The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-12
Sinking Fund Commits
sion Says Bill to Par
allel r., f. & P. Hurts
STRONG APPEAL
TO LAW ERS
Most Exciting Contest Of Present
Session to Begin Before Com
mittee Governor to
Transmit Document
to Two Branches
Tomorrow.

In order that the Legislature may bs
apprised OF all the facts concerning
the States interest in the Richmond.
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
statements were prepared yesterday by
the Board Of Sinking Fund Co,nmis-
sioners and the State proxies. to be
officially transmitted by the Governor
to the two houses tomorrow.
They are in the nature OF argu-
ments against the repeal OF the pres
ent law forbiddinE any railroad COM
pany to parallel the line OF the Rich
mond. fredericksburg and Potomac,
and are presented In opposition to the
repeal bills offered respectively In the
two branches by Senator +. w. Sims,
of Louisa. and Delegate G. O'Conor
Goolrick. OF Fredericksburg. The pre-
sentation OF the bills to repeal the law
referred to and the arguments against
them by the States representatives lay
the foundation for fierce IL not a
bitter struggle before the Legislature,
over what is ultimately an effort to
charter the proposed Fredericksburg
and Southern Railway Company. an
electric line from Fredericksburg TO
boswell, about which SO much has been
recently printed.
The clans are already gathering and
lining up on both sides, and the con-
test promises to be as sharp and vigor-
Gus as that which kept the lobbies and
members in such frenzy of excite
ment over the granting of the famous
Seaboard Air Line charter some years
ago.
The paper Of the Sinking Fund Com
missioners deals mainly with the fnan-
cial side of the question. and contends
that the repeal OF the law and the sub
sequent paraileling of the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac would
render the States interests, now high
" valuable, practically worthless.
Conclusions Drawn.
In summing up. the commissioners
say:
arhls IL no mere local question, but
tcrcsted. and should have the 0ppor-
tunity OF being heard before the mem-
bers of the General Assembly take the
responsibility OF reversing the long,
continued policy of this State in re-
apcct to it's interests In the railroad
property and In effect gives away this
valuable nsset, merely to crafty a
vague and fanciful sentiment, the eff
feet OF which must be to materially
incrense the taxes upon every citizen"
Ankwcr by State Proxies.
The statement prepared by the State
proxies is along the same line as that
of the commissioners, and goes into a
complete history of Virginias connec-
tion with the property.
The first real open clash will come
in short while, when public hear
|ings will be given the repeal bills by
the Committees on Roads and Internal
Navigation of the two bodies. to which
they have been referred for considera-
tion and report.
1t has been whispered about for some
time, and. indeed. now seems pretty
generally believed. that the Gould in
terests are behind the move to repeal
the prohibitory statute. which stands
in the way OF the proposed paralleling
charter. and finally. II the first move
Is successful, that they will finance
and control the new line.