Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-26
COMMISSION ASKS
". & 4. BOARD FOR
HEARING ON PLAZA
Conference Held Thursday
Morning With Chairman C,
M. Gambler, Who Said Audi
enCe May Be Granted

6llC6 Wdy Do OIdlIlGu
The newly-created plaza commission,
composed of COMMITTEES from the city
council and the chamber of commerce
which organized Wednesday afternoon
by electing Victor H. Kreigshaber chair
man, held a conference Thursday morn
ing with Chairman C. NJ. Gambler, of the
Western and Atlantic railroad commits
sion and requested that the plaza COM
mission be given a hearing before The
Western and Atlantic railroad commits
sion.
Chairman Gambler told the commission
that he had no doubt his commission
would afford the hearing desired, but
that no date had yet been fixed for the
calling the Western and Atlantic COM
mission to meet again. He said that as
soon as such date was decided upon
he would notify the plaza commission
and he felt certain the commission would
hear from them.
Chairman Kreigshaber informed Chair
man Gambler that the local organization
had now become a commission instead
of the chamber of commerce commit
Tee WllCh HdS IAliAC4 " SOANNSSON eAAS
negotiations and that while the COM
mittee had been before the Western and
Atlantic commission on the plaza project
the commission desired to appear in Its
new and enlarged capacity.
Although the session of the
plaza commission Wednesday was
executive, it was announced
afterward by Chairman Kriegshaber
that the commission was in thorough
Ar1 a
the plaza plan should not be condemned
as a piece of damn foolishness" before
it has ever been gone into, and especial
ly after expert railroad engineers have
rendered written reports that the plan
is a thoroughly practicable and desir-
able one.
The commission adjourned after an
hours session, to meet again on the
call of the chairman. AS soon as the
railroad commission sets date Tor a
conference Chairman Kriegshaber will
call the plaza commission into another
session for further discussion of the
matters it will take up with the COM
mission.
KELLEY VICE CHAIRMAN.
At the meeting, Alderman Charles H
Kelley was elected vice chairman and X
r. Otis. secretary.
one of the first dnties of the plaza
commission will be to urge favorable
consideration by the Western and At
lantic commission on the petition pre-
sented by the former plaza committee
of the Atlanta chamber OF commerce.
asking the commission to insert clause
n, anv lease that may be closed for the
Western and Atlantic road, whereby the
citv of Atlanta will have the privilege
TO appear before the commission to OBJ
tain it's consent to a plaza plan, with
the understanding that the plan be sub
mitted later to the lessee OF the ROAD
for it's approval.
The plaza commission is willing that
a clause be inserted stipulating that the
plaza shall be built without cost TO the
state or to the railroads.
Chairman Kriegshaber said that the
nIaza would cost from S7,000,0OO to
$500, 900, and that about half of that
sum would be spent in improving pas
senger and freight facilities for the rail-
roads.
II was the opinion of Chairman Krieg-
shaber and Secretary Otis, as expressed
after the meeting, that the LOUISVILLE
and Nashville railroad and the Nash
Vile, Chattanooga and st. Louis rail-
road, instead of opposing the plaza plan,
ought really to support it. because of
the poor terminal facilities these roaoS
now have in Atlanta.
SURE TO MATERIALIZE.
The plaza plan is certain to material
ize some day." said Mr.. Kriegshaber,
land the railroads might have to pay
for Just the Improvement that Atlanta
is willing now to give them.
1.-THE railroads using the Union sta
ton especially are in need of improved
facilities. The plaza plan would enable
the city of Atlanta to- rid itself of the
smoke nuisance and the noise nuisance
and would permit the city to build
beautiful park in the center of the city.
Therefore. the city is willing to pay
for these improvements itself at this
time"
Secretary Otis called attention to the
recent agitation by the interstate COM
merce commission for the unification of
terminals and said that sooner or later
all terminal stations must be the same.
Under the plaza plan, he reasons, this
can be done now cheaper and more con-
veniently than perhaps it could be done
in the future.
The city plaza commission was APP
pointed recently by Mayor Gambler and
is composed of the following;
From Council-Alderman Charles H.
Kelley. Councilman A. J. Orme and
Councilman J. V. Little.
From Neutrality-suspicious. H. Krieg-
shaber, William L. Peel, r. r. Otis, Paul
NorCross and Alex W. Smith