The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-06
GREAT FIGHT FOR
/. [. .0FflCES. ] ! c Is
&RichmondMen. Say Great
Inducements Should
Be Offered.
|. ORGANIZATIONS
!. TO TAKE a HAND.
Chamber Of Commerce and
Travellers Protective Asso-
citation Will.Act Prompt
ly-Post A Meets To-
night--Views on
Subject.

Richmond will have TO put up Il stiff
4 fight if she hopes 10 land the Scaboard
prize ana succeed In having them bring
their Offices here.
A dispatch from Norfolk states that
the Scaboard Air Line Railway Com
pany is contemplating the removal #of
4 It's offices froI, Portsmouth TO some
moro favorable locality. Immediately
there nrosc 4 cry from man; cities. WHICH,
ore dcsirous OF securing the prize, notably
Atlanta and Norfolk, these sof far put
ting forth the strongest play for the,
\ Offices
a number or prominent citizens, or Rich
B r1olid. WHO were seen last night regarding
the matter OF having Richmond enter the
+ struggle. were all Of the opinion that
& tile thing for this city to do was to put
i forth snci Inducements to the company
& as VIII cause the directors 10 see the
advantages OF having the conpany's.
Offices located here, and forthwith begin
4 removal from Portsmouth,, TO Richmond. u
It Is understood that the reason for
"a the move In ei:Egins the situation OF the
n offices is Til; fs,rt that Portsmouth is not
on the rna1 line. nor is II centrally To-
s. CA ted with reference 10 other points on
he line. EsrhiShninS SO. it becomes more
than possible III the opinion OF some that
the city cnn play Its best hand now and
win out.
Have Atlanta to Fight.
Tie general opinion Is that IL Richmond
enters the competition her strongest rival
viii be Atlanta. But even before Atlanta.
Richmond has apparently the best show
OF landing the Offices. and for several
a reasons. I is now up 10 the business mon
Ii and organizations OF the city 10 plit forth
their best efforts In laying before th.s
3 scaboard officials sufficient rrason for
their rcnioynlt1il this city. ~
II Some OF the rcusons advanced by Rich
nonders last night IN favor Of petition
Z ing the railroad company to locate here
y rise out OF this cify's situation gcograph-
icaly and its Importance. commercially.
Rlchmond, as the largest manufacturing
x city on the Scabpard Air Line, has rs
{ valid Il claim as any other Southern city
It's ncarncss 10 Washington is another
point In Its favor Richmond is on tie
+ main line. and Is the main city on the
line which is 4 better argument than At
!. lanta can offer letting alone any other
cities which may choose to enter their
4 names on the lists.
Mr.. Egbcrt G. Leigh, Jr., president OF
the proposed change in the locn ton OF
the Scaboard Offices from Portsmouth,.
slid:
"Speaking for the Chamber Of Com
mercc, I can say that we are going
to put up good fight for the Sea.
board offices. The opportunity is too
good for Richmond to miss, and every
effort should be made to get them
here. Some time ago ! wrote to Mr.
q o,t oF = N1H In =
RIchmond's behalf, laying forth the
Inducements that the city offered to "A
such company as he headed. Mr.
#ag Barr made reply that he regretted
very much that he could not consider
Rlchmond's offer for the site. and In
SO many words declined to bring the
offices here. But by no means does
the matter end here. Mr.. Barr has
resigned from the Scaboard Air Line, J,
and. when the new management goes
Into office, we shall put the matter
before 1t In such a llght as Will con-
Vince then, that this Is the city above
all cities for their purpose. What we
all have to do Is to make a strong 2
effort and pull together, and Rich
n1ond Will be surc to get the thing S
she coyets.vs
Mr., Cooks Views.
Mr. Charles b. Cooke. president OF
the Travellers Protective Association, and
also president of the Civic Improvement
League. was seen OH the subject, and
offered some suggestions lie sail;
"RIchmond is the proper place for
the seaboard offices. There Is no
doubt Of that at all. The rub Is that
we have got to convince the heads
of the Seaboard Air Line that 1t Is
so, and then we shall realize Grand
possibility. Tonight at the meeting
OF the Board OF Directors Of the asso.
clatlon, | shall lay the matter before
them, and perhaps something material
may be accomplished as a result Of Ill
our efforts, The association Is a State '
organization, and have no doubt but
that we can bring great Weght to
bear In favor of this city by the COM
blned abors OF T, p. AS all over the
State.
''If wc offer them the proper indllco-
monts see no possibility Of q loss for
Richmond. l am certain they Will come
here. The long and tho short OF tho
matter, Is that they arc going to leave
Portsmouth. They have got to go some
where. Now there is no better place IN
tho South for the location of the Offices
than Richmond. ind feel sure that IT
lle matter is laid before the company
In the right manner the near future
will see the offices In Richmond. Hero
7 thcy VIII Dc centrally located. Inc conf
pnny will get more business out of Rich-
nond than they could ont of any other
Southern city. There Is a strong prob
ability Of their coming here. II The mat
ter Of railroad taxation is set forth as
It should bn to induce them to consider
our proposition, there can be no l!esta-
tlon In the choice Of our city over all
others. e
All Join Hands.
Il t"Althougll the matter Is somewhat out
of the sphere OF the work Of tho Civic
Improvement League, yet. we shall take
such steps as will at least help toward tho
desired end
sin the matter OF Office space. | should