The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-13
RAILROADS TO AID
COMMITTEE IN WORK FOR DEEP
Err WATER FOR SAVANNAH.
THROUGH sEABoARD AIR LINE
WIDE INFLUENCE OF THE FRISCO
CAN PROBABLY BE SECURED.

savannah Ideally Located as Ship
ping Point for This Great System.
influence of Many Congressman
Can Be Thus Obtained-The Gem
trail of Georgia Will Aid Move
mcmillan Suggested by Gentle
man Prominent in Work of Char
acter Necessary to Secure Cham
neI-Other Railroads VIII BE Bene-
fIted- COmmittecmen Like Idea.
An effort will be made on the part
of the committee which has been APP
pointed to take UP the matter of Sc
curing a thirty-foot channel from Sa-
vannah to the sea to secure the aid
and cooperation of the railroads. The
plan has not yet been formally sug-
gested to the committee, but one of
the members will offer it at the next
meeting which is to be held soon.
Several members of the committee
have been approached on the subject
and all were heartily in favor of in
cooperating it in the plan of cam
paign. The suggestion came first from
a gentleman who has had considerable
experience in dealings with the gov
eminent and with plans similar to the
one now projected. He stated yester-
day that he believed almost illimit-
able pressure could be brought to bear
on Congress through the railroads.
The Seaboard Air Line will probably
take up the matter without the least
hesitation and do what it can to aid
the members of the committee. The
road has large docks built just across
the river and if the larger vessels
could be brought up to these docks its
shipping facilities will be increased
fully 100 per cent.
The securing of the deeper water
and bringing the larger ships up to
the dock for loading is almost neces-
sity with the Seaboard. The aid of
the Frisco and Rock Island system
will unquestionably be given to the
movement.
Savannah Ideally Located.
For this purpose Savannah is almost
ideally located and with the greater ia
cilities which would be offered by the
deeper channel the Frisco would bring
the greater part of it's foreign freight
here for shipment.
In case no such arrangement could
be made the Frisco would have either
to build a line especially for the pur-
pose, transferring freights. or else pay
a heavy tax to another road to carry
it's freight to the steamers. When the
| deeper channel would practically OBJ
oil alIOxUincr II
use the Seaboard terminal, it is easy to
see why it's aid can be easily secured.
The influence which would be given
| the movement from this source alone
| would be very great. The Frisco
| could probably secure the influence of
the congressman of most of the states
| through which it passes; states whose
| influence could hardly be expected in
! any other way. The added impetus
would make the prospects for success
considerably brighter.
Central of Georgia Interested.
The influence of the Central of Geor-
gia will be given to the movement.
| With the influence of the Central
would come also that of the Ocean
| Steamship Company. Though practical
| ly the same company yet the Ocean
| Steamship Company would bring strong
| influences to bear. In this way wide
| territory can be covered and in a
manner that the committee would be
unable to carry out in any other way.
The influence alone of the Seabeard.
| the Frisco, the Central, and the Ocean
Steamship Company, will go a long
ways toward insuring the success of
the movement. Congressman and
Senators representing distant states
can be induced to aid the movement
through these sources.
The aid of the other railroads run
ming into Savannah would also be
given to the movement. While the
advantage might not be as great to
them as to the roads mentioned above
yet more or less benefit is bound to
accrue to them as we'll as to every
other line of business in the city. 1t
is probable that the influence of all
the roads will be asked and little doubt
is felt but that it will be granted in
all cases.
Committeeman Like the Plan.
The plan has been suggested to sew
eral members of the committee who
have the campaign in charge and one
and all took up with the idea at once
and stated that they would introduce
it at the first meeting of the commit
tee. If adopted it does not mean the
abandonment of any of the other plans
that have been suggested, but simply
the adding of one more source of in
fluence.
Several other plans of bringing in
fiuence to bear have been talked over.
informally by the members of the COM
mittee. A meeting will again be called
. in a short time and plans adopted
and put into effect. All classes are
enthusiastic for the deep water.