The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-21
WILL THEY CONSOLIDATE?
All the Street Railroads May Soon
be Under One Management.

tits Said That President Collins, Sec
RETRY wilkinson and Director Hicks
Have Gone to Chicago to Meet Mr.,
George Parsons-It is Also Stated
That the Electric Railway Company
Is willing Either TO Buy the City
and Suburban Lines or Consolidate
With Them-Looks Like a Deal.
To all appearances one of the biggest
deals in local property that has been
made in some time is now on foot.
If there is truth in the rumor, and
there seems to be good reason to believe
that there is, it may be that all the street
railroads in the city and to the suburbs
will soon be consolidated under one man
agement.
There has been u general belief for
some time that it was the desire Of
owners of the Electric Railway Com
pany to see all the roads in the city con-
solidated under the management of the
road of which he is at the head, and it
seems that he is now making an effort to
bring about that result
THEY HAVE GONE TO CHICAGO.
The fact that President Collins has gone
to Chicago, accompanied by Mr.. Wilkin-
son and MIR. Hicks, all of whom are di-
rectly interested in the street railroads of
the city, and the statement made by those
who seem to know what they are talking
about, that these gentlemen have gone to
the Windy City not on pleasure as was
stated, but on business trip, and that
too to see Mr.. George Parsons, owner
of the City and Suburban Railway Com
pany, would seem to indicate
clearly that something in the
nature of a deal was on foot.
The Electric railway has Just acquired
possession of the Savannah Street rail
way, the Belt Line, and upon which there
was a bonded debt of $500, 900. The bond
ed debt on all the lines controlled by the
City and Suburban is about $500, 600, and
its floating debt amounts to about $780,,
900. In confirmation of the rumOr it is
said that $500, 900 additional bonds will be
issued to effect the consolidation, which
would leave liability, bonded and other
wise, on the consolidated lines of some
thing like 81, 100000. 1t is stated how
ever, that President Collins has said that
he was favorable either to a consolidation
of all the lines or that he would purchase
the property. Those interested in the
matter in the city admit having heard
that such a proposition was on foot, but
further than that they will say nothing
about it.
THE RESULT OF CONSOLIDATION.
The result of such deal, whether it be
purchase outright or a consolidation Of
interests, would be to put all the street
railways in the city under one manage
ment-that of the Electric Railway Com
pany. Whether it will be effected or not,
however, time only will tell.
The Savannah and Isle of Hope and the
Savannah street railway (the old Belt
Line are now in the hands of the Electric
railway, the latter having been ac-
quired a few weeks ago, and that this
company is ambitious to secure the
lines of the City and Subur-
ban, and consolidate with the
others, the City and Suburban and the
Savannah, Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope,
there can be no doubt. There ism doubt
but that such a consolidation of these
lines would be of benefit to the people Of
Savannah. 1t would be attended with
good results in the perfection of the ser
vice which would be given to all parts of
the city and suburbs, and in other ways
besides Whether it will be consum-
mated, however, remains to be seen.