Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-23
.R. F. 8 P. DECLARED TO
Be A HUGE OCTOPUS
Hearing on The Repeal Bill Aitpac-
led Big Crowd at The
Stale Capitol
NEWPORT NEWS DELEGATION THERE
Fredericksburg and Richmond Speak.
eru Preacn, Reasonr why the nill
Which win Alloy the Road to be
ParalleIed Should be Pasa.d-Un.
written Law Given Black EYE.
Especial To The Daily Press ,

Especial To The Daily Press.)
RICHMOND, VA. Jan. 22-Grcat
WAS the outpouring OF people who
came TO the stnte capitol this morn
ing al 10 o'clock to hear the opening
guns III the much discussed fight TO
bring about the repeal OF the statute
forbidding the parallcling of the
Richmond. Fredericksburg 4 Potomac
Railroad.
The Joint session Of the Senate and
House committees on roads and in
ternal navigation was held IN the
cour; room of the corporation com
mission. which was packed to its full
est capacity.
The Richmond. fredericksburg *
Potomac. the state board Of s!nning
fund commissioners. the state prox-
les, the Richmond chamber OF COM
merce, the Gould interests. and dele
cations from Hampton Ashland and
Newport News helped Ia swell the
throng, which crowded the rooms to
an uncomfortable degree.
The gathering was called TO order
by Delegate John n. Churchmnn,
, chairman OF the House committee on
roads, md Senator A. w. Harmon
was made chairman of the joint ses-
sion.
Dleegate Goolrick, one of the pat
rons of the bill. presented 10 the
joine committee W. w. Butzner. pres
ident OF the fredericksburg Business
Mems Association who made The
opening argument in favor of the re-
peal OF the anti -parallcling statute.
Mr. Dutzner said that he spoke for
section comprising about one nth
of the state. and represented one
sixth of her population. He declared
that under existing conditions his
people. despite their thrift were for
b'dden free and open railway compe-
tition.
Clutch of the Pennsylvania.
He rapidly sketched the history of
the r.. +. G. r., ana told OF the fu-
| tile efforts to throw OFF its yoke. TIL.
speaker likewise had mucn To say
about the clutch Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad. which hemmed in HIS peo-
pie by land and water. choked them
on from all open competition. and
left them subject to one railroad com
pany, All these burdens. declared
MIR Butzner were borne simply that
Virginia might get $4,000 year
from her interests in the II. +. & p
This ownership the speaker char
ac;erized as governmental sanction OF
monopoly. I'VE maintain" said the
| Era1nr al, 81
enue derived from the II. Il. & p. is
10 more to be considered in paying
the state debt than any other taxable
properties
In scornful terms the speake. harp
cd ON the cry that the repeal of the
-paralieling statute would result
in the r., f. G. p. not being able to
meet its running expenses. This
statement. he said. was preposterous
especially in view OF the fact that
six railroads own stock in the r., f
& r, Does it seem reasonable. ask
cd Mr.. Butzner. that these other roads
which own an interest and who are
backing the sS,5OO.000 Indebtedness
of the r.. F. & p, will permit them.
selves 10 throw their trade towards
a competing line and thereby defea
the obligations of the r.. +. & p?
we are nor here asking that any
particular person or persons be per
mitted to parallel the Richmond. Fred.
ercksburg & Potomac. said thu
Fredericksburg man. but we are t.
ANYBODY and everybody. No, we ar.
not representing any railroad. WE
are representing none but the peopi,
of Virginia. We have been laborin,
under this burden long. long time.
Ashland for Repeal.
S. c. Weisiger, representing tn,
Ashland chamber of commerce. pre-
scented resolutions adopted by tina
body. which pray the repeal of tn,
present monopolistlc law Sin the in
terest OF the general public and o
Ashland In particular,
SPOKE for Richmond Chamber.
| Fervid and convincing was tn,
ringing speech OF A. Bierne Blair
who presented the resolutions of tn,
Richmond chamber of commerce. Mr.
Blair from the very start, fus,1i,at,