The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-15
The Contest of tho RaiIroads.


According to the Atlanta Journal. there
is going on in this state "a contest among
the railroads." which involves immense
public interests and in which the people
of Georgia are deeply concerned The
issue, it says, 'is whether the railroad
traffic of this state shall be practically
monopolized or left open TO competition"
What the Journal refers to is the effort
of the Louisville and Nashville and the
Seaboard Air Line to get control of the
Georgia and the Atlanta and West Point
railroads. AT present the Georgia and the
Central practically own the stock of the
Atlanta and West Point, and the Central
claims to own one-half the lease of the
Georgia.
From what the journal says the infer
erence IS drawn that it wants the Louis
VILE and Nashville and the seaboard Air
Line to succeed in their efforts. If we
understand what 1t says, 1t believes that
if the Central should succeed in holding
on to its interest in the Georgia rail-
road lease and 20 its interest in the At
lanta and West Point railroad the traffic
of the state would be practically monopo-
lized.
The Journal closes its article with the
following paragraph;
I'm every contest in which the spirit
of railroad monopoly is arrayed on one
side and the effort for railroad competi-
ton on the other, without regard to VINO
the parties may be, the Journal intends
to take hand in the fight and with The
provisions OF the constitution of Georgia
blazoned upon its flag viii do what it can
to protect the rights and interests of the
public"
The Journal apparently, favors the
Louisville and Nashville and the Seaboard
Air Line as against the Central and
Southern, even though the law is on the
side of the Central, because it believes
if the former roads are successful in
the contest there will be more COMPETE
ton. 1t claims to be DESTROYS of doing
what it can for the public.
It seems TO us that the Journal leans
strongly to the side of the Louisville and
Nashville and the Seaboard Air Line. The
Central has had an interest in the Geor-
gia railroad lease for many years, and
also in the Atlanta and West Point road.
There has been no complaint that it has
talk about monopoly crops out now when
an effort is being made to take from the
Central what it has long had and it seems
to us that the purpose of it is to prejudice
the public mind against the Central and
the Southern
Has there for years been free competi-
ton between the railroads of the state?
Would there be such competition if the
| Louisville and Nashville and the Sea-
board Air Line should succeed in their
| plans? No. there hasn't been free COM
petition nor would there be. For years
an association has divided the traffic of
the state among the roads, and it is prob
] able that the traffic will continue to be
divided whatever the result of the con-
test may be. Free competition would
mean cut rates, and cut rates would
mean the ruin of the railroads.
| We doubt if free competition would be
beneficial 10 the people of the state gem
| orally. Fair and stable rates are what
they want. The commission has the
power to change the rates, and it does
change them whenever it has reason to
! think they are unjust.
| We do not understand that the Louis
vile and Nashville and the Seaboard Air
Line are making their contest in the in
terest of the people. The are trying to
get something they haven't got-some-
thing which they think would strengthen
them. II the Journal is waving its flag
in their behalf because it thinks they
are against monopoly. we are inclined to
think it is making a mistake.