The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-06
AUGUSTA AND The RAILROADS
CONFERENCE OVER THE TRANSFER
AGREEMENT

President Conner and vice President
E=an of the Central Have n Long
Talk with Mayor YOunE-Thc
Heads offered to Pay the city
100000 in a Lump sum or $1,000 n
Year for Thirty Years for the AU-
gusta and SummcrviIIe Roads
Former Rights.
Augusta, Ga. Feb. 5.-President Conner
Of the Central railroad. together with
Vice President Egan. held an important
conference with Mayor Young to-day
about the local transfer agreement be-
tween the railroads and the city. Mi
Conner was also authorized to speak for
Vice President Finley of the Southern
railway in to-day's conference.
1t VII be remembered that the city of
Augusta refused last March to recognize
the renewal of the charter of the Au-
gusta and Summerville railroad, which,
for thirty years prior to last March, had
chartered rights for the transfer of
freights through the streets of Augusta.
Prior to the expiration of its charter, this
company secured a renewal under the
general law of the state. The city re-
fused to recognize the rights of the COM
pany under the new charter, and the case
was carried into the courts.
The judge decided that while the renew
al of the charter under the state law was
sufficient to extend the life of the COM
pany, it could not exercise any of it's
former franchises in the streets of Angus
ia. without a new contract or grant from
the city This decision was carried up to
the supreme court, and will soon be ar
gued there.
In the meantime, the city of Augusta.
assuming that the supreme court would
sustain the ruling of Judge Galloway, be-
gan negotiations with the railroads enter
ing the city for the lease of the fran
chises formerly owned by the Augusta
and SummerVile railroad. After several
conferences an agreement was reached be-
tween the city, the Southern and the
Charleston and Western Carolina rail-
roads by which these railroads contracted
to carry on the transfer business at rates
not exceeding those in vogue with the OLD
transfer company and to pay the city $1,000
a year for thirty years. or lOO,OOO In a SIN
gle payment. the agreement was to go
into effect when the supreme court should
confirm the correctness of the city S posi-
ton. But now that the hearing before the
supreme court is at hand the matter has
been opened again and Messrs. Conner IL
Ea gan were here for new consultation
with Mayor Young.
The consultation was private, several
representative cotton men being parties
to it, together with the mayor At the
time of the agreement with the city, the
Georgia railroad, the South Carolina, and
the Augusta Southern did not join with
the other three in the contract. 1t is I'M
derstood the present disagreement grows
out Of the alleged action of the railroads
in altering the terms of the agreement
entered into by the city and the railroads
last year. The conference at that time
was taken part in by all the railroads
and by leading business men, as well as
the city council, and all the items were
| discussed and agreed to. The consultation
to-day was mainly about the local trans
| fer of cotton, and as no agreement was
| reached on that point, the conference was
| ended without fully discussing any other
| points of difference. 1t is not known
| whether the disagreement of to-day will
| annul the agreement of last year OF
/ not. No other conference was provided
! for to-day, but it is believed the nego-
| tiations will be reopened.