The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-16
EXTENSION WON'T DO
MERCHANTS WANT CAR LINE
THROUGH SUBURBS.
DON'T TAKE TO FERRY IDEA.
PRESIDENT ADLER EXPRESSES
VIEWS OF ASSOCIATION.

Mr.. Adler Says He Doesn't Care
What Company Builds the Line,
just So IL Is COnstructed-UnOfFI-
ciaIIy He Has Been informed by
President Baldwin of the Savan-
nah Electric Company, That the
Extension of the MONTGOMERY Line
viii he Built, but He Doesn't
Think This VIII DO-PrOpOsed Di-
rect Line Would OHer Rapid Trans
it TO Between 1000 and 5000 PeO-
pie.
The Retail Merchants Association is
anxious and determined in its effort to
have trolley line built to White Bluff,
and from the views expressed by its
president, Mr.. Leopold Adler, it would
seem, Will not be satisfied with any
mere extension of the Montgomery line.
The Morning News printed yesterday
a report ot the petition for the grant Of
a franchise 10 a competing company to
build a trolley line, through the inter
medi re settlements. to White Bluff.
which the Merchants Association had
fle1 with Council The petition was
discussed to some extent with Mr..
Adler.
For myself" he said, Il don't care
whether a line to White Bluff it built
by the Savannah Electric Company or
a new and competing company; all l
care about is that such a line shall be
built and properly operated.
1.-The petition which was presented
to council contains the substance of a
resolution passed at meeting of the
association and requests the grant of
a franchise to a competing line. Some
time ago we discussed the question
and then reached the conclusion that
] still retain-that it made no particu-
lar difference which company builds
the line we need. We want it made
easy for customers for that district to
reach the retail business section of Sa-
vannah and that's the only part of it
that concerns me-"
Mr.. Adler said he had discussed the
question unoficially with Mr. George
]. Baldwin, president of the Savannah
Electric Company and that Mr.. Bald
win had told him that his company
would build the suggested extension
of the Montgomery line, which would
find it's terminus just across the YER
dlOI llNGl HUN w llllN Dull 4 AlC AHteS
of the advocates of this scheme is that
prospective passengers for the city
could get across the river in boats.
This does not meet the views of the
merchants" said Mr. Adler. What
we want is a line that will tap the
other suburban settlements that lie
along the proposed road to White
Bluff, and not one that will afford ac-
commodations to residents of White
Bluff merely. l don't know positively,
but my information is that such a line
would afford easy communication with
the city to between 1000 and 5000 peo-
pie, who are now entirely without
rapid transit facilities. The advan-
tages of such a line to the retail bus
I mess of the city are sufficiently OBJ
vious."
The Merchants Association is prob
ably nothing like unit as to the ben
efits of a competing system and many
of its members agree with Mr. Adler
that 1t is a matter of no importance
whatever by whom the line to White
Bluff and the intermediate points is
constructed. They want the business
and they don't care who brings 1t to
their doors At the same time they
are anxious to have the line built and
have expressed their willingness and
purpose to give their strong personal
and collective influence to the COM
pany that helps them.