The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-03
NO settlement
OF RE-. & ?. TANGlE
Lengthy Hearing Shows State
and Railroad Company
Far Apart.
WANT MORE INDUCEMENTS
Will Not Surrender Special Privi-
leges Without Correspond
ing Advantage.
WANT MORE INDUCEMENTS

Gloomy indeed is the outlook 70
satisfactory legislation at the presen
| session of the General Assembly of III,
question of reincorporation OF tho
4 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto-
| mac Railroad. For hours las: nigh
/ attorneys argued points of law with
great learning and emphasis. and. al
! though Mr.. Page, of the JOINT commit
tee of the legislature. made repeated
| efforts to direc. the attention of the
Legislators to what he regarded as the
question at issue, there was apparently
d ieelir & that nothing could be done.
The hearing took place in the Senate
chamber before the joi,,t committees
on Ecads and Internat Navigation The
upshot of the whole matter was the
appointment of subcommittee COM
posed of Senator's Harman, STROBE and
Ward. and Delegates Throckmorton
Kemper and Noting. to go into the
question of bill which would meet
the interests of the state and of the
railroad.
Allan caperton Braxton, for the
road, said that he and his associates
could only say what they though the
stockholders might accept. a merger
bill, he thought. If couched in salts
factory terms, would be accepted. But
he believed the bill under discussion
to be fatally defective, and he would
not advise the stockholders TO consent
to a merger under its provisions.
Says Bill Is Good.
Mr.. Page, on the other hand, admit
ting possible technical deficiencies in
the bill was vigorous in asserting that
in effect it is all right; that there
is no occasion for a new measure, ana
| that If 1t is passed the railroads will
merge within six months. He knew.
he said, that any bill which could be
drafted would be attacked. He In
tends to stand by his bill to the last
A member of the Legislature last
night, disgusted at the situation drew
the following bill, and intimated that
he would try TO set something like 1t
in the body TO which he belongs:
"Be 1t enacted by the General AS
sembly OF Virginia, That no railroad
in this state, as much as one-tenth
OF whose stock is owned by the Com
monwealth, shall operate any train,
except passenger trains carrying the
mails and stopping at every station
along its line. on the Sabbath day
Me. Braxton said in the outset of
the discussion that the railroad is not
asking for legislation nor for mer-
ger. 1t is not opposing the present
Oil fuiIeCl1S, bul lc dtu NV pS4AS'N-
1t would do anybody any good. 1t
would not, he thought. accomplish its
purpose, because under 1t merger
would be impracticable.
Settle In Six Months.
Mr. Page, for the bill prepared by
the special joint committee, headed by
the Governor. said that he earnestly
believed that II 1t We're passed within
six months the matter would be salts
factorily settled. The proposition was
one that is fair to the State and to
every stockholder. Able counsel might
say the road did not want TO merge.
but 1T was unnatural that railroad
should prefer to run four short lines
rather than one consolidated line
He could not see the great difiicul-
ties spoken of. If there was an error
in the title II would be amended on
the floor. There was no difficulty eN-
cept the necessary labor.
"How will this matter" he asked,
.'ever be settleda II we cannot trust
the Governor and the other officers
named In the bill, whom can we trustpp
At any rate II tho bill passes, the rail-
road Viii he unable TO say, Us IT does
now, that IL cannot merge,
Get an expert and appraise the
physical value of the properties, and