Evening star., 1897-02-18
CUTTING ITS CONNECTIONS
Bill Passed Annalhngla Southern Railroad
aLease.
Serious Threat to the ROad-Cuts 1t In
TwO-Tke Action Taken
aHiRaleigh.

The severance in two of the Southern
Railway Companv's dimes between Wash
ESton and the south II seriously threatened
by the passage Tuesday night by tho lower
house OF the North Carolina legislature In
session at Raleigh Of the bill which has
oeen pending for some weeks past to annul
the lease under which the North Carolina
railway passed into the control Of the
southern Railway Company. There does
not seem to be much doubt that 1t will also
pass the senate, and. as Governor Russell
mas already stated his purpose to sign it if
II reaches him, the bill, 1t may reasonably
be expected, will soon become law.
The bill Is intended to be far-reaching in
It's enects, and seeks not only to abrogate
the lease ofzthe North Carolina road, but to
prevent the Southern company from build
ing parallel line. for which 1t has a char
ter from Mocksville to Statesville.
Inc approval of the bill referred to will,
II Is safe to assume, mark the outbreak of
very active hostilities between the South
ern and the Seaboard Air Line. as 1t is
We'll understood that the latter is very de-
slrous to secure the North Carolina road.
10 lose the control of the last named road
would mean to the Southern a severance in
Two OF lts system. as for ninety-three
miies-between Greensboro and Charlotte
IT is part of the Southern main line to
Atlanta and New Orleans.
Under the terms of the bill the governor
or North Carolina Is empowered, without
giving bond. to bring a civil action in the
name OF the state OF North Carolina for
the purpose of having declared Illegal. null
ana vold certain contract entered into on
the first day of January, 1885, between
the North Carolina Railroad Company and
the southern Railway Company, whereby
ehe FORMER company agreed to lease and
aemise to the last named company its
I!aEcn1se and property, with appurtenant
mr. wi For f1n-f
ly-nlne years; or any assignment of said
contract or lease by said last named COM
pany TO any other person, natural or arti-
iGlal or at his discretion to have declared
leasing and demising of the North Caro-
ma railroad to any foreign corporation,
Mhether entered into before or since the
mrs. ~ day OF January. 1896 The governor
pay counsel to bring said suit and shall
nave the right to recover an allowance
1or costs and counsel fees
Another section of the bill provides that
~ snal be unlawful to assign or trans
Ter either the contract for the leasing and
uemlSing OF the North Carolina railroad by
the North Carolina Railroad Company to
tne Richmond and Danville Railroad Com
pany 20 on the llth day OF September. 1871.
or the said contract for the leasing and
oem:S :Slrg OF the said railroad by the North
Saro4ia Railroad Company to the South
Ian Gan ha'l"ay Company. entered into on
- iSSO, 10 any person or foreign Or
domestic corporation"
PROVISION is also made that if the court
OF nnal resort shall decide the lease refer
RED TO as void the governor of the state.
y ese!afy OF state and state treasurer shall
constitute board to lease the North Caro-
me railroad for a period of twenty years
provided the capital stock owned by the
s.a1e s, IN the company shall not in the mean
.ilne @ nave oeen sold. which the three off,
GERS named are authorized to do for !.
sum OF not less than s2.OOO. 900 and sub
Ject to certain liens
In an interview On the subject of the
No..h Saroilna railway at Baltimore yes
terdaE president r. Curzon Hofrman NJ tho
Seaboard Air Line is quoted as saying that
ne would be a bidder for the first-named
road at the expiration Of the present lease
IN i:Dl' and that he would be willing to pay
q larger rental than the one propesed nv
the Southern Railway Company