The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-24
THE RAILROAD PROBLEM.

win be equally plain to all. 1t 10 alsc
serve important changes to be wrough.
by new causes lately put in operation; it
is high time that we inquire what will
be the effect of these ON our financial
growth and commercial development.
Florida has heretofore enjoyed the
benefits of the competition for her bust
ness necessitated by the rivalry between
the Savannah, Florida and Western and
the Florida Railway and Navigation
lines. But on February 16 prox- the
Florida Railway and Navigation will be
sold and it is proba0e that the Plant
System will be the purchaser. If that
purchase be made how will our interests
be affected?
1t is well known that John III. Inman
has entered into a contract with III. b.
Plant, the autocrat of the Plant System,
by which the closest alliance is formed
between the Georgia Central and the
whole of the Plant System. Says the
Atlanta Constitution in reference to this
combination:
Zone of the most especial benefits oc-
curing to the Georgia Central under
the arrangement is the guarantee to its
ocean steamship company of all Florida
freights, which the Plant system can
furnish at Savannah. There is vast
deal of this business it is claimed. This
is the first important action which the
Georgia company has taken in exercis-
| ing its rights through the ownership of
a controlling interest in the Georgia Gen.
trail"
The alliance is offensive and defensive:
1.-THE contract is absolutely reciprocal
in its cooperative provisions with refer
ence to all traffic, and establishes these
two vast systems of Southern railways
| in perfect harmony of interest and
policy"
Is there no danger to us in this alliance
between these powers? Will there not
be greater danger if this power be still
| further increased?
| The Plant System has already bought
| the Brunswick and Albany at cost Of
little less than two millions, and Is now
| under contract to give all it's business to
the Ocean Steamship Company or the
| Georgia Central, aud says the Constitu-
| tioH:
/ "The alliance virtually consolidates two
] of the greatest railroad properties of the
South. and the combination is well cal
culated to battle rivalry and squelch all
opposition. 1t will most likely prove a
strong obstacle in way Of any new rail-
| road enterprise that either is now, or
may be hereafter, projected into the ter
ritory of the allied systems"
Is it to our interest that this alliance
be still further strengthened: Shall we
give into the hands of this giant
monopoly the control OF our business for
the present and our hopes for the future,
knowing il to be directly interested in
crushing out the Mallory Line and Clyde
Line? Let us remember that the Plant
Investment Co. already owns the b.
Bonds of the F. r.. & N. aggregatine
more than a million. If the s., +. 81 w
gains control of the +. r. & N, then III
3. Plant will control all our routes t.
the Vest,
Mismanagement in the past had re
duced the f. II. & n. to "a streak o.
rust" Receiver Duval with the help o
w. Bayard Cutting and his associate
has been steadily resuscitating the ruin
Under the showing he was able to max,
last winter capital was coming to ou
aid, steadily and effectively, to preserv,
for Florida the benefits of a competition
for our business. 1t was proposed :.
build the Millen Road to Jacksonville
and the Birmingham Road to Tallahas
4 n.
to the East and West Under the com
bination now proposed where will tn,
Millen road get business and how vii
the Birmingham road be built?
III. M. Flagler and his associates has
proposed to carry out their plans through
the F. r. and N. The Richmond anC
Danviile extends from Alexandria t,
Atlanta and the Richmond Termina
controls from Washington to Jesup
but it is at the mercy of the s., F. and w
under the alliance" because it is Gu
off from all business By the Atianti
through the Midland, comes in "a a fac
tor to aid in this result. The sam,
alliance can control our Western
freights through the s. F. and w. an,
Georgia Central.
Now if all our roads can be brough
under one management it will be tn
interest of the Alliance" to starve OF
; our steamships--thec commercial center
of Florida can only preserve their indie
pendence by defeating the purpose o
the monopolists.
Suppose the Macon road comes to Pa
1 latka; where will it get any but loca
business? 1t will be paraIleled on bot
sides and cut off from the South by tn
monopoly. Did any road ever prov
profitable on its local business alone?
Does not our immediate future depen
! on the survival of competition for GU
business to the North and East? Has no
the S., F. & w. always been arbitrar
sumo that its future will copy fair it
past: Is not the Fernandina Miro
right when it concludes:
If the purpose of buying the Florid
Railway and Navigation Company's lin
from Jacksonville to Chattahoochee,
based upon the same policy that induce
the purchase of the Jesup and Florid
short line-in order to kill of Compel
a tion-it would be an injury and mi.
; fortune to Florida to have the Plant sys
+ ! tenn absorb so large a portion of tn
Florida system of railways, to secur
which the people of Florida have sol
{ ! their lands at a low price.
4 The Florida system as devised in 1SJ
should remain under our ownership
The Plant system has its legitimate feel