The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-18

ENARAA1
} very fun explanation of who Mcssrs.
Edwards and Parsons are. and Of why
Z and at whose instance they may have
purchased the Macon and Birming-
ham railroad, of the course of the
dealings which we're had in the Macon
and Birmingham bonds prior to the
sale and of exactly how the re-organ-
lied Macon and Birmingham company
now stands, and all about it.. The pub
lie is quite willing to believe that the
Southern Railway Company does not
hold the stock in its own name; also
that it has probably, under the advice
of able counsel, desiring to technically
conform to the laws and constitution
of the State, placed it where it has
no such technical ownership therein
as it is forced to admit, but they want
to see. as I have said before, not the
negative side of the picture, but the af-
frmative side of it, and to have a full,
fair and free disclosure of all the sub
stantial facts.
"From the papers filed with the rail-
! road commission, it will appear that
portion of the securities of the Georgia
Southern and Florida railroad are now
held by Edwards and Parsons. These
| securities. under the facts which are
now we'll known, and in the absence
of that complete disclosure which is
| above solicited, must be considered as
held under some sort of an agreement
! in the interests of the Southern Rail
way Company or it's friends
'I think from the foregoing state
ments, the public will have no difficult
ty in perceiving that notwithstanding
the very ingenious denials of your let
ter, I was substantially correct in my
statement as to the control and domin
alton by the Southern railway of the
various lines in this State.
THE TROUBLE ON THE BAY.
"a few words as to my references as
to my course and the course of the Sea-
board Air Line in this matter. | find
i'm your annual report for the year end
ing June 30. 1896. this statement: The
rates have been better maintained dur.
ing the year throughout the territory
reached by the eompany's lines than
for several years past As this em-
braces the greater portion of the time
during which / have been connected
with the Seaboard Air Line system, it
would seem to negative the statement
which YOU make that am endeavorinC
recklessly to destroy property by cut
ting rates. and it would occur to a
candid mind to inquire how it is that
this most satisfactory attitude
throughout this territory had been
disturbed. Upon inquiry, they would
find that at a time when an increase
of traffic certainly did not warrant the
same, your railroad company saw fit
to change its terminus from West
Point, Va, to Norfolk. They would
also find that the Seaboard Air Line SO
far from resisting your efforts to do so,
did nothing of the kind, but admitted
Your right to come to that port, you
having made arrangements over an
existing line TO reach the same. That,
upon arrival at the port of Norfolk.
YOU were rendered by both of the boat
lines doing business on the bay, and
which afforded all the competition that
the business warranted and all the ia
cilities that the business could support,
your choice of the routes that you
would use in forwarding your business;
that one of these routes was in no way
connected with the Seaboard Air Line,
but was a route with which your own
company was doing business to Boston.
They would find that, despite every
effort to induce you to adopt this
course, and despite the fact that it
was shown to you that any other
course would prove oppressive to the
existing boat lines, and destructive TIC
their revenues to be derived therefrom,
and was wholly unnecessary to pro-
mote competition, you persisted in put
ting on a third and useless and eXpen-
sive boat line; that your only other
proposition involved the creation of a
company with capital stock equal to
the investment in both of the boat
lines, when the business was not suffi-
Gent to more than pay the interest
upon one such investment; that you
did not make your ship investment
prior to this protest but persisted in
making it after your attention had
been called thereto. After having
thus disturbed the situation, oppressed
the existing boat lines by an unprotit-
able act whose only result could be to
cripple them and cause loss to their
| owners of the investment therein, you
now claim that the disturbance which
| followed your action and was produced
thereby, was inaugurated by the Sea-
board Air Line, and not by the South
ern Railway. This was not a case
where the Seaboard sought to throttle
competition, to exclude you from ex-
isting facilities and monopolize those
facilities to itself, but it was a case
where an abundant competition eX-
listed, where you were offered a choice
of the competitive lines and equal IA
cilities with all competitors, and where
it was presented to you and itcannot be
successfully controyerted, that your
course would destroy existing invest
ments. and by such destruction tend to
drive out facilities now in existence
and to produce a monopoly of transpor-
tation between Norfolk and Baltimore