Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-29
An Extra Legislative Session
To Deal With the State Road.


ment, thereby intellectually increasing and forever
safeguarding the value of its railroad property.
But it must with vigor and decision.
Private capital, convinced that the extension
idea is sound, stands ready to carry it forward on
liberal and inviting terms. Two propositions of
the kind have been laid before the Western and
Atlantic Commission by responsible interests. Mr..
William Hurd Hillyer, of Atlanta, and associates
offer TO deliver the State, free of membranes,
an extension of the Western and Atlantic from
Atlanta to Savannah, together with valuable port
terminals and all other needful facilities, and to
accept in payment therefor ifty-year, four per
cent State of Georgia bonds to the amount of
approximately ten million dollars. They propose,
further, to lease the entire line from Chattanooga
to Savannah for a term of forty-seven years at
annual rental which would yield the State a return
on its present line substantially in excess of
what it now receives and which also would pay
the interest on the bonds and provide sinking
fund for their retirement.
Earlier in the year Mr.. J. A. J. Henderson, of
Osclla, and his associates submitted proposal to
the same general effect, but different in several
important particulars. Under their plan the
tension would reach from Atlanta to st. Marys
and thence to Jacksonville, Fla They would
accept ten million dollars of State bonds, bearing
interest at the rate of four and half per cent and
maturing in ten-year periods of equal amounts.
They would lease the line for fifty years at
rental sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds
and to maintain the necessary sinking fund. They
would also lease the Chattanooga to Atlanta line
for a ffty-year period OF a monthly rental of
$3.50 for the first ten years, $4,000 for the
second ten $4,000 for the third ten, $4,000 for
the fourth ten and $50 900 for the fifth ten years.
The interesting aspect of both these PROPOSE
hat aEa he IN
extend its railroad to an outlet and to gain
the inestimable advantages incident thereto with
out actually spending a single dollar The West
ern and Atlantic is a local line, dependent
largely on other railways for its more profitable
traffic Having port connection of its own and
no permanent guarantee of connections with the
West or the East, it is obviously at disadvantage.
The problem can be solved only by carrying out
the plan on which the road originally built,
that is by extending it to the sea so that it will
have an assured and independent hold the
larger tides of commerce.
Besides the propositions we have noted, the city
of Savannah and the business interests of Bruins
wick announce their readiness to cooperate gen.
erously with the State in carrying out the extern
sion project. Savannah is so keenly interested
that it offers to defray the expense of a special
session of the General Assembly if such a session
is called to enact needful legislation and Bruins
wick offers the state q coast frontage OF forty
miles for terminals together with valuable rights
of way Thus an enterprise which few years
ago was merely a vague though splendid possibi-
ity. has resolved itself into cear-cut, practical
opportunity.
But if the State is to profit by these circum-
stances if it is to utilize the private capital and
the civic aid at its command it must place itself
in a position to deal concusively with those who
are prepared to serve it. In short, it must take
prompt steps TO authorize the bond issue which is
necessary to finance the extension plan. Not until
that is done will the State be able to trade on this
matter which is peculiarly urgent because of the
fact that the present lease of the road is nearing
expiration.
bond issue of this kind calls for Coustitu-
tional amendment, to be ratified by the people
after having been sanctioned by the General
Assembly: and Constitutional amendments must
be submitted at a general election. The forthcom-
ing election in November is unavailable for TINS
purpose because a sixty-day notice must be given
after the amendment has passed the Legislature
But on the first Saturday of December next there
will be a Justice of the Peace election which is of
a general character and which the Legislature
could postpone by special act to the fourth Sat
urday December 30. That would give sufficient
time for the adoption of bond issue amendment
through an extra session of the Legislature and
for its due advertisement before being voted on by
the people. After this year there will be no other
general election until 1918.
The extension project is so profoundly impor-
tapt to the future interests of the State Roadits
rental value rs well as its safety and develop
ment-and so important. too, to all the material
interests of the Commonwealth that an extra ses-
sion of the General Assembly TO deal with the
situation seems abundanty justified. At the last
regular session a bill providing for the very thing
which is now needed passed the Senate and re-
ceved large majority vote in the House, but
failed of the requisite two-thirds simply because of
the absence of many House members at the time.
It is hardly to be questioned that the Legislature,
if now called together, would pass such measure
Overwhelmingly, that the people, if given a
chance. would ratfy it: for it would merely place
at the disposal of the Western and Atlantic Com
mission the financial machinery needed to clnch
an extension deal in case the Commission found
such a deal advisable