The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-30
PLEASED BY MERGER
SAVANNAH MERCHANTS APPROVE
OF l.. q n. ABSORPTION.
A GOOD THING FOR CITY.
INCREASED BUSINESS AND GOOD
CHANCE FOR GENERAL OFFICES.

Much Cotton md Naval stores Thni
Now Goes TO Mobile and Pensacola.
Savannah the Logical and Geo
urophicnI Center of Consolidated
System-By Helping savannah, the
Road viii Help ItseIf-Long RniI
HnuI VIII Mean FreiGhts for Sa-
vannah.
The details of the absorption of the
Louisville and Nashville by the At
Iantic Coast Line. as given IN the
Morning News yesterday. have been
confirmed by a definite and official an
nouncement from the headquarters OF
the latter company. The deal has been
made.
Col ]. II. Estill, who is the only local
director of the Coast Line, received
circular yesterday. confirming the re-
ports of the consolidation OF the Two
systems and epitomizing the lntorrna-
ton on the subject the Morning News
had already given it's readers.
The announcement has been received
with wave of acclaim in Savannah.
With few exceptions the merchants and
business men look upon the merger
with pronounced approval, and can
see in it's impending contamination
nothing but good to the city. large
increase in the amount of freight, par
ticularIy cotton and naval stores, to
find a port of shipment in Savannah
for the Eastern states and foreign
countries is one advantage they find
no difficulty in discerning; the return
of the general offices of the Coast Line
to Savannah, now become as well the
geographical as the logical center of
the system, is another which they re-
gard with a prophetic eye and we'll
founded faith.
Should Get General Offices.
Mr.. j. p Williams said yesterday he
was convinced that the consolidation
would help the city.
There is a large section of Alabama,
from which cotton and naval stores are
now seeking an outlet at Mobile or
Pensacola, which believe will send its
products to Savannah when the consol-
idation goes into effect. There will be
a direct rail route to Savannah over
single line, which it Will be to the ad
vantage of the company to use. The
rail rate would be more than made up,
IL it were larger than the rate to Mo-
bile or Pensacola, by the cheaper ocean
freights.
Another advantage is the strong
hope, founded upon logic and business
discernment, that the headquarters of
the consolidated line will be removed
to Savannah. This is the center of the
system, and business could be trans
acted from here with more advantage
than from any other point. I believe
Savannah has good reason to hope that
the removal of the headquarters will
take place.
Altogether, l have been pleased to
hear of the consolidation. l can see
no objection to it, moral or constitu-
tional, as the two roads are in no
sense competing lines"
Lines Converge Here.
Similar views were expressed by Mr..
John r. Young and Mr.. E. A. Cults.
Mr.. Young said there was a large ma
val stores territory in Central and
Southern Alabama, which is tapped
by the Louisville and Nashville from
which under the new conditions Sa-
The same thing is true of cotton.
THE consolidation has strengthen
| ed said Mr.. Young, 1.-The already
| strong argument for the removal of
the general offices back to Savannah.
| Here they ought to be, and here l be-
lieve they Will be. This city is the
| company's largest port, as we'll as he
| center of its system; upon Savannah
| its lines converge from three direc-
tons, and l think in the near future
the wisdom of it's directors will dictate
| return to the city where it will enjoy
such large advantages.
Mr.. Mills b. Lane, president of the
| Citizens Bank, is another who views
the merger with favor 1T will I'M
| questionably rebound to the interest
of Savannah" ne said. There will he
better freight rates from a much wider
| field made by the consolidated system
Savannah will be the chief port of the
| system. From three directions bust
ness Will converge in Importance as a
shipping point. 1t Is but a natural
step for the system to direct a great
volume of business here. 1t will be to
| its interest, and the system will see
that freight for coastwise and foreign
| shipment, comes to this port.
Retail Dealers Discuss 1t.
The Broughton street merchants have
been discussing the merger.
| With them it is an interesting question
| That the opening of the new system
will be of great benefit to Savannah
they have little doubt
| Mr.. S Krouskoff said: 'I am not
| thoroughly conversant with all the
terms Of the consolidation. but I do
not suppose that it requires that knowI-
| edge to form an intelligent opinion on
| the subject. / am for the upbuilding of
! Savannah, and whatever will further
her interests I will champion. AS to
whether the merger will aid Savannah,
l cannot say. l suppose it will-cer-
tainly it can do no harm
THE men on the Bay tell us that Il
will make a vast difference with them.
/ Many of these are in the cotton bust
ness. If the deal will boom the cotton
! business. then of course it will be of
! BENEFIT TO the community at large A
| great deal depends on the policy of the
! read. 1t is said that a uniformly low
| freight rate will be fixed. and that
former disadvantages will be removed.
! OF course This will help Savannah, and
| Savannah's interests are ours.
"Of course we Broughton street mer-
chants depend on the consumer. and
naturally we want TO have as many
! railroad employees in the city as we can
get. Their removal hurts our business.
| am only afraid that any consolidation
means a curtailing of the number Of
| employees. All consolidation has that
! general tendency
But whatever effect the railroads
may have upon the welfare OF Savan-
nah-and We cannot underestimate that
effective do not have 70 sit idly by
] and wait on them for Draepartty -