The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-12
TIE SUMTER cot
TON PLATFORM
Secretary Reardon Comments on
the Controversy With the
Southern Railway

aferce VS. the Southern Railway. be-
tore the l.. S. Railroad Administration
to require that company TO rehGiie
portion Of the cotton platform here
tofore used by the Southern Railway
account of reversal of Railroad Ad-
.ninistration's decision favorable to
Chamber of Commerce because
Southern Railway does not own the
land on which it is proposed to- re-
build the platform, Secretary Rear
don gave out following information
today.
The Sumter Cotton Warehouse
Company offered and now offers to the
Southern Railway Company, without
cost to the Southern Railway Com
pany, the necessary land upon which
that transportation company ca,l G
construct its necessary portion of the
cotton weighing PLATFORM DESTROYED by
Ere: The Sumter Cotton Warehouse
Company. accor1liug to. the Sumter
Chamber of Commerce understa n;iing
of this matter, and certified to by Mr.
n. C Havnswerth,. attorney for the
Cotton Warehouse. Company, has fur
n1shed for years, up to the burning
ofs the cotton platform, free platform
Accommodations to the Southern Rait-
way. the only consideration received
kcfng the right TO use a crossing over
the Southern Railways side track into
the warehouse property of the Cotton
Warehouse Company at one point be-
tween the two properties.
s: The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Company has for years used and now
Sses a strip Of ispd belonging to the
Cotton Warehouse Company upon
which the railroad company erected
and kept III repair.Aat IT'S own expense.
a large cotton weighing and loading
platform joined to and used Jointly
w.est?l the cotton platform of the Cotton
Warehouse Co., and now occupies the
same land for its cotton platform
Therefore the contention Of the
Southern Railway that it can not erect
its necessary portion Of the DESTROYED
cotton platform because it does not
own the land upon which this portion
Of the platform is requested to be con-
structed to make continuous and
convenient platform, is strange arSu-
1,1ent to say ne least. If the A. G. l..
Eailroad Company can build cotton
plafor1n facilities on the land belong
ging to the Cotton Warehouse Com
pany. then the Southern Railway can
consistently do SO, and the Southern:
Railway Company can better afford TO
do so in view Of the fact that this
railway company. has enjoyed cxcep-
tiona1 and free ACCOMMODATIONS for
Sears at, the expense of the Cotton
Warehouse Company. while the At
lantic Coast line Railroad Company.
with that well known public spirit SO
characteristic of that great transpor-
1ariorf system, which never. loses an
opportunity to help build up the ter
ritory tratersed by its numerous lines
has rebuilt its portion of the platform
made it larger than the portion be-
longing to the Warehouse Company.
and will. as heretofore. keep the.
platform in good condition at it's cS-
pe1ise.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Compam came to Sumter without
asking any 4fnarcia1 or other favors.
while the Southern Railway branch
from Sumter to Sumter Junction was
subsidized by this city giving free
Terminal facilities if l am not much
nistakef1
The farmers of Sumter Lee and
Clarendon counties are being greatly
inconvenfenced and delayed in the
weighing OF their. cotton. and l think
are also losing money on every bale
sold. because the local cotton buyers
are put to i1fucb. extra expense in
draying and rehandhng Of cotton from
the two warehouses to the Southern
and other freight dcpots. and for
drawing cotton from the cotton plat
form to the Southern Railway dc
pot. A reliable farmer said to me to-
day that a local buyer said they could
not pay as. much for cotton as they
would like to because of the extra eS-
pense they are put TO in handling cot
ton because OF the inadcquacy Of
weighing facilities and other dciays
and ificonteniences due to the fact
that the Southern Railway will rat
join with The Atlantic Coast Line Rail
road company and fhe cotton weigh
ers:and The cottor. warehouse company
in erecting The necessary and conven-
lent platform facilities.
The cotton sellers Of Sumter. Lee
and Clarendon counties. the SeHlter
cotton BUYERS. and the business mon
Of Sumter appreciate the cooperative
spirit &c the Atlantic Coast Line in
this important matter. and will not
forget that great transportation sys-
tenn in the days to come when freight
traffic is being competed for under
private ownership Of railroad lines.
Public sentiment is big factor in
securing business, the good will and
friendshjp of the public is a very val
uablc factor in all lines Of business.
.as in other ways.
z. The. Southern Railway is absolutely
the ohfy cerpo,,; zion Known to this
section OF the United States at least
which expects to do a big freight
business. in shipping in and shipping
out, thousands of bales of cotton
without any plant or expenses TO get
their Share of the cotton traffic.
=. Iron II