Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-19
ALEXANDER ASKS
STATE To RUN
VIA. ROAD
Georgia Shippers Are Discrimi-
mated Against Under Leasing
System, He Declares.

With the prospect for a largely at
tended meeting in Taft Hall Thurs
day night to discuss the future of the
w & A. Railroad, Hooper Alexander,
former Legislator and candidate for
the Governorship against John NJ.
Slaton, offered this solution:
Extend the Western and Atlantic
Railroad to every port on the Georgia
coast and let the State operate it."
That, he said. was the course the
State should follow when the N, c.
& st. L. Railway Company's 30
year lease expires on December q,
1919.
When Mr.. Alexander went to the
Legislature ten years ago he took up
all phases of the Western and At
lantic lease to the N, c. & st. L.,
with the avowed intention of event
ually putting the road back under
direct control of the State. Thursday
he said:
That's all I went to the Legislature
for and l nearly wore myself out
trying to get it done. / still hold the
same opinion, and the longer | think
about it the more | believe ! am
right At the Auditorium meeting
Knight 1 shall advocate the same
disposition of the road have always
stood for"
Claims Freight Discrimination.
According to Mr. Alexander, Geor-
gia shippers are Disseminated
against in every conceivable way on
every article of freight, and all ef-
forts to get relief have been futile
Here and there the Railroad Com
mission has chiseled off a few in
capabilities, he said, but the sum total
Of the commissions efforts has
amounted to about as much as a dew
drop compared to an avalanche.
Citing examples of discrimination,
Nj. Alexander said the through rate
or first-class freight, by sea and rail
from New York to Atlanta is S105,
while the same freight taking the
same route will pass through Allan
ia and on to Nashville, several hun
dred miles farther, for IS cents. The
general public has no idea of the ex-
tent of discrimination, according to
Mr.. Alexander
But It is not the extra amount Of
freight cost that hurts so much" he
said. 1T is the suffocation of bust
ness that counts. Hundreds of men
have been driven out Of business, and
! might say thousands have been pre-
vented from expanding or kept from
starting by excessive and discrimina-
tive rates These rates never will be
adjusted until the state takes charge
of the road l believe the State could
reduce the rates to all interior points
by one half and make money"
Wants Road Extended.
If it should be inadvisable to ex-
tend the Western and Atlantic to
every seaport Mr.. Alexander would
insist it be extended at least to the
port Of st. Marys, which he considers
the best harbor on the South Atlantic
seaboard, because it has the most
water on the bar.
No definite plan for State opera ton
of the Western and Atlantic was ad-
vanced ny Mr. Alexander. That is
matter of detail which he thought
could be worked out later. 81 might
mention the fact, though" he said
that before the war, when the Gov
ernOr appointed a superintendent who
operated the road, and the population
of the State was about 100000 we
got more money out of the road than
we do to-day, so years later"
TO develop Lne revenue production
Of the Western and Atlantic to the
fullest extent, Mr.. Alexander said, ex-
tension to the sea would be equally
as important as State operation. Il
don't think it would be worth any
thing unless it was carried, as orig
inally intended % the sea-" he said.
Two Governors Interested.
Both Governor Joseph NJ. Brown
and Governor elect John NJ. Slaton
probably will occupy seats on the
stage at the meeting.
Governor Brown has promised, IL
possible, to speak relative to the
Western and Atlantic and the posi-
bilities in it for the State. Among
other speakers will be w A. VIM
bish, Hooper Alexander, James r.
Gray and c. NJ Gambler, chairman of
the State Railroad Commission.
The Western and Atlantic Railroad
now brings the State, under lease to
the Nashville, Chattanooga and St
Louis, S420,012 year. 1t is general
ly said the property can be made to
pay Georgia, under a new arrange