The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1890-11-05
6ETTEBEEETS, IF Y0U PLEASE.

There is question that will come
up before the next Georgia Assembly
that will require a good deal OF
thought, wisdom, not to say conser,-
atism, 10 its discussion and settle
ment.
The present lesSees Of the state
road will file claims Tor betlermenrs
made on the lire during tendency of
the lease. These betterments consist
of improvements made on the road
bed, bridges, side tracts, aud addition
to rolling stock.
When the road was turned over to
the company twenty years ago. it was
in a bad shape so far as road bed and
equipments went. tt engines wer
light and old-fashioued, the cars were
few in number and inferior in quail
~.
At the time the lease was mad
there was considerable dissatis action
over the price, $4,000 per month.
that was to he paid. Charges thar
improper means had been used in the
procurement IF the lease were freely
made at the time, and at sundrv
times since the same charles have
been made.
1t is certain that the highest bid
was not accepted, whether the hest
one was taken is a. other question.
1t is also certain that the price paid
was far below the earning capacity Of
the road.
Properly speaking these questions do
not enter into the consideration OF
the bettermentS question, but they
have been given the position of equit-
able setof in public eminent, and
whether it be right or wrong. this
will play an important part in the
settlement pending between the les
sees and the state.
On Its own merits the question
of consideration was settled upon the
state accepting the stipulated sums
named in the lease act, and if the law
or the courts will iaat the demands Of
the !essees, or any part thereof, the
amount ought to be considered and
adjudged aside from any plea tn,
state might make that the contract
made with the lesses was a bad one
for itself.
At the time the lease act was pass
ed and accepted the state was ii tin
hands of aliens. 1t was nothing more
than what was to be expected, there
fore, that the interests of the state
should suffer when brought into con
fiict with the intereststs Of private
pal tiet that stood near the throne.
1t would have oeen infinitely bet,
ter it the collateral question of bet
terments had heen settled by the
terms of the act under which the road
was leased, but as it was not done
and the lease expires very soon, the
matter must be settled by tho "a-'
Legislature.
The question of betterments is a
knotty one, and will require all of
the conversatism and wisdom of the
Legislators to settle it.
The Times hopes that the
rights OF both parties at interest will
be taken into consideration.
l. would be manifesredIy improper
and unfair for the state to claim a set
off in the smallness of the considera,
ton on which the lease act was based
That transaction, in law and equity,
was settled when the lease was signed,
sealed and delivered.
The main difficulty in the settle
ment of the betterment question will
be to strike the Inference between the
use of the lessees have mad of the i'm
provements, and their present value
to the road, as compared with the
track and equipments as turned over
to the lessees by the state in 1870,
As business proposition this ought
to be easy of solution. The main
prospective trouble is that other con-
siderations already referred to by the
Times will be brought into the mats
ter.-Americus Times.