The age-herald., 1901-06-14
Consolidation Will Be a Great Benefit to the Citizens
 of Birmingham
LOCAL MEN WILL BE AT HEAD
Mir. Atkinson Has Urged an Immediate Expenditure of $1,ooo,ooo for In- provements of the Various
 Propertles-His Career.

way, ISltNLliG isiShl anu Nldo @ohiBoAitS
 into one corporation with s10,0o0,000 cap
 ital, has been completed.
 Robert Jemison Is made president of the
 new company.
 All the directors of the company except
 MT. II. M. Atkinson of Atlanta and MT.
 Gordan Abbott of Boston arc local men.
 The consolidation was brought about by
 Mir. Harry M Atkinson. Mir. Atkinson Is
 originally from Boston. For fifteen years
 past, however, he has lived in Atlanta
 Through his efforts many millions of New
 England capital has been invested in At lanta. He Is the president of the Georgia
 Electric Light Company. of the Title Guarantee and Trust Company. and of the Atlanta Rapid Transit System. The
 latter concern owns and operates forty
 miles of street railways In Atlanta, all
 of which were built and equipped by Mir. Atkinson He has recently built the lar gest and most modern office building in
 the south at Atlanta. It is known as the
 Empire building, and cost a,0o0,00o MT. Atkinson is not only one of the
 wealthiest but is perhaps the most en- terprising and progressive young man in the south. He is largely interested in quasi-public corporations in several cities
 and has been successful largely by virtue
 of the fact that he believes in giving the
 public the best of service at the lowest
 prices which will earn reasonable in-
 come from the investment
 Expenditures Recommended.
 He has advised and directed that about
 s1 O0O,0O0 be expended at once here in
 undermining and thoroughly equipping all
 the properties of the new company.
 New cars in great numbers are to be
 purchased. new and heavy track laid,
 and in fact everything is to be done to
 give Birmingham the best street railway
 system, the best electric lighting plant and the best gas plant of any city in the south
 \Reduction In Gas Prices. The news that heavy reduction will
 be made to consumers in the price Of | gas will be joyfully received by the peo- pie of Birmingham. A reduction of about
 9 per cent will be made at once, and MT. Atkinson promises dollar gas in the very near future
 "Detals and plans." said MT. Atkinson yesterday afternoon, "have not been final ly formulated, but fin the very near future
 we shall make proposition to the city reducing the price of gas to a figure which | i nm sure will be acceptable to the citi- zens of Birmingham"
 When asked yesterday afternoon in re- gard to his investment here and how he
 happened to become interested fin Bir-
 mingham, MT. Atkinson said:
 MT. Atkinson Talks.
 "some five years ago my attention was called to Birmingham, and I made several trips here. I was greatly impressed with the cfty's surroundings and natural ad- vantages This feeling has grown strong CT and stronger each year. When my at tention was first called to the city made up my mind I would like to be interested
 here and take part fin it's growth. The
 firm conviction that formed itself in my
 mind as to the future of the city and it's bright prospects steadily took hold and through acquaintance with Mir. Jemison
 and MT. Nat Baxter, Jr..81 last year be- came interested in the Birmingham Street
 Railway system. =;
 T have had the aid and advice of the
 best expert engineers obtainable. Our ex-
 aminations have been complete in all par ticulars and we understand thoroughly the
 industrial development of the city bnd it's surroundings. AS result of this study I can scarcely put too strongly my opin- ion that Birmingham is going to be a great city and that 1t has just fully start ed on the most prosperous period of It's existence. The basis of the growth going on here today Is different from anything that has taken place In the past and 1t has put the city on a stable foundation, which cannot be affected seriously by the f1uc- tuating and prosperity of any one indus- try
 ''T,he result of all of the above has been that have acted on my convictions and have raised large amount of mon ey to put the three industries that have beepeconsolidated on new SSd perma- nent financial footing. 1t mea&s the best and most improved service that can be furnished in the corporations; that fs, street railway, electric lights and gas "The large amount of money that we will spend will be felt beneficially in every line of trade in the city.
 I've are determined to do our duty by the city and it's citizens. We believe that
 
 and every consideration. It will be our
 endeavor to please our patrons and to courteously consider their needs and wishes We believe that our interests are mutual and that our success depends up- on our securing and deserving the good will and the confidence of the public. To this end we will give the very best serv- ice at the lowest prices consistent with safe business policy.
 I've have been greatly pleased with the hearty cooperation accorded us by the citizens of Birmingham. We have ale So been gratified that a considerable num- Der of the most substantial citizens of Birmingham have considerably in- vested their personal interests in | the consolidation, and have en- | dorsed our plan with their support. Such | harmony and unity of effort will greatly accelerate the continual growth and de- velopment of the city.
 Tn conclusion can only say that the management of the consolidated com panies will be local. with MT. Jemison at it's head es president, and that we want the people of the city to feel that 1t is | a local enterprise, managed by local men. | who have invested their money in it. and | the aim Of which will be to fill local wants. and will only add that if this | investment turns out as think It will. | and auspices under which it was launched | indicate that 1t will be. it will be my hope | that it will be the means of much more investment of capital here. and I will | have the opportunity of taking some 1 part in the almost unlimited future which 1 the city is sure to hfsvU."