The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-03-08
Should the W. g A. Be Sold?
From die Savannah News.

There is evidently a growing sentiment in
| favor of selling rather than releasing the
Western and Atlantic Railroad sentiment
that is based upon several grounds. In the
| first place, it is said that if the road should
be sold for SIS 900, 900, which is considered
very conservative figure, and that sum
| should be invested at, say, per cent, it
would Weld 100000 annually, which may
be compared with the present rental of the
road, $420,012. Or the states whole out
standing Indebtedness could be paid and
| there would still remain upwards of $4,000
900 TO be either invested or applied upon
public improvements, such as schools and
roads. And then too, the road under pri-
vate ownership would pay taxes into the
state treasury and the treasures of the
counties it traYerses.
Again, many persons 10 not think it right
for the state to protect its own railroad by
law against paralleling, while if the road
were in private hands, no objection would
be made to the building of a parallel line.
And again, there are many persons who
are strongly opposed to government own
ership, state or federal of railroads.
The second and third grounds are mat
ters of political opinion, involving a decis-
ion between fairness and unfairness, or be-
tween good and bad public policy. The
first one is matter of dollars and cents.
In respect to it it may be said that the road
likely viii increase in value from year to
year, anu ludJ Lue new tease, II HdQS, VIII
be upon the basis of much higher annual
rental than $4,000 And if the road
should be sold to any corporation or per-
sons so that it would not be under control
of its present lessee the likelihood is that
it would be quickly paralleled and its value
in that event would not be so great as it
is now; a fact that would have to be taken
into account if the state decided to sell it.
1t is provided in the constitution that the
road shall be a security for the entire pub
lie debt of Georgia, but if it should be sold
and it's proceeds used to retire all outstand-
ing bonds of the state and wipe out its other
debt the remainder would be sufficient to
put Georgia at least $8,00O,OOO ito the
good" and there is not the slightest reason
why she should not thereafter pay as she
goes and provide for the children as good
q school system as there is in the world.
All this is said to bring again to the at
tention of the public the need of think
ing about this valuable piece of public prop
erty and of the best disposition to make of
it, The Western and Atlantic railroad COM
mission, created at the special session in
on all details of formal lease contract
which the governor can execute in behalf of
the state, but the new lease is not going to
be made before another session of the legis-
lature, so there is time to think over the
question of whether it would be better to
lease it or sell it; if the commission cannot
lease it as advantageOusly as it wishes it is
authorized to make a recommendation as to
the most advantageous disposition or use
to be made of it, Naturally it will con-
slider the question of the benefits to be de-
rived from its sale in order to compare them
with the benefits of new lease.