The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-01-06
Clty'S Mayor and Many Coun-
Cilmen Declare Opposition
to Move.
MS CITYS BEST ASSET"
Railroad Trustees Unit in OPP
posing Sale of Only City
Owned Railroad in U. S.

Cincinnati, o., Jan. 6.-(SpeciaI.)-
The resolution which City Council
man Kellogg, of the First ward, in
troduced today in the city council of
this city on the subject of the forced
sale of the Cincinnati Southern rail-
road, has aroused apparently gen
eraI opposition.
Mayor Calvin and w. r. Porter, the
latter one of the Southern trustees
and for many years counsel for them,
both declared themselves against the
proposed sale and willing to fight to
the bitter end in the courts.
The mayor says that the Southern
railroad is one of the greatest assets
of the city, He points out that the
gross income of the road is 100000
and says that this would not be a
good time at any rate to offer a rail-
road for sale.
No Power to Sell.
Mr. Porter, who drew the present
lease under which the road is oper-
ated by the Alabama Great Southern,
says lildL lDS Clly Oh
natl would not have the power to sell
the property; the title is in the hands
OF the trustees; besides the trustees
are holding the road for practically
three parties, Mr.. Porter points out,
the city, the bondholders and the les
see.
The railroad was intended as a
permanent gift to the people of Gin
cinnati, and for this reason power
was placed only in the hands of the
trustees" Mr.. Porter says further.
Besides this, the value of the rail-
road is so great that it would b the
height of folly to sell such a valu-
able security"
Get Court Decision-kellogg.
Councilman Edwin e. Kellogg Mon
day expressed no dissatisfaction over
the discussion which has been
aroused by his proposal to introduce
the Southern resolution.
THE idea of my resolution was to
arouse attack" Mr.. Kellogg said. ~
believe the city would be benefited by
the sale of the road, and that the
question of its sale may be taken
into the courts and decided there.
Ihat is why | am asking for COM
mittee to investigate it, as well as
AtRA FOUNi.N ITG
surprising thing to me about the
discussion so far is the inconsistent
and contradictory attitude of many
OF those who are expressing them
selves as opposed to the sale of the
Cincinnati Southern and ready for a
red-hot legal contest.
They are men who have hereto
fore fought every suggestion of mu-
nieipal ownership of public utilities.
The peculiar position the Cincinnati
southern occupies has been q factor
in blocking the building of a new
union depot il. Cincinnati and Chat
tanooga. The railroad interests had
plan for a new depot; the trustees
=, of the Southern had an entirely diff
ferent plan in conflict with it, and
as result of the controversy the
new depot was held up he con-
cluded.
Today r. X. LeBlond expressed the
opinion that this would be a poor
time to sell a railroad. Others in
dicated similar attitude. Il. w. Ed
wards expressed the opinion that it
might be well to sell the railroad if
it were not for the favorable lease
now on it; trustees of the railroad
expressed themselves as waiting to
bring legal proceedings as soon as
th9 city council starts the sale ball
rolling. They are unanimous in op
posing the Kellogg proposal