Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-02
STRONGLY IN IA VOR
OF PROPOSED EX7EN
SION OF STATE ROAD
Columbus Ledger.

Columbus Ledger.
! In a short few years the present lease
of the state railroad will expire. Really
ing this, Governor Smith. when he was
campaigning for election, and after his
election, made vital issue that the state
road should be extended. one view being
that without this extension. the road
from Chattanooga to Atlanta would be
bottled up, and this magnificent prop
erty Of the people would thus become
practically worthless. 1t was part of the
plan in the original ownership of this
road by the state. that its real useful
ness and value to the people Of Georgia
| would depend on it's extension and con-
necticns with navigation to tidewater.
Whilst no one in a very rational way,
except for private conflicting interests,
can oppose public ownership to any ex-
tent that is limited, and which may be
rendered most expedient in a given status
! of local conditions, the extension Of the
J state road is urged on one ground, and
which alone ought to suffice, namely that
unless the state road is extended, an inn
mensely valuable asset and porperty be-
longing to the people of Georgia would
I De reduced TO a Oh utter WOTli-
| lessness, and would involve the loss. OF
enormous shrinkage in the value and use
fulness of the property at the expiration
| of the lease.
| With Governor Smiths ardent support
the last general assembly provided for a
commission to report at the next legis-
lature on the proposed extensions. 1t was
left for the governor to appoint a certain
number on the commission, besides those
composing 1t from the senate and house
of representatives OF Georgia. There is no
member on this commission from Column
bus, nor from western Georgia, although
the governor was strongly petitioned to
| make, at least, one such appointment.
Hon Hooper Alexander is on this COM
mission. His advocacy of extension has
| been insistent and he has sustained his
championship in a spirit of patriotism
which includes in the purposes to be
accomplished a great and lasting good to
the people of Georgia. for results that
would help, materially help, toward the
solution and regulation of freight trans
portation In all these striking. and per-
manent benefits. which Governor Smith,
Mr.. Alexander and others are prepared
| to demonstrate, will accrue and which
will be embodied in an appeal to the
people to authorize the extension from At
lanta to Savannah and Brunswick, are
not these reasons and inducements just as
cogent for one extension to be brought
to the head of navigation of the Chatta-
hoochee river at Columbus? We are work
ing for land expect the work to be COM
menced before one branch of the state
road could be built to Columbus) a sys-
tenn of locks and dams on the Chatta-
hoochee for regular or foot slack wa
ter navigation to some deep-sea port on
the Gulf of Mexico. branch of the
state road would be much less than half
the distance for the extension from At
lanta, to any place on the Atlantic sea-
board. Furthermore, in reaching the Gulf
/ of Mexico and the Panama canal with an
extension via Columbus and thence down
the river, the distance would be 500 or
900 miles shorter than via any port on
the Atlantic coast
Moreover, If 1t were known that we
were to get an extension of the state road
! to Columbus, or were equally CHANGED to
get 1t, with it's extension to Savannah
Brunswick. etc. this would be a potent
factor in our getting locks and dams for
/ regular slack water navigation from Co
lumbus to the gulf. In the extension to
Columbus, who would be benefited? The
! city of Columbus, of course; besides all
the territory along the line between At
lanta and Columbus and every county
| bordering the river between Columbus
and the gulf.
None of those sections in the western
part of the state would be, I'm the least,
benefited with the one extension now con-
templated from Atlanta to the Atlantic
| ocean. Recognizing this exclusion, the
Board of Trade of Columbus, on behalf of
| it's own city and county, and all other
parts of western Georgia to be affected,
and who would be so grossly neglected,
| already shlvcring with apprehension of
that cold wave heading this way. and
brewed by the present purposes of the
, commission on the state road to make
only one extension, have gotten in corre-
/ spondence with Mr. Alexander.
| Mr.. Alexander, speaking personally,
comedies the right of the board Of trade
| to be interested, and that the western
Fart of the state in question should have
an extension. But the vital point is, and
| 1t is the point, where Columbus and the
western part of the state should very
erectly sit up and take notice. he does not
| say that this extension will be allowed or
| recommended, to be built at the same
| time with the commencement of the work
| from Atlanta to the Atlantic seaboard.
Without the slightest reflection on those
who wish for the greatest good to the
greatest number, in the extension of the
state road, it's self-evident that IL our
right to an extension is only to be ex-
ipected after the one to the Atlantic ocean
| is started or finished, this would be too
| late for us to use the power to get IT,
! which we can now exercise on a propo-
sftion of giving and taking and which is
the true policy for securing those advan-
| tages which result in the understandings
and mutual concessions in all matters po-
litical If the board of trade and alder
men and people of Columbus don't get
busy" an extension from Atlanta to the
Atlantic may be recommended and pass
the legislature. and after which. we. of
the western part of the state, will be
asking for bread, but will receive a
"stone'-a dietary treatment In the mat
ter, producing a painful and permanent
inanition in the sufferings and disappoint-
ments of which we will have no one to
blame but ourselves.
Co-w N DaoSaw,