The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-27
HARMONY PREVAILS
 ON SOUTHERN ROADS
sEABoARD AIR LINE IN coNNEc. TON WITH OTHER RAILROADS
 IS THE SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION
 IN RICHMOND TiMEs-DlSPATcH.

The Richmond Times-D Dispatch In an editorial on southern railroads says;
 "The New York Evening Post says that no securities company controlled sit- uation so completely judging by present appearances as the Southern Railway company now dominates the territory or the Southeast. Louisville and NashVille, as is well known, is absolutely in the control of the Atlantic Coast line, which, in turn is friendly to the Southern rail- way, and the Post points out that in- terests closely connected with the latter are upon the new Seaboard directorate, in company with the representatives of the Rock Island system. It further says the Illinois Central management is friendly with all, and that the management of the Southern railway, which Is the leading spirit of the whole. is vested in voting trust with J. P. Morgan and his policy in control
 "The Seaboard as an independent road has always been a source of anxiety to the other railroads of the south. For some time past the seaboard had been giving no trouble in the matter of rates,
 
 southern roads were very uneasy lest the road should go into the hands of re- ceiver, for nobody knows what receiver may do, and there was a sigh of relief among the managers of the Southern, the Cost line and the Louisville and Nash vile when it was announced that the Seaboard had succeeded in making its financial arrangements.
 President Williams has time and again stated that the Seaboard is to remain an independent line, and it has been de- nied by him and by Harry Walters of the Coast line, that the road has passed into the hands of the Southern railway. That is true. for neither the Southern railway nor the Atlantic Coast line can, under the laws of South Carolina, own the Seaboard road. But the New York Evening Post is doubtless correct in say ing that under this new arrangement community of interests will be establish ed among the four principal railroads of the south, and hereafter they will work tremendously together. This does not mean that there will be no competition between these roads. Competition will be act1Ne, ana eacn fOau VIII uO the pest IL can to secure business. But it does mean in our opinion, that there will be no more disastrous rate cutting, and 1t is also our opinion that this is in the interest both of the railroads concerned and of the gen. eral public. A uniform rate is what the public wants. provided the rate be req sonable. It is also to be considered that the railroads are most important factors in the development of the south and they are in themselves great industries They give employment to large numbers of men and when they are prosperous the coun- try through which they pass through is benefited. Some people seem to think that it makes little difference to the gem eral public whether the railroads are pros porous or not. But one might as well say that it makes no difference to the general public whether or not any others of the large industries of this land are prosperous.
 ''The recent Seaboard deal has cleared the atmosphere and put the entire rail- way affairs of the south in a much better situation