Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-12-19
The Seaboard Air Lines President
on the Proposed Consolidation.
REPLIES TO MIR. RYAN
He critIciscs the Efforts of tho Latter
10 secure the Passage by tho Goor-
r,n Legislature of a Bi,t 10 pros
vens Tho Combination OF Ronds-
Declares 4, Was prcsump,unus.

Mr.. John Shelton Williams, president
OF the Seaboard Air Line. the Florida
central and Peninsula railroad and the
Georgia and Alabama railway. now be,
ing consolidated into the greater Sea-
board Air Line system. was seen, and
i'm reply to an inquiry us to what effect
the efforts of Thomas f. Ryan. OF New
York, and other inimical interests
would have upon the proposed CONSOLE
dation, said:
Our plans of consolidation are pro,
crossing smoothly and rapidly. The
events of the past few days have been
especially fruitful in good results to the
Seaboard. and. so far as we can judge,
the evil influences which are being en-
erted by our enemies are reacting
heavily in our favor. This is especially
true OF the bill which MIR. Thomas +.
Ryan, of New York. managed to have
introduced stealthly into the Georgia
Legislature few days ago. and which
got through the Senate before attention
was drawn to it. The effect of this bin
had 1T passed, would have been to pre-
vent the consolidation of those roads OF
the system lying In Georgia, and would
consequently have seriously interfercd
with the whole plan. The bill WAS in
geniousy worded and It's purport art
fully concealed. Mr.. Ryan had centred
his hopes upon the passcgc of this BILL
but when public attention was drawn
to 1t tremendous reaction set in, and
the Legislature of Georgia Indignantly
and overwhelmingly defeated It.
STOCKHOLDERS MEETING.
"The meeting of tho stockholders Of
Snn hno S-,-c ,,-l,t 11,
for November %, to take the initial
steps looking to the carrying through or
the consolidation, was adjourned ten
days. to December 9. Mt the special re-
quest of Mr.. Ryan and his attorneys
under the pretense that they were anX-
tous to effect pcaceable adjustment OF
all differences with the majority stock
holders. but that. owing to the engage
ments of their counsel. the negotiations
for settlement could not be taken up
until December 8. The counsel of the
Seaboard syndicate accordingly met Mr..
Ryans counsel on that date. having
been led by him to hope that an AMIGA
bile solution of the problem might be
reached. and those discussions wero
continued for several days
Meanwhile, without any previous in
timatton to us or our counsel Mr.. Ryan
went ahead and introduced this bill in
the Georgia Legislature on December 4,
and secured It's passage In the Senate
on the 1lth and on the 18th his Baltl-
more attorney felt so confident of the
passage of the bill by the House also
that he undertook TO advise people TO
get out or the securities of the system,
on the ground that this hill. which ha
appears to have confidently expected
would become n law, would absolutely
prevent the carrying out of our plans.
Other attorneys Of Mr.. Ryan pro,
ceeded to make capital of the fact of
the adjournment of the Scaboard meet
ing. which had been nostroned from
November ~ to December . as n mat
Ter of courtesy and accommodation to
the minority interests. by procIaiming
through the press that the adjournment
was ftfee4l++ipon tlft, fasH ga ttf,t,
system by Mr.. Ryan's opposition. which
they falsely declared had held up the
plans.
"a PRESUMPTUOUS EFFORT"