The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-04
VARDAMAN VETOES
 TIE MERGER BILL
Southern Cannot Own Mobile &
 Ohio in Mississippi
OTHER RAILROAD NEWS
The Southern May Have to Dispose of the Mobile and Ohio to Some
 Other Road-Gossip
 on the Situation.

The following dispatch to The Age-Her- aid was received last night:
 Jackson, Miss. January 8-(Special)- 1 known as the 'Snerger bill" an act of the l legislature endorsing and validating the sale of the Mobile and Ohio railroad to the Southern, and that deal is off so far as Mississippi is concerned.
 The governor took the ground that the railroads are competing lines and that they have no power and authority to combine in the state of Mississippi. It is l pointed out that no foreign corporation, railroad of otherwise, has authority to purchase, lease or rent rival business.
 The first of the year marked the first anniversary of the coming of the Frisco system to Meridian by a traffic arrange ment with the Mobile and Ohio and New Orleans and North Eastern railroads.
 Coming as it did at this particular pe- riod when the merger bill is vetoed con siderable gossip has resulted concerning what will happen.
 From men high in authority in the rai- , road world the opinion has been expressed that no law can compel the Southern railway the owners of the majority stock of the Mobile and Ohio railroad, to return the stock to the original owners, nor compel the original owners to give back the money they received. In several in stances blocks of stock brought 90 cents on the dollar when it had been previously standing at from to IS cents.
 The only result. as viewed by a num- Der of prominent men, will be to have some other line purchase the road from the Southern, and 1t is believed that either the Frisco system. the Chicago and Alton or the Big Four will absorb the line. All signs point to the fact that the Frisco system will take over the property and operate 1t as part of the system, giving 1t another outlet to the gulf through Mobile.
 w. A. Garrett, general manager of the Queen and Crescent Route. arrived in Birmingham last night from Meridian. c. C. Harvey, president of the New Or leans and Northeastern, arrived on the same train and will probably spend the day in Birmingham.
 MT. Garrett's movements are uncertain He may remain in Birmingham until this afternoon and then go north on either train No. 6 or train No. {.
 With MT. Garrett and MT. Harvey were several officials of the Queen and Cres- cent Route. The party came from Me rdian where it had been inspecting the new passenger station which will be open for traffic within the next two months.
 Mir. Garrett said that the block signal system on the Alabama Great Southern between York and Meridian would be completed within short time, and that it would also be installed below Tusca- loosa for some distance.
 He was very optimistic about the traf- fic, both freight and passenger, for the year 1906, and said that he thought 1t would exceed the business of the past year.
 The Alabama Great Southern will prob ably lay double track through the gap at Irondale which has been caus- ing so much trouble Should the ground on either side not slide too badly during this winter and next spring, double track will be laid.
 A double track will also be built from Twenty-fourth street to the Irondale cut The company is now laying several tracks in it's Mary Pratt yards and the first of these passing tracks will be used to complete the double track between Twenty-fourth street and Irondale.
 c. S. McManus, general superintendent of the Southern railway. spent yesterday He was here to confer with w. N. Fore acre, the new assistant general super ntendent
 w. J. Harahan, fourth vice president of the Illinois Central railroad, spent yes- terday in Birmingham in conference with Capt. Frank & White, counsel for the company
 The conference was in regard to the tral in Birmingham, which the road re- quires in order to enter the city Speak ing about the matter last night. AIr liar ahan said:
 "We need certain franchises in Bir- mingham in order to allow us to operate in the city. We have made large real estate purchases here and will spend other large amounts of money in and around Birmingham. We are used that the people feel kindly disposed toward