The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-24
The State Road Question.

The Augusta Chronicle published a
lengthy interview a day or two ago with
Senator Brown on the subject of the West
ern and Atlantic railroad lease. The
immediate occasion Of the interview ap-
| parently was the appearance In a number
of counties of candidates for the legislature,
who propose to make the questions of again
leasing the road, and the paying of the pres
ent leases for betterments. issues in the legis-
lative campaign.
! The present lease viii expire Dec. %,
1890, and it is probable. therefore, that the
legislature 10 be elected next fall will have 70
determine whether the road shall be lease
again or sold, and also whether the state
shall pay for betterments Senator Brown
says that he will not be bidder for an
other lease, and that, so far as he knows, no
one of his sons will He will be only tax
payer, so far as the road is concerned, and,
therefore, is interested in having the state
make that disposition of the property that
viii be best for the taxpayers. He does not
hesitate 70 say that the road ought to be
leased, and that it ought TO be leased by a
strong railroad corporation. If the road
to the liquidation of the state debt until
the debt became due, and if the money
were held IN trust it might be wasted or
lost A private company could not do as
well with the road, he thinks, as a strong
railroad corporation, like the Central or
the Louisville and Nashville, for the reason
that in order TO make railroads profitable
now they must be parts Of great systems.
The lessees expect, Of course, pay for
betterments, and Senator Brown gives his
reasons at length why they should be paid
for them. These reasons are about the
same as those which he gave to the public
when the question of selling the road was
being agitated during the session of the last
legislature He does not want to have any
legal contest, however, with the state rela-
tive to betterments, and does not think
there will be any if the legislature is dis
posed to deal with the lessees in spirit of
fairness. He suggests that the matter be
settled by board of arbitration, composed
of five members, each party-the state and
the lesseeS-selecting an eminent lawyer
and an eminent raiload man, and these four
selecting the fifth member, who shall be a
man distinguished for his high character
and who shall be free from any bias. He
believes that board thus constituted would
give satisfaction to the people and the
lessees.
He places considerable stress upon the
point that candidates for the legislature
should be pledged neither for nor against
paying for betterments, because the ques-
ton is one that should be heard upon its
merits, and by men free to decide in ac-
cordance with the law and the facts. As
far as the Western and Atlantic lessees are
concerned, they will not, he says attempt
to influence the election of members of the
legislature in any county.
The state road question is a very i'm
portant one and is commanding considera-
BILE attention from the people. 1t is not i'm
probable that it will play quite an i'm
portant part in the legislative campaign,
The aim of the people should be to select for
the legislature men who are capable of
graphing with it, and settling it with
Justice to all concerned.