The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-17
ATKINSON WINS THE FIGHT.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE FAVORs THE
COLLINS PARK COMPANY.

To-dnv Council VIII Consider the
Committees Rcport-Victory In
clines strongly to AtkinsOn's Ban
ners and Hurt May Lose His Grip
Council VIII Want a $4,000 Bond
From Atkinson to Guarantee His
HuiIding the Lines.
Atlanta Aug. 16-So far as the com
mu.ee of Council is concerned the fight
over the street railway franchise, which
has been causing as much public friction
for the past Two months as a summer po-
lWeal campaign, is settled.
Tomorrow the general council viii
meet for the purpose OF hearing the re-
port of this committee. now ready. The
report will be in favor of what is known
as the Collins Park and Belt Road, the
company that is seeking to parallel the
main lines of the Consolidated Joel Hurts
big company.
H. NJ Atkinson is the leading spirit of
the Collins Park Company, and has APP
peared in the forefront of the fight.
which has been the most determined death
grapple of corporations Atlanta has ever
witnessed. Heretofore Hurt has had
monopoly on the town, so TO speak His
will has practically been law with the
City Council and other people who con
troll the affairs of the city and county.
Mr.. Atkinson is regarded. therefore, as
having won a notable victory
In fighting Atkinson's application fran
HINT and bfs aeco.fata- c1,tan1a1
that his object was not to build a new
street railway system, but merely to OBJ
tain franchises so as to use them as a
whip TO compel the Consolidated to buy
out the Georgia Electric Light Company,
of which Atkinson Is the president The
electric light company has a contract
with the city and has also been supplying
power 10 the Atlanta Railway Company.
which was recently absorbed by the Con-
solidated. Since this absorption Hurt and
his company have been laying plans to
build new lighting plant to compete with
AtSluson's; hence the death grapple be
tween the corporations. Hurt claims that
Atkinson viii take no steps to build his
new system of street railways if the Con
soldated abandons its plans for new
lighting plant. This remains to be seen,
however
In deciding to grant the franchise ap-
Council committee viii favor requiring a
bond Of $4,000 from Atkinson and his as
sociates guaranteeing that they will build
the proposed lines, and will also stipulate
that that company pay the city $4,000
for the privilege of using the proposed
Whitehall street viaduct If any other
company wants to use this viaduct il will
also have to pay that sum to the city.
DIR. Atkinson has announced that he is
willing to be assessed this sum for the
Vaduct, and has an application in for the
use OF the same.
A general ordinance IS to be reported
10 the Council providing regulations for
street railways, one of the chief features
being that tax of 8 per cent. on the
gross receipts of all street railways is
provided for. This tax cannot go into ef-
feet until 1921. however, as the present
grants TO the Consolidated do not expire
until that time, and the tax could not be
imposed until a new grant is applied for.
This ordinance may be passed, but, of
course, it can be easily repealed by any
Council between now and 1921 if that Coun-
ell should see fit and there is little doubt
that If IL is passed it will be the subject
Of a great battle some time in the future.
May Abolish Detectives.
wei authenticated report in police
circles is that the Board OF Police Com
missioners is considering the ACCESSIBILITY
Of abolishng the entire detective depart
ment as it now exists. The story is caus-
Ing much uneasiness among the city
sleuths, who fear that they are going 10
be wiped clean off the slate.
The detective department gets rotten
IN the estimation of the commissioners.
as well as the public, periodically, and
the present determination to abolish il Is
probably due to the same feeling of nc
cessity for reorganization and publication
that has called for the making of new
states in that branch of the city govern
ment several times before.
Chairman Patterson of the board has I'M
officially made charges involving the in
Legrity of the department, and these
charges are now being Investigated by the
chief of police. Chief Detective Slaugh-
ter and Detectives Looney and Hewitt are
The men directly involved in the charges
which hinge upon the taking of money
from private parties for detective work
done not in the line of official duty. Chief
Slaughter is at present out of town upon
his vacation. When he comes back he and
his men will be called to the bar of the
commission, and all probably reduced 40
the level of patrolmen, if nothing worse
happens to them.