The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-16
sATuRDAs, MARCH &c. 1901.
!. THREAT FROM NORFOLK.

TI,a Norfolk Nilsinian-I'ilo1 in dis
,.,,ssiur The question Of moving the
.,c,,e1.a1 offices Of the .Scaboard All Line
from Portsmouth 10 Richmond gives
some cxtraoidinary adTicc 10 The com
r.ft1ee which is Ia wait Oh PRESIDENT
Williams to-day and argue The case
with him.
To make The ease entirely plain ana
.,.,Iih amy semblancc Of personalities.
we VIII cali The president OF the Sea-
a,nard John Brown. We Will call fo,,
mouth. Norfolk and Berkley -
Jones. John Brown. who liFeS III l,lsl-
mond. is interested i'll The following
enterprises dependent let l,Io1.a .,i's
p,,erafion. in 4 large measure, upon me
patronage of Eill Jones.
One steam railway
One steamboat line.
Dne street railway system
One electric lighting plant.
One gas lighting plant
For his oHp convenience ANA Inter-
est. John Brown proposes Il" fcim ,l,
his railway offices 10 Richmond. iiiat
Is :, business move that viii injul'e 1911
.loncs. Ii will. ut the same lime aid
Homes business rivals. il Is Il pIaln
business proposition. Shall ZONES beg
Brown 10 abandon lis purpose: or shali
he SAY: laid my business rivals. ana
injIIre me if YOU have determined ana
ipsist upon doing it. and l will aid your
business rivals and inlurc YOU: Is nof
The latter course precisely that winch
every sensible business man would 1"l-
low for his own self-protcciion:
Our contemporary claims that this is
not a threat that il is simply Il ease OF
tneeriing business move with Il DuSl-
ness move But it is a threat, a cruel
yindiciive threat. and is unworthy Of
so intelligent and so upright 4 news
PAPER as the NirGinian-Pilot- Ne adj
nire the LOYALTY OF our contemporary.
bun even loyalty should not blind one
10 Justice III President Williams Were
designing in malice 10 jninre the busi-
ness interests of Norfolk and Ports
mouth our l'idewiter friends might he
Iardoned for rei;alialin@ and giving
blow for blow But President Viii
iiams has no such design. He SHOWS
that il is TO the interest Of the system
of railroads which he represents 10
bring the general offices TO Richmond.
and 80 thinking il is clearly his duty
10 the stockholders 10 do 50. Taking
thai view Of it-alid ii is the only fair
sieN-slail The people of Norfolk pun
ish him for tlisc;iI"ing his duty: Shall
they say 10 him that if he does not
adopt their view and lei the offices re-
nla,in in Portsmouth whether or not,
they viii laid his business rivals and
injurc him." Shall they Try TO brighten
him INTO pursuing i course that he he
licves 10 he wrong: Would they die
tate the policy Of The read: In that
case. who would he president OF the
Seabaas'd. Air. Williams or the Norfolk
and Portsmouth dictatorS:
That will never do. Such a policy is
neither good morals nor good business.
II 1iiat SORT OF vindietiye spirit should
prevail in Norfolk railroad presidents
all Mould fight shy Of the cities by the
sea-
Ne are thoroughly persuaded that
what AiF. Williams proposes re do IN
sle removal Of these Offices is actuated
solely by a sense OF duty 10 his stock
holders and in compliance with The
wishes of his directors he must have
the kindesr feelings for Portsmouth
and Norfolk, where he has such large
interests. and ii is worse than absurd
10 suppose thai anything but business
reasons of an Imperative kind would
require him no make change which
involves large expense and is raising
saci objections as we hear from The
iirsinian-Pilot. 1t - simply Il fact
hat Mr.. Williams cannot coaduci the
business Of his road adequately under
the existing condition. and this he dis
covered By actual experience, ana there
is no doubt that he Mould have been
absolutely sincere in sayin. 4 YEAR OF.
Z more ago that he had no isiaa OF re-
laioS,ins she offices. The change has
been forced npen linn. and we can
hardly believe tllsit such centre of
trade and activity as Norfolk and