Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-25
SOUTHERN RAILWAY ASKS
PERMISSION TO CURTAIL
Would Withdraw Many OF Its Pas
sengcr Trains and CONSOLE
date Others.
CLEAR LINES FOR TROOPS
Must Conserve Equipment. In Order
to Be Ready to Handle Big Con-
- centration Camps, Says Vicc-Trcs-
ldcnt Il. II. Coapman.

Disc on tinuancc of sonr Of the uaS-
sepgcr trains on the Southern Railway
system in order to conserve the coal
supply. TO release men and equipment
and to clear the tracks for the c1jcien,
handling OF troops and supplies for
tho army and navy ~ asked Of the ga
rious railroad commissions in the
States traversed by the Southern's
lines in u letter forwarded Wednesday,
to the individual commissioners by T..
". Coapman. OF Atlanta. vice-p rcsi-
dent. in charge OF operation.
This request. naming the trains on
the Virginia lines which tho company
proposes TO discontinue. has been re-
cetVed kr Hartman Christopher r.
Garneii, OF tho State Corporation Com
mission. but no action has been taken
and probably viii not until tho sec
lions affected by tho dcrangr,nent OF
schedules have had n chance 10 he
heard The line out OF Richmond IL
ono Of the most Important operated
by tho company. rendering passenger
service 10 an army Of ucn VINO main
tain trade rcldtions between this city
and points III the south The brancl.
line between Richmond and wcst
Point also has an important place in
transportation facilities afforded to
re"plc going 10 and coming from that
-ection.
ENrRAoRDINAnr DEMANDS
OF CONCENTRATION CAMPS
This stop Is peculiarly necessary
in tho South" Mr. Coapman declared
In making the announcement public.
on account o. the extraordinary de-
mandS made upon the Southern tv
reason Of tho large concentration
'amps 10 be located in tho South.
which Will largely. If not totally.
take tn" fun carrying capacity of thi$
company 10 III" exclusion OF other traf-
ne and We hope that tho public viii CO.
'pcra'e Win MS aud appreciate that
what NC are ask is for tn. good OF
tho government In this crisis
~ needs no argument 10 demon
STRAIT" that TO rcpsond to this dltv
81 ours To the government tho use OF
every piece Of equipment; the energy
and effort of every officer ana cnr-
pioHcc viii he needed. and III freeing
'f its ,rtctkS and equipment mus, he
made.
~ j. impcra,ivcly necessary that
The southern halfway sys,cm together
with the other railroads OF tho United
states, hc permitted to conserve the
ni;ii'E Of It's motive power it's cara.
us tracks. its number Of trans II.
class % traffic. and it's men To con-
iinu@ our present elaborate pagscnucr
service VIII render sterile our efforts
to meet the required demands OF tho
Eoitrnm"ut IN this emergency
ALREADY certain commodities hay,
been placed on the preferential list.
namely. iron and coal aud other traf.
lI must be- suhordinNtcd to these We
must give preference 10 tn" movement
OF iron. coal. lumber. copper and other
war supplies. and all food products
Tor IN" 'GuirpnE Of IN" merchant ma
rue. tho navy and army. and the. feed.
ing OF tho men. as well as Ia tho move
in"nt or troops from one point TO an.
other
In asking for this reduction in it's
passenger service. Mr.. Coapmar stated
mat II would he IN" Southcrn's policy
to safeguard. as far rs possible the
convenience az tho publir