The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-14
LIGHT AS TO HEADQUARTERS.
is NOT SHE'D BY RETURN OF PLANT
SYSTEM GENERAL COUNSEL.

Mr.. w. l.. Clay Returns From New
York-He Was There While the
Deal Whereby the Atlantic Coast
Line Gets the Plant System Was
Agreed sUpon-He Does Not Discuss
Plant System Matters-Presfdent
John M. Egan of the Central Says
n Word About General Ohices of
Railway Companies-New York
Commercial Thinks Florida East
Coast VIII PROFIT.
Mr. w. L. Clay general counsel for
the Plant System, has returned from
New York. where he was with Presi
dent r. G.. Erwin last week. Though
he would not discuss the prospective
merger of the Plant System with the
Atlantic Coast Line in any of its
phases, it is believed that Mr.. Clay was
with Mr.. Erwin when the final definite
understanding between the Plant Sys-
tenn and the Coast Line was reached.
The question of the location of the
general offices of the consolidated sys-
tenn is the burning one with Savannah
ians. Mr.. Clay. was asked if he knew
where the general offices would be To-
Gated, but he replied that he could not
discuss matters connected with the
merger in any way.
President John NJ. Egan of the Gen.
trail Railway was asked yesterday
what he thought of Savannah IS
headquarters for the consolidated sys-
tenn that will be formed by the Plant
System and the Coast Line. He re-
piled that he would be very glad 20
see Savannah chosen. but that he had
no idea az to what might be the plan
of the Coast Line.
The general offices of the Coast Line
are now at Wilmington an it is usual
ly the case that a company dislikes to
move. Besides having the offices es-
tablished, officials and employees usual
ly have their homes, many of which
they own, and 1t is a matter of no
slight consequence to them when gen.
eral offices are removed from one place
to another.
Eyes, a central location on sys-
tenn, such as Savannah's would be, is
not doubt an advantage, but It is not
such an advantage as to influence
many of the greatest railroads in the
country, which have their headquar-
tiers at a terminus. Under the plan
of organization and operation that is
followed now, there are men in charge
of the various divisions, and it is not
necessary for the general offices to be
centrally located"
Mr.. Egan believes that the Atlantic
Coast Line has acted independently
in it's ABSORPTION of the Plant System,
and that there is no other company
behind it. He holds that it is but
natural that the Coast Line should
have desired and secured such con-
nection as the Plant System. He does
not believe the. Pennsylvania is inter-
ested, and Pennsylvania Railroad Off
Gals. foe that matter, have them
selves denied that the Pennsylvania
is behind the Coast Line.
Discussing the Plant System Allan
tic Coast Line merger, the New York
Commercial says editorially:
1.-THE position. of the Florida East
Coast Railway is rather an enviable
one in this connection. It's lines skirt
almost the entire East coast-of Florida,
from jacksonville to Miami, covering
an immense territory with rapidly in
creasing passenger and freight traits;
| at the latter point the Peninsular and
Occidental Steamship Company MAIN
| tains an efficient service to Havana d.
rect, to Havana by way Of Key West,
ana TO nassau the Bananas. BOtn
the railway and the steamship proper
ties are under the absolute control of
Henry M. Flagier of the Standard Oil
Company, if not in his absolute per-
sonal ownership he is a director of the
Florida, Savannah and Western Rail-
| way, as we'll as in the Atlantic Coast
Line, and it is almost unquestionable
that it is his ultimate purpose to de-
| fleet the great bulk Of the traffic to
and from Key West, Cuba and the Ba-
hanas-and possibly that of the
| 3ermudas. Porto Rico and the Lesser
! Antilles-to the port of Miami and
thence northward and westward over
his East Coast Line. In this connection
| it is significant that only a few days
| ago the Senate Committee decided to
/ report favorably on a direct appropri-
alton of $150,000 for deepening the har-
! Dor of Miami and of 1856, 667 under con-
| tinuing contract.
The assured industrial and CONNER
cial development of all the vast insu-
lar territory lying southeast of the
lower Florida peninsula makes the pro-
ject an ambitious one. There is includ-
| ed in it, too, the possibility of rail-
! read across the Florida Keys from Mi
| ami to Key West. The dominating in
| telligence behind it is that of man
mo longer young" but one still over
flowing with energy and enterprise and
! possessed of the wealth necessary to
| put all his plans into execution"