The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-18
PLACES ON A. C. |.
WILL BE GIVEN FLANT SYSTEM
OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES.
PRESIDENT ERWIN THINKS so.
BELIEVES THEY WILL HAVE BET
TER CHANCE WITH A. G. L.

BE Retained at Savnnnah-WhiIe
1t May Not Be General Headquart-
ers, There VIII BE No Diminution
in the Forces Now Employed Here.
Departments Will Remain-The
Southern Is Not Behind the Coast
Line in Purchase of Plant system,
Nor MIR. Erwin Says, Is Any other
Line.
President r. G. Erwin of the Plant
System arrived yesterday afternoon
from New York. He was seen by a
representative of the Morning News in
reference to the consolidation that is to
make the Plant System and the At
lantic Coast Line one system.
Since the announcement that the two
companies would be merged into one,
the leading points of interest in the
public mind have been the location of
the general offices of the company and
the question as to who may be it's gen
eral officers. Mr.. Erwin was asked
about both matters, and what he had
to say will be found decidedly reassur-
ing to Savannahians, who want the
offices here, and to officials of the Plant
System. who may want to retain their
present positions or be given others
equally as good.
Will Retain Offices Here.
1t will be a matter of necessity, Mr..
Erwin said, for the Atlantic Coast
Line to retain offices in Savannah, and
he does not anticipate that there will
be the slightest diminution in the pres
emit force of employees or any curtail-
ment of the offices. He thinks that
the several departments that are now
here will be retained, and that the
change will not in any way operate to
the detriment of this city. While these
may not be the general offices, Mr.. Err
win said that the mere fact of place
being the general headquarters of
company is of no real moment.
The president said that he believed
that the purchase by the Atlantic
Coast Line of the Plant System would
prove beneficial to all the cities To-
Gated on the line, and that he did not
see how it could result otherwise than
in an increase of business for Savan-
nah. By reason of it's location, he said,
he considered that Savannah will al
ways be the headquarters of represent
tatives of the several departments that
are now located here.
OmciaIs to He Provided For.
Mr.. Erwin desired it understood that
he was not authorized to speak for the
Atlantic Coast Line as to its intentions
with reference to the future manage
ment of the property now called the
Plant System, but said that the past
history of the Coast Line satisfies him
that there could be no consolidation of
railroad properties that would
cause fewer changes than the absorp-
tion by the Coast Line of the Plant
System He holds that the Coast Line
| is so conservative that it will not he
| disposed to make changes, in the Off
GERS or employees of the Plant System
upon the consolidation taking effect,
unless it might be for cause. This is a
view that was expressed some days
ago by the Morning News, which gath
cred that such an opinion prevailed
among railroad men generally, because
of the long tenure of Office of Coast
Line officials and the fact that it is
generally regarded as one of the most
conservative companies in the country.
AS Mr.. Erwin expressed it, the Coast
Line is not a company that on making
a consolidation, would send a man
from, Oshkosh to Florida to take the
place of some already in service in
that state.
Will Have a Better Chance.
The consolidation of the systems,
Mr.. Erwin said, will benefit those of
the present officials and employees of
the Plant System who have merit for
there is always a better chance for a
man with a system of 1900 miles than
with a system of 1000 miles. About
this quality of merit he said he had no
Apprehension, as it has always been the
object of the Plant System to secure
such men, and he believed that it had
done SO in the case of present officials.
What Mr.. Erwin said of the general
officials of the Plant System did not
| extend, in the matter of their retention,
to the executive officials or directors,
all of whom, he said, will, of course,
resign at the time of the consolidation.
He was asked if any of them would be
| elected upon the board of the Atlantic
| Coast Line, but said that he knew
nothing as to that. If such should be
the case, he said it would not be
through virtue of the Plant Investment
Company retaining any part in the
ownership of the Plant System prop
critics that are merged with the Coast
Line.
Nobody Behind Coast Line.
Mr.. Erwin said that the sale of the
Plant System was made to the At
| lantic Coast Line, and that no other
company or person was a party to the
purchase or interested in it in any
way. This sets at rest the reports of
the Southern being behind the Coast
Line. The Pennsylvania Railroad
Company some time ago denied that
| it had any hand in the purchase
Mr.. Erwin was asked about the
| statements that have appeared in
newspapers to the effect that the sale
was made to the Coast Line as a re-
suit of the Plant will case, and by
| Mr.. Morton F. Plant against Mr.. Err
wins wishes. Mr. Erwin said that he
| negotiated the sale, subject to the ap-
prevail of the directors, believing that
| 1t would prove for the best interests
| of the stockholders of the Plant In
vestment Company, which owns a ma
| jority of the stocks of the several rail-
road companies constituting the Plant
System. The sale was confirmed by a
unanimous vote of those of the direc-
tors who were present at the meeting
| to which 1t was reported.
Mr.. Erwin proceeded to the Plant
System general offices from the train,
general officers of the company. His
movements, he said. will rest largely
upon the result of conferences he will
have with Gen. Supt. w. B. Denham.
He expects to be in the South for a
! week or ten days. His conferences
with the general superintendent will
I 4 - Il. =.