Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-20
SEABOARD SEEKS
ONLY TO PLEASE. AI!SE..
STANLEY REPLIES
Schedule Of No Material
Interest To Road, Not
To Act Quickly

The protest of the Americus and
Sumter County Chamber of Com
merce against the proposed change
in the Seaboard schedule here dis
continuing the 5:15 "Shoo Fly" pas
senger train eastward from here and
substituting for it 6 a. m. sched-
ule, has been received by w. L.
Stanley, general counsel for the Sea-
board, and in his reply he states
that the railroad has no desire to put
into effects any schedule displeas-
ing to its patrons; that the sched
ules of these trains is of no ma
terial concern to the railroad; and
under no circumstances will any
change in local service be put into
effect until those interested are Civ
en- full opportunity to indicate their
wishes "and | have exhausted every
effort to work out a schedule that
will be agreeable to the majority
Of the towns it serves"
1t appears that Mr. Stanley was
appraised by the Chamber of Com
merce secretary by letter last Satur-
day that the proposed change, recon-
mended at meeting at Cordele last
Fruday, was unsatisfactory to Am
ericus interests, and this letter was
later followed by the report of the
official action of the Chamber OF
Commerce directors. Mr.. Stanley's
letter of reply, received Thursday
morning, follows:
Mr.. Jos. Perkins, Secretary,
Chamber of Commerce, Americus.
Ga.
"My Dear Mr.. Perkins: Since
writing you on yesterday in reply
to your letter of 18th inst, l am in
receipt of your favor of the 18th,
inst.
81 beg to assure you that we have
no desire nor purpose to put into
effect a schedule that will not be
agreeable and convenient 20 our pat
rons. The present schedule is en-
tirely satisfactory to us, but when
the commission permitted US to dis
continue trains 13 and Ia west OF
Helena, it derected that we submit
Q proposal for rearrangement of
schedules in that territory.
''The business of the Alabama di
vision Of the Seaboard does not
justify more than a double daily pas
senger service in each direction.
Upon what schedule these trains are
run is Of no material difference to
US so long as the runs are not
arranged SO as to necessitate the
payment Of arbitrary wages to train
crews for mileage not made by them.
Of course, you realize that we have
to look to particular territory as
a unit and not to any particular
city within that territory as a view
of arranging a service that will best
meet the requirements Of the great
er number Of people.
'T have very frankly written to
the commission that you have adyis
ed me of your opposition to the
change. Just what course the matter
will take now l am unable to say,
at the present time; however, you
may be absolutely assured of the
fact that I am not going to take any
arbitrary action looking to the put
ting on of any schedule for local
service until I have given those in
terested full opportunity to indicate
their wishes and until I have eX-
hausted every effort to work out a
schedule that will be agreeable to
the majority of the towns that it
serves.
81 shall very greatly appreciate
an expression from you as to what
your good people want in the way of
train service, keeping in mind the
fact that the business does not justi-
fly more than two trains in each di-
rcction daily. Yours very truly,
"W. L. STANLEY,
General Counsel, Seaboard Airline
Railway Co.
ATLANTA, Ca, Jan. 10, 1920"