The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-06-12
PROTECT PEOPLE
IN ". & A. LEASE,
SAYS ANDERSON
Candidate for Governor Declares
Counties Through Which Road
Runs Should Be Considered.

That the next lessee Of the West
ern and Atlantic railroad should be
called upon to pay county and mu-
nicipal taxes in those counties, cities
and towns through which it runs, is
the interesting and important sugges-
ton of ]. Randolph Anderson, candi-
date for governor, in his opening cam
paign speech at Marietta, June s.
Mr. Anderson has been criticised by
one Of his opponents because the Sa-
yannah law firm of which he is a
member, happens to have had a rail
road company as a client; and yet MI
Anderson goes further than any of his
opponents, in demanding that the next
lease of the state road shall not only
yield the maximum return to Geor
gia, but shall properly and fully pro
tect the people who live upon the line
Of that road in the matter of bearing
its proportion of the burden of taxa
alton as well as from a standpoint of
service.
In his address Mr.. Anderson point
ed out that the service of his law
firm for the SeabOard Air Line was
purely local and the same as rendered
any other client. He called attention
to the fact that he was president of
little struggling 33-mile railroad in
Bulloch and Bryan counties in which
connection he had greatly aided in the
development of that section Of the
state. His experience in these mat
tiers, he believes, VIII be Of service
to the state
Opposes Lease by Seaboard.
In the next place Mr.. Anderson real
ly opposes lease Of the Western and
Atlantic by the Seaboard, because he
believes it would result in the paral-
Icing Of the state road by the Louis
vile and Nashville and the Nashville,
Chattanooga and St Louis interests,
and consequent injury to the states
property.
Mr. Anderson also said in his speech
that the SeabOard would not want the
lease because it could make no through
connections in Chattanooga, and that,
therefore, the Seaboard might as well
be dismissed from consideration.
Discussing the lease from a bust
ness standpoint, Mr.. Anderson said:
1T is ridiculous to suggest that any
governor or any legislature could or
would be willing to do anything but
obtain for the state the maximum
rental and the best terms that the
property could afford to bear The
question of the lease is a plain bust
ness question and must be handled
and disposed of in a practical business
manner without any display of polit-
ical Mysteries or fireworks. | have per-
haps a greater personal interest in the
welfare of the property than any of
the other candidates, because it hap
pens that my farm here in Cobb
county borders on the state road for
nearly half a mile"
Make the Rental Grow.
Continuing, Mr.. Anderson said the
state should not only try to secure
the maximum rental in money, but
should also make provision for the
double tracking of the line He also
said that whatever of the states prop
erty in Chattanooga can be rented in
dependently of the lease without in
terfering with the latter, should be
made to yield the best possible return
to the state.
Mr.. Anderson further believes the
returns to the state from the Western
and Atlantic should be made to grow
larger, as the earnings of the property
increase. He said:
1T may be well to consider whether
it would not be wise in the next lease
to fix upon certain percentage of
the gross earnings of the property
as the basis of rental, sufficient to
give at the start a satisfactory max
imum present return to the state.
Gross earnings can not be hid. and
in this way the state will automati-
cally year by year get the benefit
Of the annual increase in the value
of the lease due to the steadily in
creasing density Of population and
consequently increasing volume of
traffic.
Should Pay Taxes.
1t is Mr. AndersOn's opinion that the
next lessee Of the Western and Allan
tic should be required to pay its Just
proportion of taxes to the counties
and towns through which it runs, Just
as all other railroads in the state are
required to do. and he will urge this
course. He said:
In the next lease Of this road, |
think we should also consider and
protect the interests of the counties
and towns along its line At present
they receive no taxes from the
lessees, yet they have to bear ali the
expenses for the time devoted to its
business by their courts and juries
and other officers. | think provision
should be made in the next lease
for placing the lessees upon the same
footing in this respect with the other
railroads elsewhere in the state,
and for enabling the counties and