The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-16
TAX ON FRANCHISES
is CONCERNING LEADING OFF,
GALS OF RAILWAYS.
THEY DECIDE UPON A PLAN.
IF THE STATE DOESN'T AGREE.
THEY WILL FIGHT.

omcinls Had n Conference with
Controller General wright-After
This' They Held Conference.
Decided to Return Their Fran
chises at What They Regard as
Fair Valuation by May 1-If
State Does Not Accept Returns,
Appeal to Courts VIII be Made.
Atlanta, April 15.-The principal
railroads of Georgia have decided to
make an effort to comply with the
franchise tax law, and to return .heir
franchises for taxation at what they
consider a fair and equitable value.
After this is done. if no agreement
can be reached with the state, they
will attack the law in the courts.
This conclusion was reached at a
conference of attorneys representing
leading railroads. held here to-day.
Prominent officials of various railroads
first had a conference with Controller
General w. A. Wright. These included
President Samuel Spencer and Vice
President A. B. Andrews of the South
ern; President r. G. Erwin, of the
Atlantic Coast Line; Chairman ]. f.
Hanson, of the Centrars board; Pres
ident c. A. Wickersham, of the At
lanta and West Point; Judge L. r.
Watts, general counsel of the Sea-
board; General Manager T. K. Scott,
of the Georgia. and others.
The Controller General informed
them that he had no fixed or arbitrary
rule for arriving at the value of
franchise, but that the returns must
be made in accordance with law, and
he would consider each case as a sep
arate and Independent proposition OH
it's own merits.
The railroad attorneys held their
conference in the State Library. 1t
was presided over by Judge Hamilton
McWhorter, advisory counsel of the
Southern. After the conference of the
officials and the state officers, the
conclusion was reached that the rail-
roads should all make returns of their
franchises on or before May 1, as re-
quired by law, at what they consider
a fair and proper value. Then, if no
| agreement can be reached with the
state officials as to what the returns
| should be, a contest over the law in
the. courts will follow.
Gilbert Qees 20 the Pen.
Gov. Terrell to-day approved the
recommendation of the Prison Com
| mission, declining communication of
/ sentence of George F. Gilbert of Way
cross, convicted of robbing railroad
cars and sentenced to serve five years
in the penitentiary. Gilbert wanted
| the sentence reduced to a misdemea-
nor, and stated he was willing to pay
a fine of 81 900. He had several law
yers represent him before. the COM
mission. On the other hand commu-
tation was opposed by prominent rail-
read lawyers and by Solicitor General
John w. Bennett. 1t is stated Gilbert
is worth something like $25,0OO to
$4,000, much of which is in cash. He
is now out on bond, but will be arrest
ed and sent at once to the peniten-
tiary.
Gov. Terrell has also approved the
action of the Prison Commission in
declining to recommend Communication
for Charles Phillips, the negro con-
vict who murdered another convict at
Coal City, Dade county. Phillips was
otINiuS IL lie sentence lot murder at
the time. He will be hanged on May
1.
The Prison Commission has declined
to recommend Communication for Joe
Culbert of Oconee county, who mur-
dered his wife, and is sentenced to be
hanged, April "a. The Governor will
act on this case tomorrow
Reception for schools.
Gov. Terrell has invited the facul-
ties and senior classes of the Geor-
gfa Normal and Industrial College at
Milledgeville, the School of Technology
and the State Normal School at Athens
to attend a reception at the Execu-
tive Mansion on Friday, May 1, from
to 7 o'clock. Gov. Terrell thinks 1t
will be of benefit to these institutions,
as well as to the students individually,
to bring them together socially in this
way. The reception, it is expected, wifi
be a brilliant affair. There will be
about 100 guests present
Made Its Light Contract.
The City Council to-day accepted
the bid of the George Electric Light
Company for lighting the city. The
price is SIS, year each for arc lamps,
the contract to extend for five years.
There has been a long debate over the
question, the city finally turning down
a proposition which would have given
it plant of it's own within fifteen
Xaa