The Cairo bulletin., 1911-03-13

The L. & n has violated its agree
ment by causing the Cairo & Thebes
railroad company to enter into an
exclusive lease for SO years with the
Iron Mountain, no reservation being
made in the instrument by which
other roads can ever use the prop.
erty. The Iron Mountain was fully
informed OF cur contract VITA the
L. & ~ and knew that 1t had no
right to enter into such lease.
Ionths ago we furnished the first
vice president Of the Iron Mountain
With a copy of the L. & ~ contract.
We made in writing an urgent re.
lest that the open door clauses OF
he contract be inserted in the lease
which the Iron Mountain proposed TO
axe. Receipt of our communication
gas acknowledged. but cur request
vas ignored. Instead OF paying ~
err cent. per anpum on the cost Of
he road for the privilege Of Joint
,peration, the Iron Mountain has
greed to pay an annual rental of 4
Ell cent. for It's exclusive privilega \,
nd this increased rental will be
veil taken care Of by the increased
atos which the shippers of Cairo will
ave to pay on all business to and
ON southeastern Missouri and nor.
Aern Arkansas.
The jobbing and wholesale trade In
afro has probably grown more rap
lily taan any other interest in TIC
'ty. Southeastern Missouri ans
1rthern Arkansas should furnish a
plendid market for Cairo business.
but this market is in grave danger
Of being lost to Us, by reason CT ire
enormous Increase in freight rates
already made by the Iron Mountain
On business routed to southeastern
Missouri and northern Arkansas from
Cairo by way OF Thehes. If these
rates are to be maintained, and if
Cairo business TO this territory can
7nly go by the Iron Mountain through
Thehes. Cairo iobbers and wholesal
7rs VII soon find it we'll nigh i'm
oosstble to compete with St. Louis
md Memphis in this field.
When the ordinance was adopted
granting the Cairo & Thebes RAILROAD
company the use of New Levee street
md the right to cross ocner streets
n the city. the most positive assur.
'uees were given the city by Mr.. Egg
bert A. Smith, president of the Cairo
e Thebes Railroad company, Mr.. =,
7ruce Magee, its vice president,
fudge William s. Dewey, its secre-
airy and attorney, and Mr. Edward
., Pink, its treasurer, and by the I'M
lersigned as directors of that com
'any. that the proposed railroad
~ould be maintained as an open high.
4ay for use by any other railroads
rheneyer they might desire to enter
afro. Messrs. Smith, Magee, Dewey
and Pink have either forgotten that
'hese assurances We're given, or for
some reason 10 not think it important
hat good faith should be maintained
with the city. We think otherwise,
md believe that our people will and
should insist that the fair promises
made to them be carried out. We
see no reason either why these rail
road companies should not be made
70 perform their contracts just as
ordinary people are expected to per-
'orm theirs.
When the Louisville & Nashville
irst presented the proposal TO lease
he road to the Iron Mountain excIu-
lively, not only the undersigned, but
dessrs. Smith, Magee, Dewey and
Pink and the late Daniel Hartman,
lso, insisted that such lease should
lot be entered into and that the L.
n. should carry out the agreement
nade by it. Three of the executive
Of the board of directors
4 the Cairo & Thebes, Of which
iessrs. Smith, Magee, Dewey and
link We're members, went to Louis
lille to present the matter to the L.
N. officials and to urge the neces.
lty for making in any lease those re,
ervations which would maintain the
Dad as an open highway. When
hese gentlemen returned to Cairo.
loweyer, they mad been brought
round to view the matter as the l..
N, desired IT, but neither at that
ime, nor since, have they ever pres
ented to us one reasog why the L.
N. should be released from the oh.
igations of its contract. The matter
vas up in our board of directors time
nd again. Every effort was made to
reyall on us to abandon our rights
nder the contract. We were en-.
reated to help 'out the L. & N. We
we're threatened. Nothing was left
Indone 10 influence us. We were