The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-07
NO RECEIVERSHIP WANTED.
SAVANNAH HAS HAD EXPERIENCE
ENOUGH IN SUCH MATTERS.

Movement TO Put the Southern Rail-
way In the Hands of "a Receiver
Not Likely TO Receive Much Sup
port Here-Business Men Oppose
the scheme-President Conner of
the Central Has Nothing to Say on
the Subject-RaiIway officials
Were Aware That the Plot Was
Brewing.
The announcement in a Macon dispatch
In yesterdays Morning News that petit
ton for the appointment of a receiver for
the Southern Railway Company on the
grounds that the company is violating the
constitution of the state by controlling
competing lines was read with great in
terest here.
The announcement was naturally sur
prise to most people. 1t was no surprise
however. to the railway officials here,
who have been watching the development
Of the movement for the last two months.
In fact. it has been an open secret for
some time that such a movement was on
foot In Macon.
Savannah is interested in the case, be-
cause by competing lines is, of course,
meant the Central of Georgia railway,
which is said to be owned by Thomas and
Ryan, but which the petitioners will doubt
less allege to be owned and controlled by
the Southern railway. The Central and
the Southern are competing lines to the
extent that they compete for business in
the same territory, but carry it to differ
ent ports. This is the main ground upon
which the petition by which the receiver
ship of the Central railroad obtained in
1892 was based. The results of this receiv-
ership proved most disastrous to Savan-
nah, and there are hundreds of people
here new who would be glad if Mr.. Roun-
tree had never raised the point.
Judge Speers decision sustaining the
petition was afterward reversed by JUS
tice jackson, since deceased Savannahs
experience with receiverships has been
sufficiently disastrous not to make it look
favorably upon anything of the kind for
long time to come, and it is not likely
that the movement will meet with any
support from this quarter AS the main
bone of contention, should the petition be
entertained by Judge Speer, will be the
ownership of the Central, Savannah is
considerably interested. Even should a
receiver be appointed, which is not thought
probable, 1t is not likely that there would
be any change in the present management
of the Central, President Conner having
been Judge Speers own appointee as re-
ceiver, and the most amicable relations
having existed between the two gentle
men, both during the receivership and
since it was dissolved.
President Conner was seen yesterday by
a Morning News reporter and asked for
his opinion concerning the proposed ap-
plication for a receiver. Mr.. Conner said
that he had nothing whatever to say con-
corning the matter He had been aware
for some time that such a movement was
on foot. but the only recent information
he had was telegram from Macon giving
briefly the information as already related
by the Morning News.
The Macon Telegraph has taken a
strong stand against the movement, con-
demning it as likely to result in injury
to the city and the state. In Yesterdays
issue il prints interviews with a number
of leading business men of Macon, the ma
Jority of whom express themselves in op-
position to the receivership move.