Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-03

Georgia correspondent, and to that of
Mr.. Haines, which appears this morn
ing. Both these gentlemen-and Mr..
Haines over his own signature, be 1t re-
membered-state that the Commission
not only insisted upon an differentiation
of that road, but in spite of figures based
on actual and long continued experience,
insisted upon a tariff of rates which
brings into the road an income less than
its expenditures and prevents it from
declaring a dividend. If that is not in
furious to the line, what is it And as to
the lines Gin contemplation not being OBJ
structed by the Commission, " we again
cite the long proposed extension of that
road in Southwest Georgia from Balm
bridge to Pollard, which extension Mr..
Plant, its President, is unwilling
to construct so long as the Com
mission law stands in its present shape,
but prefers rather to neglect the road
now in operation in that section of the
State, and get into Florida as
soon as possible via Waycross, and
carry out the proposed extension to
Pollard through that State, where
control of his capital will not be taken
away from him as soon as it Is invested.
Thus clearly Southwest Georgia is
threatened with material injury through
the operations of this Law, and the above is
perhaps the true reason why the Jack
sonville and WaYcross Railroad has been
built in spite of the Commission-a fact
to which the Constitution has frequent
" alluded triumphantly as a
complete refutation of the charge
that the Commission was inter
feTing with railway construction,
and the consequent future development
of the State. But our Atlanta contem-
porary need not go so far from
home. The Macon and Bruins
wick extension has not yet been
built, nor has the first shovelful of dirt
been turned on it, although nearly sufi
cient time has elapsed since its lease
to have the line completed and in run
ming order Why is this? Our Atlanta
contemporary may know some other
reason, but Mr.. Wilson, the purchaser
of the line, has declared publicly that he
is unwilling to risk his capital on the
extension unless he has guarantees that
he will be protected from all damage or
loss through star chamber edicts of
the Commission.
Here then are two Georgia lines OBJ
structed by the Commission law, and on
which the capitalists interested in them
hesitate to spend their money, while in
one of them it is the avowed intention
to get out of the State as fast as possible,
so as to place the road, as far as may be,
outside the pale of the Commission.
Thus we practically see capital driven
away from investment in Georgia rail-
ways, and right here we may remark
that the argument advanced by the
Constitution in favor of the Commits
sion, that during the past few months
more outside capital has been invested in
Georgia railways than has ever been
known in the history of the State, is the
strongest argument which can be brought
against the law. While our roads were
wholly under the control of the Com
mission their stocks were comparatively
low. When, however, they formed COM
binations with trunk lines outside the
State, and so, under section V. of the
law itself, rendered themselves to a great
degree independent of the Commission,
capital was Immediately invested in their
stocks, and they advanced.
We have devoted much more space to
this subject than we intended, but, as it
is, have not written 1.-THE of what we
might say upon it. We have said
enough, however, to show the utter in
stability and fallacy of the CONSTITUTIONS
arguments in favor of the Commission
law, and the justice and correctness of
our position in regard to that law. In
conclusion we only desire further to
say this: Our Atlanta contemporary
hints that we give evidence of DISPOSE
ton to abandon our position. We call
upon our readers to substantiate the as
sertion that In no article which we have
ever written on this subject has there
ever been shown the slightest evidence
of variableness or shadow of turning on
our part. We took our position when
the law was first passed, and have
never swerved hairs breadth there
from since, and we never will, because,
in our estimation, it is the only right
position to take The truth is, our con-
temporary is foundering. We hope
that, in its vigorous kicks to free itself
from the slough of impracticability into
which it has, thOughtlessly perhaps, al
lowed itself to wander in the discussion
of this law, it may eventually right it.
self. We will cheerfully lend a helping
hand towards its eXtricatiOn.