The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-05
THE BETTRRMHNr ISSUE.
a Strong Speech in Opposition to Ar
bitratiOn.


The following is quite a full synopsis of
the speech of Hon. w. W. Gordon, on the
Western and Atlantic lease bill, in oppo-
sition to the proposition to submit the bet
terment question to arbitration. II was
the strongest speech yet made on the better
mont question and was delivered Aug. 1.
The subject is not difficult if you strip it
of the complications that have been thrown
about it, Before doing this remember that
the claimants for betterments are the stock
holders IN lease comp any, but they are not
the leSseeS, and the control and manage
ment of the Western and Atlantic railroad
under the present lease is with the lessees,
OF whom Joseph E. Brown is the ruling
spirit.
The claimants for betterments have never
named the sum to which they think they
are entitled. How can we find out or make
an estimate of its
The only figures to which we can refer
are to be found III schedule O. on pages 80
and 81, in the pamphlet entitled, al ease of
the Western and Atlantic Railroad pub
lished in 1855.
II we examine that schedule we find q
list of betterments by lessees made by the
commission appointed by the state. That
list foots up S750,000, but examine the
items and they include $153. 900 for surplus
locomotives and $l98, 900 for surplus cars.
or, say IN round figures, a total of 1856, 900
for surplus rolling stock A large majority
OF TINS general assembly favors
making no claim for surplus
rolling stock; therefore we can de-
duct $3oO.OOO from theclaim for better
ments and that leaves only $400, 900 to be
considered. In passing | submit that it is
not advisable for the state to have any
thlng TO DO with the surplus rolling stock,
because 1t complexities a trade involving
over So,OOO,0OO with a question of $350, 900
which does not necessarily belong to the
big trade. Going on now in the examina-
ton OF the items In the list of betterments
we find for rails, ties, ballast, ETC., $3.50. 600.
and for all the other items Except for side
tracks,, including depots, buildings, bridges.
masonry, transfers, hoists, tools and ma
chlnery, tanks, etc, the sum of $125, 900,
making total of 1910, 900 out of the $500
600 under consideration.
Examine the character of these items and
the weakness in a threat of the claimants
TO remove them becomes apparent. 1t
would cost more to take up the ballast and
crossues or tear up the masonry of bridges,
culVerts, depots, etc, than the material
would be worth, and no sane persons would
spend money simply to crafty spite.
II they replaced the present steel rails
with iron they would not make a dollar.
because iron rails now cost as much as
steel ana the result of such change would
simply be loss of the cost of changing the
rails e-'-s VIZ
We can therefore conclude that these
Claimants. being sbrewd and reasonable
business men, will not touch one foot of
rams OF crosSIles nor remove one brick or
stone from depot or bridge.
ms, then, reduced the betterments
claim to the question of 500, 900 for side
The statement by the representative of
the claimants of their claim, was, SO far as
nave been able to learn it, narrowed down
70 the right OF a lessee to remove trade fix =
lures before the expiration of his Ieesa and
that all the improvements to the nrona ,yssv
were trade fixtures =