Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-21
W|MBISH TOHEAD
COMMITTEE ON
v. & A. ROAD
Four Other Men to Aid in Arrang-
ing for Western & Atlantic Dis
posal Convention in July.

President Wilmer L. Moore, of the
Atlanta Chamber of Commerce said
Friday morning that he would ask W.
A. Wimbish, chairman of the cham
bers temporary Western ana Atlantic
committee, to serve as chairman of
the committee of five to be named to
arrange for convention to consider
the future and proper disposal of the
Western and Atlantic Railroad, the
States property, and to offer sugges-
tons to the Legislature. Mr.. Moore
said he will also request that Mr..
Wimbish name the other four MEM
bers of the committee, which prob
ably will be done within week.
It is proposed to invite represen-
tatives of every city and town in
Georgia to attend the convention, as
well as Representatives Of all lines Of
Industries affected.
The Chambers plans call for the
convention while the Legislature is
week in July. 1t will be held in At
lanta.
Authority for the appointment of
the arrangement committee was given
to President Moore at a meeting of
members of the Chamber at Taft
Hall Thursday night.
Suggestions for the disposal of the
property were contained in addresses
delivered by four men who have given
considerable time and thought to the
matter-W. A. Wimbish, chairman of
the w. and A. committee Of the
Chamber of Commerce; Murphey
Gambler, chairman of the State Rail-
road Commission; James R. Gray,
editor Of The Atlanta Journal, and
Hon. Hooper Alexander, who has been
20 a n
sion of the road to the sea.
Politics Plays Part.
"The great question" Mr.. Wimbish
declared, us whether the State shall
regard the road as an investment or
as a great transportation facility. The
question of the future of the road is
political in its nature, but, at the same
time, It is essentially economic. If
the road is leased by the State to an
other railroad, 1t must be regarded
solely as an investment, and not as a
State institution. 1t can not be used
by the State to control rates, not even
by contract, the Supreme Court of
Georgia having recently held that a
contract such as is even now in force
with, the N. c. and st. l.. the lessees
of the road, is an attempt to control
interstate commerce"
Mr.. Wimbish intimated that the
State is not now getting a fair finan-
cial return from the road. THE N,
c. ap1 st. L. pays the State $420,012
a year for the use of the property"
he said, and the ret earnings for the
year 1910 we're S7,2S5 n mile, more
than the majority of the big railroad
systems of the country No taxes,
State or municipal, are paid on the
property.
Gambler Wants State Operation.
Murphey Gambler. chairman of the
State Railroad Commission, thinks
the State should operate the road and
use 1t as a freight regulator to force
other Georgia railroads to establish
and maintain fair and equitable rates.
James r. Gray declared II Mr.. Can
dler's plan were adopted and the road
used as a regulator OF freight rates,
II might bankrupt every other rail-
road in the State. I'VE must be fair
to the railroads." he said. They are
our greatest ciyilizers and our great
est means for progress"
Hon Hooper Alexander declared
the people were capable of operating
their own road, and said the road
should be extended to the sea and
operated by the State. state opera
tion of the road is the only way that
freight rates in Georgia can ever be
reduced to a fair and reasonable
figure he said. Mr.. Alexander ad-
mitted there was a possibility of the
road becoming a political machine
but intimated that this danger could
be overcome by civil service"