Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26
ADVISES
AGAINST v. IA.
EXTENSION
Cost, $2O,OOO,OOO, Too Great to
Be Compatible With States
Policy, Says Message.

Opposition to the extension Of the
Western and Atlantic Railroad to the
sea was expressed IN a message sent
| by Governor Brown to the Legisla-
ture. The cost Of building such a
road. which, It is said, would be about
S2O,O0o.0o0. is the reason given by
Governor Brown for his opposition.
That the rental OF such an addition.
II possible to lease it. would not
amount to more than the interest on
the bonds. thus leaving nothing with
which to pay off the principal. is one
Of the arguments advanced by him
against the building Of the road.
Governor Brown suggests that the
| State of Georgia might forever con-
| troll its freight rates by obtaining a
| concession Of land from Tennessee,
| giving ii a frontage of a mile on the
| Tennessee RIVER A short branch
could be built from the Western and
Atlantic Railroad to the river and
connection made with boats from
Ohio and Mississippi River points.
This, he states. could be done at a
cost of S3,00O000.
Suggests q Commission.
appoint a commission to investigate
the releasing of the Western and At
lantic is also suggested in the mes
sage, which follows, in part:
To the General Assembly:
There Is no subject of more weighty
interest TO the people Of Georgia than
that Of the future disposition OF the
Western and Atlantic Railroad 1t is
not to be considered that the State will
seriously entertain a proposition for the
sale of this, its most important piece
Of property.
A large portion OF the people, while
generally holdip" In mind the notable
nmercial worth Of this railroad to
the state, have not grasped the fact
that II is in some respects the most
potent OF all factors in controlling rea-
sonable rates of freight from other
States into Georgia. In fact. in its
ton -securer, our fathers, in construct
ing 1t, builded wiser than they knew.
Calls Extension Visionary Scheme.
Much has been said for years past on
the subject Of extending the Western
and Atlantic Railroad to the sea. My
judgment. however is that the fixed
policy of the State as to her finances
makes this a visionary scheme. In the
hrst place the extension Of the road
from Atlanta to the sea would cost,
when we include proper terminals, etc,
undoubtedly more than SIS, 900, 900 In
fact, report made to your honorable
nal. 1909, estimated that the cost Of the
extension would be S71, $50 per mile,
making the total cost, II il were about
276 miles long. almost 5000 600. II,
however, the extension is to Savannah,
Darfen, Brunswick and st. Marys, the
main line extension would be at least
l 20 miles more at a cost OF upwards of
sS!,,,i It being understood that
items are probably charged in the origi-
nal estimate per mile. Every dollar Of
this amount would have to be Dor
rowed.
But, as the Constitution Of the State
forbids any increase of the public debt.
| II would first be necessary to amend
the Constitution so as to saddle this
enormous debt upon the people At
per cent the interest account on 800
nually.
Whether the state would or would
not undertake to run the road herself.
II is manifest that she would be a very
great loser. expressing II moderately
by spending many millions OF dollars in
extending the Western and Atlantic
Railroad to the sea.
Suggests Terminal on Tennessee.
At Shellmound, in Tennessee, the
Tennessee River runs within less than
a mile of Nickaiack Cave in Georgia
II the two States would agree that the
Georgia boundary line be DETECTED TO
the Tennessee River at or near Shell
mound, and. after allowing Georgia a
frontage OF about a mile on the river,
to defect back to the present State line
and, either adjoining that point or at
some other locality defect the line in
ward so as to give to Tennessee an
adequate portion OF Dade County to
compensate for the portion added to
Dade County by the State OF Tonnes
see, Georgia would. of course, have a
landing on the Tennessee River. Then
II she would tunnel Lookout, Sand and
Raccoon Mountains and extend a line
to the Tennessee River from or near
Ringgold or Graysville, Georgia, this
would enable her Railroad Commission
at all times to hold down the rates from
the Tennessee River to Atlanta, TO
which would be added the low water
rates TO Shellmound. and In this way
make the State absolutely Independent
Of railroad mOnopolies, inasmuch as a
reduction in the rates to Atlanta would
bring a reduction to all cities in the
State.
This extension. am told, would call
for FIVE or six miles OF tunnels cost
ing about $3.50 900 per mile and possibly
upward of thirty miles of additional
railroad costing from $780, 900 TO S25. 600
per mile, making a total for these two
items Of say, S2,25O 600. Therefore, it
would appear that 100000 ought to
cover the total cost Of the suggested ex-
tension
Another Plan for River Point.
There Is another alternative method
I
River traffic at a landing place in
Georgia. This can be done If Chicka-
manga Creek is widened, deepened and
Strengthened from its mouth near
Boyce Station to a point in Catoosa
County. so as 10 allow boats from ST
Louis and other Western ports to come
up the canal and cross the Georgia
Tennessee boundary line. The canal
thus made would not be more than IL
miles long and should not cost 81, 00O, 900
l will ask you to bear in mind that
am not recommending that the State
increase her debt by making an ex-
tension of her railroad from either
end: but l am indicating that if she
decides to adopt this policy she viii
secure immensely greater benefits for
her people by spending. at the most,
81, 900 600 in extending II to the banks
OF the Tennessee River in her own
borders than by spending some $780,
900 600 extending il to the sea
Although the State of Georgia has an
absolute advantage over her competi-
tors in Chattanooga, il is seriously pro
posed that she shall abdicate that adj
vantage and allow her competitors to
succeed to it. The plan advocated is
to ground rent a large portion Of the
track space in the center OF Chatta-
nooga, and enticing figures are shown
as a reason why the State should do