Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-17
TO KILL DEPOT
THE PLAN Of
SOUTHERN?
PRESIDENT SPENCER NOT AT ALL
SATISFIED WITH PRESENT Lo-
CATION AND TERMS OF
STATE.

Although Governor Gambler declines IA
make public the letter of President Sam.
uel Spencer relating to a new depot on the
property of the state in Atlanta it is now
known that President Spencer has written
the governor that the place on which It IL
contemplated that the depot shall stand
is entirely inadequate for depot, and fur
thermore that the Southern Railway is at
present paying $4,000 year rental for the
use of the depot and if the new PROPOSE
ton is accepted SIS 900 more would be add
ed and that the Southern would be COM
pletely at the mercy of the new lessee Of
the state road eighteen years from now.
as the bill passed by the legislature makes
absolutely no provision for the rental TO
be charged after the lease expires.
This information is secured from an alb
solutely reliable source and is known 70
be true. President Spencer in his letter
states at length that the Southern is anx-
ious to cooperate with the state in the de-
pot matter, but IL is unwilling to pay an
extra rental for new depot, and TO be
placed at the mercy of the lessee OF the
state road when the present lease expires
He argues further that the space is not
large enough for the kind of depot Atlanta
ought to have. Mr.. Spencer writes that
unless the governor can assure him that
the rental eighteen years from now can
be satisfactorily arranged it will be impos-
sible for the Southern to accept the prop
osition.
II Is understood that Governor Gambler
has consulted with Attorney General
Wright with reference to the matter, and
has been advised that no promises can
be made as the legislature has adjourned
and only that body can make the ar
rangement wanted by Mr.. Spencer.
It looks now as if the Southern proposes
to knock the depot proposition into
cooked hat and that the conference which
XTnHnaaHarr mill
disastrously for the new depot here. The
Southern and the Central have always
been anxious to erect a union station OF
their own on the Mitchell street property
and il is very probable that this viii be
done II the governor, and the depot COM
mission canot make the arrangements
necessary for the Southern to accept. It
is believed that the Central railroad has
taken the same position as the Southern
so far as space is concerned, although at
present the Central has paid absolutely no
rent.
1t is regarded as peculiar, however, that
the Southern should have proposed the
exact terms two years ago, that 1t is now
declining to accept.
President Samuel Spencer viii appear at
the meeting of the depot commission In
the office of Governor Gambler next We'd
nesday morning in person. This was an
nounced by Governor Gambler Satur-
day, who had just received a telegram
from Mr.. Spencer.
President Charles A. Wickersham, Of
the Atlanta and West Point; President
John NJ -Egan and Major J. F. Hanson.
of the Central of Georgia; President ].
w. Thomas, of the Nashville, Chattanoo-
ga and st. Louis railway, and repre-
sentative of the Georgia railroad will also
be present at the meeting. General Man.
ager 7. K. Scott, of the Georgia, will be
unable to be present at the gathering, as
he will be absent in New Orleans at that
time, but he has notified Governor Cam
dler that he would have representative
on hand.
With the railway officials viii probably
be the railroad attorneys 1t viii be a big
gathering of railway magnates as every
prominent southern railroad company will
be represented. No representative of the
Sea aboard railroad viii be on hand, as the
officials of that company have announced
that they would agree to any arrangement
made by the Nashville, Chattanooga and
st. Louis railroad.
The members of the depot commission,
Messrs, Ferris Cam. of Savannah; John
Holder, Roland Ellis, Thomas Egleston,
w. A. Knowles, Byron. Bower and @, v.
Gress, have notified Governor Gambler
that they would attend.