The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-08
COMPETING RAILROAD.
nyIr CRAVING CHATTER TO THE
nrcumoSD AND MANASSAS II. X.
The House Committee Listens to Iss"m""s
far rour uour.- C .nfIictinE Opinions
ss TO the Msrits-The Decision

Southern Historical So}iety III e'e ~"f'
tol Yesterday morning. with MIR. Ryan,
Of Loudoun. in the chair.
Mr.. Koincr appeared in behalf Of his
bin. which provides that bells and steam
whistles be placed on each locomotive on
railroads, and that the whistles be blown
before q highway crossing is reached In
cities IL shall be allowed 10 omit the blow
ing OF whistles. Any officer or employe
who fails to carry out the provisions OF
the bill shall be fined 500, one-haii OF the
fine 10 80 to the informer.
on motion OF Mr.. Mason. the provision
was stricken out that onc-half OF the line
shall 20 10 the informer.
on motion Of Mr.. Eancs, the fne was
reduced TO so and the committee deter
mined to report the bill favoraby.
Mr.. Gregory called UP his bill. which
seeks TO amend the code as TO com
pei railroad companies 10 fence in their
road-beds within the city limits Wneie
they run through enclosed lands. fuDhc
or private crossings shall not DC obs'ruct-
cd. but sufficient cattle guards shali DC
.pIaccd ON either side OF each crossing.
After some little discussion the COM
,nitfce decided on motion Of Mr.. keilan,
20 report the bill adversely.
Tn. Richmond and Manassas Railroad.
MIR. Eppa Hunton, Jr., appeared before
the committee in advocacy OF his bill, IN
cooperating the Richmond and Manassas
paiiroad COMPANY. The bill names
Mcssrs. Eppa Hunton, Jr.. b. 7. Crump,
j. Wilcox Brown. Charles 4. Wingo and
George Mason as cOrporatoTs. IL pro-
yidcs that the capital stock shall not be
less than $4,000. but IL may be increased
10 $4,000 per mile for it's main line and
branches. Permission is given TO con-
struct branch roads. but not TO any point
ON tho Potomac river while the State OF
Virginia owns stock or other certificates
of indebtedness in the Richmond, FRED
cricksburg and Potomac Railroad Com
pany.
Did Not Answer tho Purpose,
Mir. Ryan thought that the provision Of
the bill alluded to did not answer the
pill.pose because IL did not prevent
consolidation with any other road That
might be built from Manassas TO Wash
ingt0n. go -.
MIR Hunton assured the committee that
ne would be very glad TO accept any other
Safeguard not inconsistent with the aDii-
~ OF the proposed road. The revenue To
he derived from the new road would
greatly benefit the following counties. Tor
which It would open new avenue oil
commerce: Shenandoah, Frederick. clarke,
Warren. Page. Rappahannock, fauquier'
1,oudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, Cul-
nener Orange. stafford. Caroline. Louisa,
Hanover. Goochland, and Henrico. The
surpius EARNINGS Of the Richmond, Fred
ericksburg and Potomac railroad during
The mast wear were S23S.767 and Of this
surnlus the sum Of SS2.7i6 had been the
share oY the state of Virginia. He was
reliably Informed that if the stock owned
by the State was sold at this time II
would probably bring $4,000; IF this sum
was invested in century bonds about a
million dollars worth Of these certificates
Of indebtedness could be withdrawn from
the market, which meant a saving OF
10000 per year on interests, and with tne
increased taxation from the counties
through which the proposed road was 10
run, the amount received by the state
from the surplus fund Of the Richmond.
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad
would be fully equaled.
Views Of tho chamber.
Mr.. J. Ran. Tucker Jr.. appeared before
the committee as chairman Of a delega-
ton sent by the Chamber of Commerce
10 advocate this bill. The other members
of the delegation were Mayor j. Taylor
Ellyson Major Norman V. Randolph, ;.
w. Travers w. III. Urquhart, and ~. ii.
Christian, Jr
Mr.. Tucker explained that he had come
with HIS colleagues in accordance WIN
the provisions Of a resolution adopted Dy
the Chamber Of Commerce to urge inc
passage OF the bill in question. If that
railroad was built the people OF hAcnmono
would come in closer connection win the
residents OF the upper secuoh OF 'le
State. and an additional market "ouiu
be created for Richmond. The interest OF
the State i'm the Richmond. fredericKs-
Lure- and Potomac railroad should not be
WINGED that the people as whole endorse
the building of the road with the excep-
tion only of those who We're directly IN
terested IN the other railroad.
Major Randolph. who was the next
speaker. explained that under existing
circumstances Mr.. Downing had 10 sell
his wheat in Baltimore, while as a mat
tcr-of-fact he should sell it in Richmond
and yet this same wheat was brought
to Richmond from Baltimore in vessels
10 be turned into -four in the mills Of
this city. Richmond was the natural
wheat market OF Virginia. but the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac rail-
road was controlled. as far as throush
freight was concerned. by the Penrsyl-
vania railroad. and the State OF Nir-
glnia had only one representative on that
board. The speaker then endeavored TO
show how the various railroad systems
connected with the Pennsylvania rail-
road were controlled by the same set Of
men who for ten years past had held
out the stock owned by the State OF
Virginia as a menace against any iua-
provement, no matter how much needed
Another great disadvantage was that
from Petersburg or Richmond no round
trip ticket could be secured for New
York. on the other hand owing II ex-
listing circumstances when he desired II
70 TO Fauquier. where he owned property.
he could almost in the same time reach
New York from Richmond.
Mr.. Traycrs was the next speaker. He
explained the facilities which Richmond
offered az distributing centre for the
South. and mentioned as an illustration
The case of hingan & Company, who
had come here a few years ago as a
sort Of an experiment and had since then
become the most important distributing
depot OF the South. If this city had the
necessary railroad facilities II would be
able 10 compete with any other city. but
at present nothing could be done in the
northern part of the State.
The hour OF noon having arrived the
proceedings were interrupted, and Chair
man Ryan announced that another ses-
sion would be held In the afternoon at
O'Clock, at the Exchange Hotel.
The Afternoon Session.
In the afternoon Col. Morton Marye,
the Auditor or Public Accounts. was in
vited TO give his views as one of the
custodians OF the public treasury. He
stated that the state owned a good deal
or common stock. 2.752 shares. In the Rich
monds Fredericksburg and Potomac rail-
ROAD. When this investment was made
the road was not worth anything. This
stock had been kept ever since. and re-
Gently II had brought as much as l-2