Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-09
BILL FOR VIADUCT
On CENTRAL AND
PRYOR VETOED
Governor Sees Injury to States
Property-UrgeS ConSidera-
ton of Plaza Scheme.

The governor today vetoed the bill
providing for the construction Of the
Pryor street and Central avenue via
ducts in Atlanta, and at the same time
pointed out benefits to be gained by
the erection of the proposed overhead
plaza, a project involving many mill
lions of dollars.
The governor objects to the bill be-
cause he thinks it was hastily drawn
and likely would inhict serious and
irreparable injury to the states prop
erty rights in the Western and Atlantic
railroad
| The governov enters extensively into
the latter phase of the matter and de-
clares that the proposed viaducts
should be considered in their conneC-
ton with other property to be affected
by them. and adds significantly that
Atlanta should grow with the state.
and not at the expense Of the state"
The executive veto reads in part rs
follows:
Bill Too Hastily Drawn.
| This bin seems to have been too
hastily drawn to allow such con
sideraton as would demonstrate
| whether its passage would or would
not seriously dam@;e the states
property known as the Western
and Atlantic railroad. If it become
| law it viii practically close
against convenient use two streets
above named in so far as concerns
| the access to and egrcss from the
! Union passenger station, which IS
the terminal station for passengers
! riding over said road.
| 1t is Of utmost importance that
the state preserve, to as great an
extent as lies in her power, the ia
cilities whereby the said railroad
receives and handles business, and
| the enactment into d law of bill
! number So will damage the said
| road many thousands of dollars
| each month and will seriously i'm
pair the rental value of said road
! when the present lease expires, and
! it is advertised for new lease
| 1t is also proper to state that l.
this become law will seriously at
feet the income of the present les
| sees Of said railroad, and the state
| should be careful that she does no
! injustice to those to whom she
leases any of her property. The
Western and Atlantic railroad is
the states greatest asset, so far
\;
concerned, but Georgias greatest
asset is her good faith This she
should neither DESTROY nor compro-
mise
Urges Plaza Scheme.
| viii add that for some time
there has been in contemplation
the erection of what is commonly
called an overhead plaza, reaching
from the eastern side Of the For
syth street bridge to the western
side of the Washington street via
duct, including a terminal building
for the railroads on the site of the
present Union station If this be
done it will very greatly enhance
the values of all properties contig-
uous to said plaza and will secure
for the state a permanent build
ing, which will draw great bust
ness for her railroad, practically in
perpetuity
Instead, therefore, Of authorizing
the building of these bridges. which
would be but in the nature OF
piecem meal improvements. it would
be far better that the Improvement
in the center of the city. which so
vitality affects the earning value of
the states property, should be con-
sdered and acted upon in its en-
tirety.
1t is Of course, to the interest
Of Atlanta, as it is of other com
munities, that grade crossings
should be eliminated to as great an
extent as COMFORTS with the gen
eral interest of the people OF the
state. But, like all other communi-
ties, Atlanta should grow with the
state, not at the expense of the
state
Not Much Chance For PASSAGE.
1t is of supreme importance that
the state protect for all the tav-
payers the proper earning power Of
the Western and Atlantic railroad,
hence, as the building Of the pro-
posed bridges at each end of The
Union station, under the present
conditions would disastrouslv ar
feet it, | am compelled to withhold
my approval Of house bill num-
Der So
Speaking of the veto after it came
in today. Representative Brown. o..
u do not think it likely that the min
can be passed or that a serious effort
viii be made to pass it. over the CAV
ernor's veto.
He sends in message of disan.
proval that deserves serious constdera-