The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-24

/ of the Southern Railway TO divert traffic
/ from Savannah to Norfolk causes some
+ apprehension in this city. We do not see
why it should. The Southern is deeply in
terested in making the stock Of the Cen
troll valuable. and. besides. better rates
are obtained and better profits made on
short than long hauls. Another consid-
Grafton that Will have great weight with
the Southern is that to divert traffic from
the Central would be to invite litigation
and hostile legislation
All the indications from which fair con-
illusions can be drawn are TO the effect
that those who control the future Of the
Central have only one purpose n view.snd
that is to make the properties they control
more valuable. They are not wreckers;
they are developers and builders. That be
ing the case they should be encouraged in
every possible way. The people of savan-
nah and Of Georgia should join with them
and lend them a helping hand Hostile
legislation should be discouraged, and the
best possible feeling should exist between
them and the people who are either di-
pendent upon, their railroads. Georgia.
in fact the whole south. is entering
upon period of great prosperity. and the
greatness of the prosperity will be in pro-
portion as the forces that make it are har-
monious.
The summary we publish to-day is from
the last report as to the operations Of
the road the receivers win make.
1t is but fair TO say that during
the three and half years or more which
the property has been in the courts they
have given satisfaction. There have been
some who have criticised their manage
ment, but it is extremely doubtful if bet
ter results could have been obtained under
any other management. one thing is GER
tain, and that is that the property has been
honestly managed, and with the sole pur-
pose Of doing the very best it was possible
to do for the security holders. In COMPARE
son with other railroads during the recent
year, the results obtained on the Central
show up remarkably well.
The receivers have had many difficulties
to contend with-more than the public are
aware of. They found the property greatly
deteriorated. They have built it up 1t is
now in far better physical condition than
ever before. The receivers have laid $4,000
tons of new rails, constructed 1900 new
freight cars. rebuilt the tunnels on the
Savannah and Western and made numer-
Gus other Improvements that make it
possible to operate the property economic
ally.
The burden of the management has. of
course, fallen on Mr.. IL NJ. Conner. For
time he was the only receiver, and since
a co-receiver for the Savannah and West
ern and another for the Central were ap-
pointed he has had practically the whole
direction of the operating of the entire
system. He has given his entire time and
talent to the work. His effort and purpose
have been to keep the system intact, so
that it would contribute to the growth and
prosperity of Savannah. and to so reorgan-
ize it as to yield the best possible results
to the security holders. He has been a
faithful and efficient officer. and will be
the president of the new company. The
Central reorganized will be lasting mon
ument to him, and if the Junior securities
become interest paying securities within
a reasonable time hundreds of people IN
/ Georgia, particularly in Savannah where
| hospitals, asylums and widows and or
! phans are large creditors of the road
will feel they owe him debt of gratitude
they can never repay.