The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-27
H-U-M-P-H-R-E-Y-S
OPPOSED TO TRAM RoAD LAW.
Would be Injurious TO Railroads. 1t
Is Claimed.

Is Claimed.
bill is before the legislature giving
tram roads the right to cross the tracks
of any chartered railway either below or
above the track or at grade 1t is likely
to become a law unless serious effort is
made to prevent its passage. There will
be hearing before the railroad commit
tee of the Senate one day this week, how
ever at which the railroad men will be
represented. 1t is believed that railroad
men generally will oppose the bill for OBJ
Vious reasons.
Mr.. j. P. Williams of Savannah is one
man who is thoroughly opposed to the
bill. Mr.. Williams holds that not only
will the trunk lines of the state be Sc
riously damaged by the general license
given the tramroads to cross them at any
point, but that the results would be dis
astrous to the shorter lines Mr.. Williams
is the president and chief owner of the
Georgia Pine Railway which was recent
ly constructed and is now i'm operation
from West Banbridge on the Alabama
Midland Railway to Arlington, on the Cen
trail Of Georgia Railway a distance of
about forty miles
Mr.. Williams is personally interested In
the measure as he believes the motive
VI the Dnl 10 DE the QeSlre OF FLOWERS
Bros, mill operators at Jakin, on the AL
ALBANIA Midland Road, to extend their tram
road across his line In the neighborhood
OF Colquitt, Ga This would result to the
injury of his road, and naturally he Is
opposed TO 1t. There Is a large bodEE OF
line timber land on the other side f&he
Georgia Pine Railway near Colquitt, ana
1t is this which the mill men desire to
reach,
IF the tramroads are allowed to ex.
tend their tracks at grade across the
line OF the chartered roads, they will
soon zigzag along every main line In this
section Of the state" said Mr.. Williams
in speaking with a Morning News reporter
yesterday.
Ihls would interfere greatly with the
schedules of the trunk lines, as il would
mean the stopping Of trains at every
crossing, and would greatly increase the
danger Of accidents The Legislature could
not do anything more detrimental to the
interests of the raj ~Tads of the state than
TO pass this bill. The tram roads are
temporary affairs Their owners are free
lances, who lay their tracks wherever they
see 1t to their advantage to do so. and
then when they have cut off the timber
ana devastated the land pull up their
tracks and move somewhere else. The
tram roads are not common carriers. and
do not become so unless they see III and
consequently are not under the control
of the Railroad Commission. This law
would put the tram roads in position to
do great damage to the shorter lines of
railroad, as by crossing their tracks and
drawing away their natural traffic. thew
could impoverish and render valueless the
shorter lines
The result would be to discourage railroad
building in this state and to damage the
lines already In operation. The trunk
lines might get some advantage out OF II
by cooperating with the tram roads and
securing traffic from the shorter lines This
would be to their permanent injury. how
ever, as the trunk lines must depend large
ly upon the shorter lines as feeders. The
tram roads will pull up stakes In a few
years as soon as they have exhausted
the country of its timber, and move off
somewhere else, but If the shorter lines
are disabled and the building Of other
lines discouraged there is a permanent
loss to the railroads by reason of the loss
. of these feeders"
Mr.. Williams holds that the tram roads
should not be encouraged by the state. az
they are temporary affairs and likely to
be abandoned at any time, while the short
railroad lines are a permanent improve
ment, developing the country through
which they they pass and increasing the
taxable values of the state
There is nothing to prevent one Of these
tram roads zigzaging along the line Of
a regular railroad and crossing IL every
fifteen miles should 1t see III to do So
said Mr. Williams. "The disastrous re-
sulis of such competition are very plain
10 be seen"