The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-07
RAILROAD SYSTEMS 1 SEEKING LOCATIONS FOR OFFICES HERE
With Return of Railroads to Private Ownership In Sight, Traffic Managers
 Plan to Open Offices

With the end of government control and operation of the railway systems of the United States less than two months off. arrangements are now under way to reorganize the traffic departments along the lines that obtained prior to January II. 1918.
 Recently the heads of the traffic de- partments of severai of the roads that maintained agencies in Birmingham have been here seeking locations for the re- opening of their offices on March l. when the owners again will come into control of the properties.
 The latest to secure office facilities is the Missouri Pacific and the Gulf Coast lines. representatives of the two sys- tems coming here yesterday and taking leases on office space.
 c. F. Perkins, general traffic manager, and Charles l.. Stone, passenger traffic manager, of the Missouri Pacific, spent the day here looking for offices, and be- fore leaving in the afternoon took a lease on rooms in the Woodward build- ing, W. w. Stein, who formerly repre- sented this system here, it is stated, wih be in charge again.
 The Gulf Coast lines have secured of- fees in one of the downtown office build ings for the use of its freight and pas- senger traffice representative.
 The Southern Pacific. the Texas and Pa sifc and two or three other roads have already secured offices and several others have been looking over the available of- fees with the view to leasing by March l.
 Prior to the government taking over the railways over 20 of the big systems op- eratipg in the United States and two oi Ia. kas, -oY,er and traffic offices and representatives in Birmingham and it is believed that all of them will re-establish offices here within the next two or three months
 A rumor is in circulation here to the effect that President Harahan will re- sign as president of the Seaboard Air Line as soon as the government relin- quishes control of that system. and that B. L.. Winchell, at present regional di- rector of railroads for the southern region. with headquarters in Atlanta. will succeed him. MT. Harahan is one of the best known railroad men in the United States at different times having been president of the Illinois Central and other big systems. and has been chiat executive of the Seaboard for several years.
 MT. Winchell came from one of the western systems to take charge of the southern region early in 1elS.~ He has been connected with several of the larger systems during the last 20 or p years. and is considered to be one of the. ablest railroad men in the country.
 It is believed to be certainty that the Told system of maintaining freight and passenger agencies in all Of the impor- tant cities of the country. will be rein laugurated when the railroads pass back into the control of their owners on March h. The traffic departments of the va rious roads favor this system, 1t is said. and there is hardly a doubt but they will go back to it.
 Birmingham IS looked upon by railroad ! men as one of the most attractive citles in the country, both in the matter or freight and passenger traffic. The large ! tonnage originating here and shipped 70 all parts of the United States and to Tor 1 eign countries makes tempting morsei' and the varied industries representins millions of dollars of foreign investments | and the central location of Birmingham | go to make if an important city from the nassenger traffic mans viewpoint D