said:
ELLow-CITIZENs-You have assem-
bled tonight to consider a subject of
great public Importance and interest to
the citizens of Cinclnnati-a subject in
which every citizen has a deep interest;
ana although the signers to the call for
this meeting, and the sentiments that
will be expressed here tonight will diff
fer from those OF a large portion of our
fellow.citixens, we accord to them
and we claim for ourselves the ex-
istence of pure motives, with a
sincere desire to promote the best in
terests of the great city In which
l.
has been said that this subject ought not
to be discussed, that 1t Is detrimental to
tie best interests OF the city to discuss
it now. hesitate not to say that a SUBJ
lject of 80 much Importance, involving
the expenditure of so many millions Of
dollars, that will not bear discussion is
unworthy of support. The Trustees of
the Southern Railroad have expended
ten millions OF your money. They ask
you for six millions more; and whether
1t is to the interest of the city to give
that additional six millions now asked
is the question to be considered.
opposition to the proposed grant, and
among other things said:
"Ohio has to-day seven thousand miles
and upwards Of railroad; Kentucky has
less than seven hundred miles. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Penn
sylvania Central, the New York Gen.
tral, all the great lines managed by such
men as Garrett, Scott and Vanderbilt,
come into your city, all bound to 20
South, il there was any inducement to
60 South. From the moment the extern
sion of their lines South will pay they
will be made, just as capital finds in
yestment whenever " will pay. And
until it will pay the lines will not be ex-
tended South. 1t is utterly impossible
to change the current of events"
At Ihe conclusion of Mr.. Longs re-
marks, Mr.. Fred. Hassaurek arose and
began by asserting that his personal
feeling toward the Southern Railroad
Trustees were most friendly, his criti-
cisms should be OF the Board; we were
in stream, said he, and could neither
turn back nor advance; we had gone
counter to sound sense in not putting
some practical railroad men into our
Board of Trustees; also in attempting
to do what it was not the province OF
municipality to do. We were
80 overtaxed now that our manutac-
turers We're going away. Cincinnati
was not pledged to more than ten
millions. II we gave six millions more,
would we be sure that the men who had
misled us once would not mislead us
again. Have we any assurance that the
road complete would not cost twenty
five millions? This demand, in it's shape,
was the pointing Of the pistol to the
heart Of the city and saying, "Stand
and deliver six millions more or lose
SO. 900 a day on the ten millions you
have expended" If the loss was in.
Cured, the Trustees were responsi-
Bile for it. Perhaps it would be
we'll to present the road to the
Trustees in part pay for their services,
and in case they refused, why, then,
tender it to the Committee appointed by
Court TO fix the compensation Of the
Trustees. They should have told the
situation OF the eroad sooner, at all events
before the election, 80 as to afford oppor-
tunity. to citizens to instruct the delega-
ton to the Legislature. If they could
not state the situation exactly, they
might have done it inexactly. The road
should be leased, mortgaged or sold.
Had the Trustees ever tried to
get lessees? Had they asked for
Iesses at the money centers
of the worldp They had not, and yet
said it could not be sold or disposed OF
to advantage, and in this they confessed
their untitness for their positions. Our
| programme should be to reject the Six
million bill, cut off the supplies, and
| then the Trustees would resign and give
us new deal. and we could take new
departure. Mr.. Hassaurek said that the
contract for rails could be made now at
saving of $b00,000 on the contracts
made some years ago. He concluded by
protesting good feeling for the Trustees.
Here Mr.. Cory reported resolutions,
the substance Of which were embodied
lin one, which
"Resolved, That 1t is the sense OF
this meeting that the Legislature
of Ohio should refuse to au-
thorize the proposed addition of six
millions to the oppressive railroad bur-
dens of Cincinnati"
After the resolutions were read Judge
John L. Miner arose and wanted to
know if a few words on the opposite
side of the question would be heard.
Leave being granted him to say word,
the Judge stated that he had studied
railroads for twenty-five years, and he
meant to show what the Southern Road
| would cost and what it would pay as an
Investment. He did not sanction
ali the Trustees had done,
but for their mistake in their estimate
he excused them. The present road was
better than the one first proposed, and 1t
came into Cincinnati instead of stopping
mile away. To complete and equip the
road would cost $17,S44,000, allowing
$53, ,107 per mile for construction and
81, 600 per mile for equipment. These es-
Inmates were purposely high. 1t never
should be leased until equipped. Loud
applausel The cost of the road equip
ped would be s16,tOO0OO, and the cost
Of the road and equipment from
Cincinnati to Lexington would be 50, ,5S1,
1866, and this, by shorter route and bet
| ter grade than that of the Kentucky Gen.
- A.