The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-27
THE TEL PHONE ["
BILL ] UP TODAY ] Y
|.It Will il be the Biggest
Fight. Of the Session.
TO VOTE AT ONE. P. NJ.
But Half an Hour Will be Given Over
for Debate,
THE AIR LINE FRANCHISE.
large Amount of Discussion on the
Measure Before the House Com
mittee on Finance Last Night,
Engaged in by Railroad
pIcn, State Officials and
Legislators.
TO VOTE AT ONE P. NJ.
But Half an Hour Will be Given Over
for Dphafe,
The AIR LINE FRANCHISE. ;

ACss tSasSAoA Ss
The greatest fight of this session Of the
General Assembly will be that in the
Senate to-day over the bin to incorporate.
the Virginia Telephone and Telegraph
Company. It has been agreed to take
vote at 1 P. NJ. Both sides claim ma
jority of the Senators. There Will be only
half an hour for debate, unless the agree
ment is changed. Friends of the bill
say they can muster enough votes to pass
the act. On the other hand, opponents
Of the measure claim that they have
enough .'rocklbottom'' men to insure the
defeat of The bill. The vote will proba-
bly, be close There is some feeling man
Tested, and yesterday "a personal diff
curty between an opponent and friend
Of the bill was narrowly averted
AIR LINE RAILROAD.
The House Committee on Finance met
at 5 o'clock last night to consider the bill
chariering the Washington and Richmond
Air Line Railroad.
4 number Of parties interested on either
side were present, including Messrs.
JOnIf fSke1iOH w illiiiIiiS, -. oASeAS
John 3. Moore and Hill Carter.
Colonel Morton Marye and Second Au-
ditor Ryland were also present.
Major Myers, president of the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail-
road, was questioned by Chairman Boaz
and other members of the committee as
to the meeting a which it was agreed
to offer the State an annual dividend OF
IL per cent. on its holding in the COM
pany.
Major Myers thought nearly six-sev-
enths of the stockholders were present or
represented in the meeting at which the
resolutions were passed.
Colonel Marye was then questioned at
some length as to the effect Of the grant
!. ing of the charter upon the interests OF
the State in the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and Potomac.
HIS answers We're in line with the ideas
that the best interest of the State could
be best subserved by not selling its hold
| 1ngs in the road.
The answers TO the questions put to
Second Auditor RYland were aleng the
same line.
Mr. Williams was then asked by Mr..
Roaz what his company proposed to pay
the State for it's holdings in the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac.
His answer was 500 per share, which
he thought was very liberal offer.
He thought that amount would bring
the state. if invested in century bonds, as
much revenue as she was now receivin.
from this source, in addition to the taxa
bic values which would be established by
the building of his road.
He said he had calculated that his peo-
| pie were paying $4,000 per mile for the
States interests, which was far more
| than it would cost to build that much OF
the road Mr.. Williams called attent ton
to the fact that there was q charter in
the hands of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad by which that road might at any
time parallel the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and Potomac to Washington in
which event the states interests would
| be unprotected.
Major Myers stated on this point that
! the Chesapeake and Chic could not build
| such parallel line without the assent
! of the Southern railway
SPEAKER SAUNDERS AGAINST IT.
Speaker Saunders was recognized and
spoke against the granting Of the charter,
| unless it could be settled beyond question
| that the interests of the state would De
| benefited by the sale Of its holdings IN
| the Richmond, Fredericksburg anu Fo-
| tomac railroad.
| In answer to what was said by MI.
Williams about. the charters already in
! existence under which parallel nne
| might be built to the prejudice OF the
| State S interests, Mr.. Saunders said 1t was
easy enough if necessary, to remove this
| weapon of threat by repeating these cha;-
| ters at the present session
He did not think there was sutnclent
| guarantee Of protection to the States In
! terests in the proposed charter, either In
noint of trice or in the matter OF certainty
that the new road would be built. to war
| rant the passage Of the bill by the LeSls-
! lature.
| Mr. Williams asked Mr.. Saunders a
| number of questions which hezundertooh
! to answer from his standpoint
Mr. saunders contended that the ques-
ton to be determined was what was the
charter worth to the Seaboard Air line
| He did not take much stock In the
| idea in some quarters tEAt the Seaboard
| Air Line was in the fight to protect the
| interests of the State by breaking up
| a monopoly
They cared nothing for establishing a
coulpssing line for the bereht OF the peo-
| pie: they wanted the charter as a busi-
ness proposition, out of which to make
! money, and very properly SO: SO ne
| would brush aside all the taiS about the
Richmond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
railroad being q monopoly, and treat the
matter as plain business proposition.
| He said there was no doubt on his mind
Of the ability of the Richmond. Freder-
icksburg and Potomac railroad to pay
the state the u per cent guaranteed
/ in the resolution Of the stockholders.
ana read from an opinion of the attor-
ney- general along the same lines
/ He thought the people whom the ssLegls-
/ isiature Represented here In his matter
would want to krow that their interests
| had been thoroughly protected II the
s char ter was granted and before the hold
tngs were disposed sof they should get
4 an amount fully equal to that which the
state Il ov owned in tlle road
QUESTION no BE E#DETERMINED-
Mr.. w Wiliams said s.. wa e0u 0uiyalent;
only question sbe determined. argued
t Mr.. Saunder ss.:
Nr. Saunders further said that unless
! the Seaboard Air Line put up a larger