Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26
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
If possible to lease it. would no
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-
/ trol it's freight rates by obtaining
! concession of land from Tennessee.
giving il 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 Mi0sissippi River points.
! This, he states. could be done at
| cost of $4,000 900.
Suggests a 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. 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 holdir~ II 0~'~d the notable
nmercisl worth Of this railroad to
that It 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 a rate-fixer and competi-
| ton securer. our fathers in construct
ing II, builded wiser than they knew.
Calls Extension Visionary Scheme.
| the subject OF extending the Western
| and Atlantic Railroad to the sea. Ny
| judgment however. is that the fixed
| policy o. 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 $4,000, 900. In
| tact, report made to your honora BILE
bodies found on page 500. House Jour
nal. 1903. estimated that the cost Of the
! extension would be s71650 per mile
making the total cost. II II were about
215 miles long. almost $40 000, 900 IT,
however, the extension is to Savannah.
| paTien, Brunswick and St Marys the
main line extension would be at least
l2o miles more at a cost OF upwards OF
$4,000. 600 1t being understood that
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 bor-
rowed.
But, as the Constitution of the State
torbids 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 4
per cent the interest account on 800
10000 alone would be $500 900 an
nually.
Whether the State would or would
not undertake to run the road herself,
It 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
a 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, either adjoining that point or at
some ether 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 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 10
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
bring reduction to all cities in the
State.
This extension, am told, would call
for tiye or six miles OF tunnels cost
ing about $3.50, 900 per mile and possibly
upward Of thirty miles Of additional
railroad costing from $4,000 to s25, 900
per mile, making a total for these two
items Of say. $2,250 900. Therefore, it
would appear that SS.000O00 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
Georgia. This can be done If Chicka-
manga Creek is widened, deepened and
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 1e
miles long and should not cost 81 900 900
| 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 il she
decides to adopt this policy she will
'ecure immensely greater benefits for
her people by spending, at the most,
IS 900 600 in extending it to the banks
OF the Tennessee River in her own
borders than by spending some 500
10000 extending II to the sea
Although the State of Georgia has an
absolute advantage over her COMPETE
tors in Chattanooga, 1t is seriously pro
posed that she shall abdicste that ad-
vantage and allow her competitors to
succeed to it. The plan advocated is
10 ground rent a large portion of the
track space in the center of Chatta-
nooga, and enticing figures are shown
IS reason why the State should do
this.
Would impair States Power.
Now, IL 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
For many years the Western and At
lantic Railroad had almost a monopoly
of the business in the center Of the
RhH