The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-07-14
THE OLD A n
It's Position Defended by President II. Cur
zon Hoffman.
so,athern Railvvay,s PLANS.

E tHf-aaa - fataHstI ."ar
Southern Railways Plans.
IL seems that the Southern Railway is
determined to m~onopolize the sea as well
as land. In discussing the establishment
Of steamboat line between Baltimore and
Norfolk by the Southern Railway Mr.. r.
Curzon Hoffmcp, president Of the Balti-
more Steam Packet Company, said yes
terday:
'The Baltimore Steam Packet Com
pany, more generally known as the Bay
Line, was organized in 1889, and for moro
than fifty years has transacted the bulk
| of the transportation business between
the ports of Baltimore and Norfolk and
Portsmouth. 1t has largely contributed
TO the prosperous growth of those cities.
II has created, stimulated and sustained
favorable traffic conditions and relations.
| Year after year it has a ugmented the
volume of commercial transactions to and
from all parts of the world. It's capaci.
ties for accommodating trade and travel
have been enlarged to fully meet h Q
general demand. It's v~essels-safe, COM
modious, seaworthy and swift-are in
comparably superior to those ON any
other inland sea. Every invention or
appliance that adds to luxurious COM
fort or enhances human safety and en-
joyment has been adopted regardless of
cost. It's dealings with connecting lines
and the public have exemplified board
and liberal policies-in complete accord
with the spirit ofthat injunction, DO un
to others as you would have them do to
you.' During the long period of it's exis-
ten &c the Bay Line has experienced
various vicissitudes of fortune. 1t has
had its good seasons, its discouraging re-
verses. Overcoming all Obstacles it has
steadily pursued its onward course, in
spired by unwavering confidence in it.
self and the favor of the public, whose
allegiance has faltered. The proud
position it now occupies in the CONNER
cial and financial world Is the logical
outcome of a career without b a m Q or
blemish.
"Its thousands of patrons, knowing that
its utmost efforts have been Loyalty ex-
pended in their behalf, have come O
cherish for the Bay Line a feeling akin
to g~reatful affection. They are proud of
it; they sympathize in its misfortunes,
exult in it's success. Its w~ell.earned
tion and goodwill of all with whom it
holds or has held personal or business
relations. Nor is the clientage of this
~favorite line limited to the cities most
directly concerned, to which it has rem
dered more than half a century OF faith
full services. 1t includes hundreds O
great firms in shipping communities
and trade centres in all sections of the
country, North and South.
"The aim and object of the Southern
Railroad in the establishing a new and
uncalled for in Q of steamers between
Baltimore and Norfolk is to compete with
the Bay Line in it's own field for all kinds
Of business, invade its sources of supply,
reduce it's revenues, cut into it's profits,
cripple it's efficiency as q public carrier,
disrupt its friendly alliances and inf1ict
on it all the injury it a Unable to
purchase a controlling interests, it will
not hesitate to resort to any of o g
questionable methods in which practice
has made it 80 expert to depreciate the
value OF stocks, to force a sale or drive its
opponents altogether from the field. It
has doubtless counted the cost, but con-
sequence, as the Southern is backed by
a syndicate who have millions at their
disposal and who would not hesitate to
sacrifice much to gain a strategic point.
They already own and operate thous-
ands of miles away in the middle a n d
Eastern South and can dictate pretty
much what rates they choose. But they
will be still better able to do 80 when
they have secured an outlet exclusively
their own via Norfol X to Baltimore.
Then they will be masters of the situa-
ton then they can defeat opposition and
stiiie independent action.
"The legitimate traffic between the
two cities OF Baltimore and Norfolk hard
ly suffice for the bay steamers and does
not warrant the construction and main
tenance of an opposing line. The South
ern Railroad is we'll aware of this fact,
although it pretends to the contrary. It
knows that the Bay Line is amply COM
petent to handle any additional bust
ness that might accrue to the Southern
at its Norfolk terminal. 1t knows that
when 1 offered to do this, guaranteeing
the Same facilities accorded to other
lines, it refused to accept the proposal
on the pretext that the Bay Line was
too closely Identified with the Seaboard
Air Line, although it is independent of
that or any other connection. The South
ern alike refused to avail itself of the
profered service of the Merchants and
Miners fleet running a daily line be-
tween Baltimore, Norfolk and Ports
mouth, and which is the Southern Rail-
ways accepted connection on all Of it's
business coming via water between Bos-
ton, Norfolk and Portsmouth, and which
line is owned and operated by wholly
disinterested parties.
"The inference and conclusion is ire
sistible. The Southern cannot rule the
Chesapeake and ~monopolize the traffic
between Baltimore and Norfolk without
first driving the Bay Line from the field,
or infiicting on it m ortal injury. The
Southern to its York River Lines already
has a shorter water route by forty-two
miles to Baltimore, but this is not
sufficient and does not deter it
from assaulting the vested rights of a
long.established line. 1t will endeav-
or to secure whatever Interior advan-
tages it can gain in this direction whether
by fair means or foul.
$50 far as the Southern is concerned,
an official correspondent and represen-
tative of that CORPORATION, characterizes
it's policy, past, present and future, in
these words: we cannot do n bust
ness over any line not owned or control
led by ourselves This was said in re-
ply to the Bay Line and Merchants and
Miners proposition to carryttheir traffic.
1t goes without saying that with a desire
to protect the interests Of stockholders
and those of associated and friendly
lines, as we'll as many other vast and va
ried business interested, | have resorted
to every honorable expedient to avert
the disastrous consequences / foresaw
would result from the action Of the
Southern, deplOred il as an unfortn-