The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-24
The Tarnlinal at Atlanta.

1t begins TO look as if the Richmond
Terminal would have some business at At
lanta this winter. Bills and resolutions
have been Introduced into the legislature in
which it has deep interest. There appears
| to be a disposition in that body TO find out
all about the deal by which the Richmond
| Terminal obtained control of the Georgia
| Central and to prevent such deals, so far as
| Georgia railroads are concerned; also to
nullify any which may have been made
within the last year.
Mr.. Rankins resolution, which was pub
lished in the dispatches of the MORNING
NEWS yesterday, provides for the appoint
ment Of a committee to inquire whether the
purchase of controlling interest in the
Georgia Central by the Richmond Terminal
is contrary to the spirit and letter of the
constitution of the state, and if so, to re-
port what action is necessary to be taken to
annul it,
There is bill before the judiciary commit
tee of the House the purpose of which is to
prevent any railroad. operated under a
Georgia charter, fir m getting control of a
competing railroad which enjoys privileges
from the state 1t also aims 10 prevent a
railroad corporation or combination out
side of the state from getting control of a
competing road within the state. In a
word, the intention of it Is. so far as it is
in the power of the legislature to do SO, to
make it impossible to put an end to compet-
ton between railroads.
1t cam It be stated with certainty, of
course, what action the legislature will take
on resolutions and bills of this character,
but the chances are that there will be an
inv estigation of the deals by which the
Richmond Terminal obtained control of the
Georgia Central and the East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia, and it is not improb
able that strong effort will be made to
annul them
There appears to be an impression among
the people of the state that the Richmond
Terminal system will be hostile to their in
terests. and that it will be better for them if
the Georgia roads, which are now included
In that system, are operated separately.
Whether or not this impression is correct
one time alone will determine. 1t is only
fair, however, to say that the managers of
the Richmond Terminal say that 1t is not.
A bout all of them have stated in the public
prints that the combination which they have
succeeded III making will be beneficial to
Georgia and the south. They declare that
it is to their interest to build up the states
upon which their system depends for bust
ness, and that even if thev were disposed to
raise traffic rates, they could not do SO
without the consent of the railroad commits
sion of this and other states in which their
roads are located.
OF course there is nothing binding in such
pledges and promises. They may be made
now with the utmost sincerity, but who can
say that a condition of affairs will
not arise that will compel the
breaking of them? 1t can be safely stated
that the Terminal system will be operated
so as to benefit all the country tributary to
it. provided it is to the interests of those
who control it to so operate it, but if it is
not to their interest to do SO it is quite GER
tain that the interest of the people who are
dependent upon it will suffer- The object
of the Richmond Terminal combination is
to make money, not to build up any partic-
ular section of the country, but it may be
found to be profitable to pursue a policy
that will build up the tributary country.
The legislature should do what is best for
the state, and in determining what is best
it should proceed without passion or
prejudice, and should act only after it is
thoroughly satisfied that it is on the right
track. No doubt the Norfolk and Western
people, who are supposed to have instigated
the proceedings in the Tennessee courts TO
break up the deal by which the Richmond
Terminal obtained central of the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia,
will be active in the Hobbies of
the legislature in melting hostility to the
Richmond Terminal combination. Their
representations, however ought not to
have any weight, because it is generally
understood that they are influenced wholly
by selfish motives. The breaking up of the
Richmond Terminal combination would ad-
vance the value of their railroad property,
and open the way for the success of their
schemes