The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-14
n. &W. TO MAKE
A BIG PURCHASE
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton
Road Likely to Become Part
of Virginia CoaIer.

There comes a we'll authenticated
report from New York, as we'll as from
Cincinnati and Chicago. that the Nor
1oih and western Railroad Company
Ia considering tho acquisition of the
Oetroit' Toledo and 1ronton. The pur-
pose Of the proposed purchase, il liz
understood. is to give tho Norfolk and
western an outlet to the lakes. AT
tho present time 1t sends ity coal over
the Hooking Valley, the Cincinnati.
Hamilton and Dayton and the Penn
savanna Railroads. In the event the
W L. DE- l. Is bought. the Norfolk and
western could use It's own motive pow.
sr ana rolling stock on the Ohio road
connection could be secured By the
Norfolk and Western at Waverly, on
the Columbus division. The acuuisl
ZION or tho Detroit. Toledo and Iron
Ton would enable the Norfolk ana
western to have longer haul on It's
lake coal instead OF dividing the haul
with number of other roads. This.
Oh course. would mean more revenue
Tor the Norfolk and Western Should
the deal go through, it is Understood
that General Superintendent George
r. Johnson. OF the western general
division. with headquarters az Roa-
noke. will be made president OF the
road, giving two members of the John
f. Johnson. is president or the Nor
folk and Western.
while the Stanley committee is in
VestiBaung the question OF the amount
pr Iron orc In tho South not controlled
by the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Rail.
road Company. It would be well TO
/ have the testimony OF every state
Keologist in tho South. Of Professor
Porter, OF tho University or Cinoin-
natl; OF Catlett. Eckcl anu others fami-
mar with tho iron ore resources of the
south. In order that this section may
not be injured by creating throughout
the world an impression that the Ten
nessee company owns anything like
monopoly OF Southern ores" So says
tho Manufacturers Record In It's issue
OF the current week, end the Record
,is right.
AS the Record truly argues. the STAN
ley committee would do the South q
great Injustice IL It uhould without
calling such experts as thoee namod
permit the impression TO be created
that in securing the Tenneasee com
pary in tho United States steel Cor
poration secured u practical monopoly
OF Southern ores. Such IN impression
would be SO wholly erroneous that IL
would bo from evory point OF view un-
just to this section. The State geolo-
Sists OF tho South and other exnerts
times presented their views In the
public prints. and tho consensus OF
opinion OF these men. who arc
thoroughly familiar with the whole
Southern iron-ore situation, is TO tho
effect that the Tennessee COMPANY
does not at the outside own over I6
TO 20 per cent. OF available Southern
ores.
The business people OF the South
and those Interested IN It's welfare
have right TO insist that this phase
or the situation shall &c given aJr-
Giate attention. II is incumbent upon
tho commercial organizations OF Chat
ianooga. and birmingham. and Knox
Vllic and other iron centres. as well as
the State Biologists and The business
people generally. to insist that the
South shall receive adequate rccoEni-
ton OF Its vast Iron are supplies own
ed by independent companies and in
no way Whatever controlled by the
Steel Corporation. Every Independent,
Gloss. the Woodward. the Alabama
Consolidated. tho Southern Iron and
Steel. the Virginia Coal and IRON and
others should mako TO the Stanley
committee clear presentation Of its
iron ore resources IN order that these
statements may become part OF the
official record, for otherwise tho re-
ports OF this committee may 20 abrcS d
In such way as to create the impress
sion that these independent companies
nrc not abundantly supplied with iron
ores
Unless action such as this be taken
BY commercial ORGANIZATIONS and in
dependent iron companies, the South
need not bs surprised II II be very
greatly injured in the worlds estima
tion as to the extent OF its iron ore
holdings"