Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-27
BROWN ADVISES
AGAINST v. & A.
EXTENSION
Cost, $2O,OOO,OOO, Too Great to
Be Compatible With States
Policy, Says Message.

| Governor Brown for his opposition.
That the rental Of such an addition,
II possible to lease 1t. 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 it's freight rates by obtaining
concession Of land from Tennessee.
| giving it a frontage Of 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 100000.
Suggests q Commission.
That the Governor be authorized to
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 It 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 holdir" 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
| potency as rate-fxer and competi-
I Ion 81
ing II, 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. Ny
| judgment. however, is that the hxed
policy of the State as to her finances
makes this a visionary scheme. In the
| first place the extension OF the road
from Atlanta to the sea would cost,
when we include proper terminals, etc,
undoubtedly more than 5000 0O0., In
| fact, a report made to your honorable
bodies, found on page S2s, House Jour
nal 1903, estimated that the cost of the
extension would be 81 $50 per mile,
making the total cost, II II we're about
however, tho extension is to Savannah,
| Darien, Brunswick and ST. Marys the
main line extension would be at least
12b miles more at cost OF upwards of
terminals, rolling stock and other extra
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,
u would first be necessary to amend
the Constitution so as to saddle this
enormous debt upon the people At 4
Per cent the interest account on 500 =
200. 900 alone would be $500, 900 an
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 It 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
mile OF Nickajack 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. eithor 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
Dade County by the State Of Tennes-
see. Georgia would. OF course, have a
landing on the Tennessee River. Then
| II she would tunnel Lookout, Sand and
to tine 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 $40, 900 TO S25. 900
per mile. making total for these two
items OF, say S2.250 600. Therefore, #
would appear that $500 900 ought TO
cover the total cost of the suggested ex-
tension.
Another Plan for River Point.
There is another alternative method
for practically putting the Tennessee
River traffic at landing place in
Georgia. This can be done n Chicka-
manga Creek is widened, deepened and
I Strengthened from its mouth near
County. so as to 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 u
miles. long and should not cost 81. 900, 900
l will ask you to bear in mind that
/ am not recommending lldt Inc STATE
increase her debt by making an ex-
tension OF her railroad from either
end: but I am indicating that II she
decides to adopt this policy she win
secure immensely greater benefits for
her people by spending. at the most,
SO, 00O, 900 in extending II to the banks
Of the Tennessee River in her own
borders than by spending some $780,
900 600 extending it TO the sea.
Although the State OF Georgia has an
absolute advantage over her competi-
tors in Chattanooga, II is seriously pro
posed that she shall abdicate that ad-
vantage and allow her competitors to
succeed to il. The plan advocated is
to ground rent a large portion OF the
track space In the center OF Chatta-
nooga. and entictng figures are shown
as a reason why the State should do
this.
Would Impair States Power.
/ Now, If the State proposes TO go into
the real estate renting business and
for that purpose is willing to impair
her power for conducting a great trans
/ portation line, she can probably look
with favor upon the proposed plan to
| dismantle the road
4 For many years the Western and At
lantic Railroad had almost a monopoly
OF the business in the center OF the
city. hence the owners CT the above
narr.ad roads went 70 thu euornnouS Az