The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-02
SEPARATE DEPOTS ORDERED.
COMMISSIONS DEMAND OF RAIL
ROADS IN ATLANTA.


Union Depot on the Site Suggest
Ell by Vice President Egan-ROads
Given sixty Days.
Atlanta. Aug THE State Railroad
Commission sprung a surprise in the de-
POI situation to-day by issuing per-
enptory orders directing the various
roads entering Atlanta 10 proceed at once
to the erection Of separate depots provid-
ing sufficient accommodations for The
pubic
According 10 the view taken by the rail
road commissioners The union depot pfan
has Leen abandoned by the railroads, and
now it is simply question of compel ng
them to provide separate stations as the
roads themselves have repeatedly admit
ted that the present depot is entirely in
adequate.
To-day was the day set fer the roads to
file with the commission their written
proposition IN regard to union depot.
President Thomas of Inc Nashville, Chat
tanoosa and St. Louis, lessee of the West
ern and Atlantic tel graphed that he could
not be present. and that his road had no
written proposition 10 submit. Thereupon
all the other roads declined 10 make any
showing, declaring that they were depend
ent upon the action of the Western and
Atlantic lessees, as that road owns the
present DEPOT.
Charge of Bad Faith.
Attorney Ed Brown, of the stale COM
mission, appointed to look after the in
terests of the state in the depot matter at
the last session of the legislature charg-
ed that the roads had not acted in good
faith in the depot matter, ana after con-
ferene with his colleagues ne notified the
commission Of the wi. hdrawal Of the state
legislative committee from the situation.
There was a sharp passage at arms be-
tween Attorney Brown and Attorney car
ron Payne, Iepre senting the Western and
Atlantic road, the .atter Iesenting the i'm
puguing of the motives of the railroads
essed by MIR. Brown
The action of the Railroad Commission
was a surprise to the railroad men. Mayor
Woodward was present and insisted that
such a step should be taken by the com
mission in justice to the city of Atlanta,
which had suffered long enough by the
neglect of the road to provide adequate
depot facilities.
1t is hard to predict the result of the
action eof the Railroad Commission. The
roads are given sixty days in which to
submit their plans to the commission and
must begin 20 build the depot at once,
upon approval of the plans and accept
ance Of the sites The commission has
power to compel the carrying out of its
orders by imposing heavy penalties upon
the roads, and when the fight gets dowl
to that point the roads know well enough
that they viii have to submit
May Lead to Mr.. Egan's Plans.
IT is not believed, however, that the
( roads have given up the idea of a union
station. and the net result will be only
to force them to compromise their differ.
ences and go TO work, on the new depot.
Many arc of the. opinion that the result
will be the adoption of the site favored by
Vice President Egan of the Central, at
the Forsyth street bridge and the build
ing of a magnificent depot there, the site
being an ideal one for such a purpose, de-
spite all the talk that has been INDUCED
in about the present location
The Railroad Commission does not re-
quiTc the Western and Atlantic to build
a new depot, but orders that the present
one be repaired, in case the road does
not see fit of its own accord to build a
new one, and the time allowed for these
repairs is the same as is given to the
other roads for the submission of the plans
for their depots.
The COmmissiOn's Order.
The following is the official order of the
commission:
Whereas on Sept 20, 1896 the city of
Atlanta filed complaint in this Office
against the Nashville, Chattanooga and St
Louis Railway Company, lessees of the
Western and Atlantic, the Georgia Rail-
road, the Central of Georgia Railway
Company, the Southern Railway Company,
the Georgia Carolina and Northern Rail
way Company, and the Atlanta and West
Point Railroad Company alleging that the
passenger depot facilities of said compa-
nies at Atlanta were totally Inadequate to
the proper accommodation of the travelling
public. and praying that this commission
should in the exercise of its authority re-
quire each of said railroad companies to
provide proper and adequate passenger ac-
commodations in said city, and,
Whereas on the said date. as well as on
various dates thereafter to-wit Nov %,
1898, Dee 80, 1898, March IA, 1899, March p,
1899, contiuuances were granted upon re-
quest from said railroad companies for
that purpose and
Admitted the Need for 1t.
whereas on March "A, 1899 Maj. J. w.
Thomas. president of the Nashville, Chat
tanooga and St. Louis Railway Company,
speaking for said railroad company, stated
in substance 10 this commission that the
nies seemed 10 be agreed was that the
passenger depot facilities in Atlanta were
inadequate, and that Atlanta needed a
new depot, and
whereas more than six months have
elapsed since it was first admitted by the
commission improved ana better passen-
ger depot facilities we're needed in At
lanta, and
Whereas, the law authorizes and re-
duires this commission TO require the erec-
ton Of such passenger depots as the pub
lie comfort may require, and no sufficient
cause having been shown 70 the contrary,
therefore, be il
Resolved That this commission imme-
diately issue orders requiring each of
the said railroad companies, within sixty
DAYS from this date, to submit for its in
spection and approval plans and specfica-
tions of the passenger depots proposed
to be erected In compliance with the re-
duirements Of this commission. together
with the selections of sites for the same.
such passenger depots 10 be completed