The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-31
MANY INTERESTS INVOLVED.
Continued From Eighth Page.)

traight trains be handled only between
H.. .ours Of midnight and a. m, when
m. street railway company is NOT operat-
inc us cars and when there is little traf-
Il, Of my kind, he saw no objection to al
lowing railroad tracks as desired. To per-
nil The handling Of freight trains through
ne streets during the day would be out
NJ the question. he said. as "a would make
rb1 streets practically useless for all other
,rafie Including wagons, buggies and 9th
49, vehicles as well as street cars. What
,s,-. grant might be made by Council he
s,t should not be exclusive as against
o,tpr rattle lie was inclined to believe,
5ovevsr. that the matter might be ar
ranged so that the desired facilities might
ba rrsv.ded without deprving other traf-
ii, of The free and convenient use of the
streets.
NIr ]. Randolph Anderson said that he
desired to speak from the standpoint of
Jl- Bay street property owner as his
nartrsr. Mr. Mackall, would take care of
the interests of the Georgia and Alabama
railway. He agreed with Mr. Barrow
that the use of the streets is for the bene-
fin of the entire community. ut Is that
very question which now cOnfronts US"
he said The time has come when we
must decide whether il is to the interests
If the entire community that this great
artery of trade, Bay street, shall be al
lowed TO dry up or whether it Is better for
th5 community that such facilities should
he provided as will continue and in
crease its value for business purposes.
West Broad street has been eliminated
from the question at the suggestion of the
manager Of the street railway. The plan
as now devised IS such that there viii be
the least possible interference with the op-
eratious Of the street railway, so that
question can be easily disposed of For
the last ten years it has been difficult TO
get an occupant for any vacant building
on Bay street Here are two stores almost
opposite the City Exchange which have
been vacant for eighteen months, and here
Is another store just to the west
Of the exchange which has been vacant I
do not know how long"
Mr.. Anderson said that from the stand
Voiur If the property owner, he believed
that lll roads entering the city should be
allowed equal rights in the proposed grant.
Answering Capt. Cam, he said that IN
dian street is the most available street by
which a railroad track can reach Bay
street being the widest street leading
through that section Of the city, and be
ine only partly built up on the northern
side The argument that the houses
would be shaken to pieces, he said will
not hold for the reason that the resi-
deuces on the street are nearly all frame
houses and 1t is Wei known that frame
houses are less subject to damage from
vibration than those OF brick Further
more. ie argued, it should be taken INTO
consideration that the additional facili-
ties resulting from the running of a rail-
road rack through the street will make
the property more valuable for business
purposes Than it is now for residence pur-
poses.
In conclusion Mr.a Anderson said that
Council would consult the interests of the
vleo oitJ hx- fresy aufV .iVrf
leges to all the railways asking for them.
"In no way" he said. "can more good be
done 20 Savannah with less harm to any
section of the city than by granting the
franchise and arranging the tracks as laid
down in the profiles presented"
Mayor Myers remarked that Council
would like to hear from some of the rep
rasentatives of the railways which had pc
tuoned the city 10 the matter. Vice
President Egan of the Central said that the
matter had been brought 10 his attention
by some Of the business men of the city
several months ago. AS many of those
Interested spent the summer away from
the city there was little further discussion
Of # until recently He had taken the
trouble to look into the question from the
railroad and from an engineering stand
point. From a railroad standpoint he did
not consider that any additional revenue
would result to the company. He believ-
CO. however, that it would be for the bene-
nj OF the merchants TO have these facil-
Ties In other cities the railroad tracks
are being extended to the mercantile ware-
houses or the warehouses are being built
at the tracks. To be in position to COM
pete II Is necessary that the merchants of
savannah should have similar facilities.
Mt Egan said he did not think 1t feas-
bic to construct the tracks jointly with
o'her companies. The Central is willing
10 build the tracks and to agree to the
same condition as is provided by Council
in It's use of the River street track for
handling the business of any railroad line
naAins connection with the track. Mr..
hsan said that there is sufficient room for
a ralltold track on the northside of In
uIan sueet, between the street railway
track and the north curb, and that a plan
Voula easily be arranged by which the
operation Of the street car company would
not be interfered with. AS a citizen he
expected Of course, that Council would
impose such restrictions as would
guarantee the least interference
WIN street traffic 1t would be of little
advantage, however, to the merchants, to
permit of the movement of cars during
oAy few hours of the night As
RUE The merchants load their cars during
uDe day and desire 10 send them out by
De early freight trains at night. As
many OF the merchants receive and ship
sOl1s IN carload lots the tracks would be
qs'e convenience to them, as well as
e-seung a large saving in drayage.
Hr w. W. Mackall, in speaking in
~nat OF the Georgia and Alabama Rail-
.oaI approved generally what he'd been
sa.l m favor Of the project by Mr. Ander-
t NV snd Mr. Egan, but said that Mr. Egan
Eau gwen no reason why all the roads
So, 81 not DE granted the privilege Jointly.
og Lar as the city is concerned Mr. Mack.
e ei sald II would be better that there
t''uN be no exclusive privilege granted
~ lIy road, but that all roads deslring
N'5Ae use of the franchise should be al
Ill., 10 do so on equal terms. 1t was
yro,.lH,, Tor instance. that the Plant System
~ desire to make connection should
SIN, tracks be extended to East Broad
t.i, lt'Neve in union depots and in union
ssi5 ,11S as the best thing for the city"
re-. Sir MackaH. ut might as well be
Gin. MED that when railroad gets to a
/, provided It has sufficient strength. IL
gn,.r, ,I 10 get its share of the business,