The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-28
MORETALK on THE LEASE
THE DEBATE OPENS AFREsH IN
THE HOUSE.

Gordon's statemeats-A Claim That
There is no Coast Outlet Not Already
Scooped.
ATLANTA, GA, Aug 27.-The debate in
the House on the bill to lease the state road
pronisss 10 be as warm II not as pr otrarted
IS IN COMMITTEES Of the whole, and it viii 10
la geiv On the same lines. Discussion be-
gan to-day on the Gambler amsndme q TO
the first section, providing that the road
shall not be leased to any party or company
controlling a competing line, or to any
company controlled by another company
operating or owning a competing line. The
tendency or effect of this restriction would
be to defeat or lessen competition
or encourage monopoly. Ia sup
port of the amendment Mr.. Cand-
Ter urged that under the constitution
the legislature has no authority to lease to
a competing hne and such pr vision
ought TO be in the bill The institution ~
being openly violated, AID it ought 10 be
enforced The president Of the Central had
virtually stated before the int lnvestl-
eating committee that his combination had
gone TO North Carolina in order to safely
violate the constitution Of Georgia.
ANSWERING CABl bOftDON'
He was surpr .sed t hear the gentleman
from Chatham say that even If the Rich
mond Terminal got possession of the West
ern and Att mite the state would no. be
bottled up He says we could ship
thr ugh Savannah, Brunswick or Da len.
When you get to Savannah, you are no
longer in Georgia. He had heard 1t said
that Georgia is bounded on the east by Sa-
vannah. He did lot go that far, but Sa,
vannah was CONTROL d by the Richmond
Terminal Company. You can't get ol5 of
or into Savannah or Brunswick without
going over lines of railway or steamships
owned by the Richmond Terminal Com
pany. Every man who votes against this
amendment votes in favor of this monopoly
controlling all the roads of the state.
1t is your sworn duty to
support the constitution and not leave it to
the railroads or any other commission to
enforce its provisions VIII you, Tor the
sake of s., 900 a month, take the risk of
placing this road, the only independent
in the stite in the bands of the Richmond
Terminal Company? If it raises rates 6
cents a mile as soon as it crosses the South
Carolina line, II will raise rates imme-
diately upon crossing the Tennessee line
when it gets possession Of the state road.
RANKIN OPPOSES IT.
Mr. Rankin of Gordon opposed the amend
ment. He wanted TO get the highest posi-
BILE price, and did not want anything that
would stand in the way Of it.
Mr. Berner made strong speech in favor
of the amendment He said II cannot
vote against the constitution of my state. |
have voted for all the constitutional amend
ments and shall vote for this one. When
we built the Western and Atlantic road we
said to the world, Here is a railway by
which Georg ans can ship their products at
cheap ratesm That is why he has
alw VS. voted agai4sl selling the road. He
wanted Georgia always to own the
state road. If the road Is leased by a
competing Ii e any minority st ok older
may have the lease forfeited in the courts,
and the road would be thrown back on our
hands and hue and cry would be raised to
sell it. If you dou't put this clause in this
lease bill, it will be hurled in Your tecth,
and what answer will the friends of co IL
petitive legislation be able to make9 He
wanted the hig lest price, but he anted
the lease to be in conformity with the con-
stitution.
FELTON, OFFERS A SUBSTITUTE.
Here MIR. FELTON, offered a substitute that
the company whose Bill may be accepted
shall submit without protest TO the rates
fixed by the railroad, especially from Chat
tanooga.
Mr. Berner thought the amendment UNI
constitutional, as 1t proposes to regulate
interstate rates. Even if const tutio4 al 1t
would provide that the iessees should obey
the la ~ of the stat.
Mir. Lamar of Richmond opposed the
anne dment he wanted the higne price,
and was wiling 1t should come from com
peting line He referred to the rumor taat
there is an Atlanta company preparing TO
bid. He did not want any dis
elimination in tvor of that company.
That wou d give them mon poly of bid
ding, and give them the road for $35, 900,
when somebody else would be willing t.
give S45,0 900.
One or two mem hers asked Mr.. Lamar
for some information about the Atlanta
company, but he had none.
Mr.. Glenn Of w hitfeld spoke in favor of
the amer dment. he said it is claimed that
the effect f the amendment would be to
benefit Atlanta. He was in favor of ben
citing Att =. ia. She is the great distrib.
uting depot of the state, and q ything that
benefits her must benefit the state, but ,ht
effect of the anne dment would be to pre-
serve free competition for all Georgia.
That roa IS the only @ to which
the people of Georgia may look for the Q :
forcement of tue laws of natural an,
healthy competition. He did not agree en-
tirelY with the view that this is a none
to be used as a regulator of rates. HI
wanted it used for bot purposes. HI
wan. ed the bet legal bidder.
CAPT. GORDON IN OPPOSITION.
MIR. Gordon of Chatham said that tn,
spirit Of the Olive bill, which he favored
would be best carried out by the origina
lease bill. If this amendme It is carried i
will kill the spirit of the Olive bill.
MIR. Candler-That should be the yer
reason the gentleman from Chatham SHOULD
vote for the amendment.
Mr.. Gordon rellied: 81 am in favor O
the spirit of the Olive bill, but l object {,
the remedy being so applied by the bu cher
and quacks as to kill the PATIENTS II
thought that the were men be
hind the members favoring Thu
amendment who have "ulterior aim
and axes to grind" The railroa,
commission can contr l local rates. Tn
essei ce of the Olive bill is to enable tn
state TO go beyond the powe of its consti
tuition and control int state commerce
The only way to get control of interstat
commerce is BY natural laws. Trade, lik
water, seeks its level He thought IL
amendment W uld exclude the LouiSvill
and Nashville as we'll as the Central Ii th
Cincinnati Southern secured C ntrol !
would destroy the connecting link between
the Cincinnati Soutu ern and the Louisville
and Nashville, aud turn over the road to th
smaller of those two systems. If not to tn
Cincinnati Southern, it must be given t
Mr.. Fry, who has not tur ed a spade o.
earth on lis great system of railroads.
MIR. Ha deman of Bibb favored tn
amendment and Mr.. Humphreys Oppose