Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-04-20
Press Comment On State Purchase
OF The A. B. & A. Railway

ulSlIlCl lOT us OllllOliS OF tOIS vi
heavy and bulky freights to the ocean.
The A. B. & A also runs from the
Brunswick port to the great city OF
Atlanta, whose export and import
tonnage is already very large and
increasing substantially every year.
Birmingham and Atlanta are the two
largest cities in the South except Louis
vile and New Orleans, and in few
years they will be the largest two
cities in the South-they both have
their shortest and cheapest line in the
A. B. & A. to Brunswick, the best
port in the South.
Other Growing Cities
In Alabama, the A. B. & A. touch
as Pell City and Talladega. In Geor-
gia it serves a number of the largest
and most rapidly growing cities in the
state, it reaches Lagrange, Vienna,
! Fitzgerald, Triton, Cordele, Ogle-
thorpe, Thomasville, Douglas, Way
cross and others. 1t penetrates many
of the most rapidly developing and
best counties of the state. The coun-
ties in Georgia penetrated by the A.
B. & A. now contain a population of
more than 100000 and show popu-
lation increase average of 46 per cent
i'll twenty years.
The A. B. & A. serves a number
of prosperous and growing Georgia
towns that have no other railroad.
The territory traversed by the A. B..
& A.. is now in the infancy of its de-
velopment and growth. The system
has mileage of $40 miles and liter
ally plerces the heart of the best and
most productive section of Georgia.
A Timely Comparison
! War and after war conditions
brought the w. & A. railroad to an
even worse financial state than the
world war conditions have brought
he A. B. & A.. the w. & A. at the
'ime of its purchase by the state was
much poorer investment prospect
than the A. B. & A. is now The w.
& A. never has had. and never can
have the property investment value
that the A. B. & A. possesses. 1t
never has, and never can have, the
local traffic possibilities of the A. B.
& A. nor comparable value as a
connecting traffic artery
These are simple facts:
The A. B. & A. will regain is bust
ness and earning power much faster
than the W. & A. did The develop
ment and Great on of new traffic along
the A. B. & A. will be several times
what it has betn in the territory trav-
ersed by the w. & A.
Put the A. B! & A. and the w. & A.
into one system of state-owned rail-
road property and Georgia will own
and control the most important trans
portaton asset within her borders:
not alone in earning capacity and
property value but with an additional
power of control and regulation ov-
er rates and services of the other trans
portation companies.
Senator Jones of Lagrange said
the other day that this talk of junk
ing The Georgia Railroads and actually
i lunking them is damaging the State
of Georgia seriously. When it comes
to junking a Georgia railroad of the
character and value of the A. B. &
A., it sounds abroad like a confession
of bankruptcy. 1t is certainly sui
cidal policy at home But there is
no real danger of the A. b. & A. be-
ing junked-the danger is that Geor-
gia may lose a chance to purchase the
property as an investment, at one
fourth its value. In my judgement. it
is a freeze-out game and more than
one big railroad company is hoping
and expecting to buy the best piece
of railroad property in Georgia. for
SlnmN000 or less and make it worth
$50OO0,000 in about ten years The
ten wears following state and national
recuperation from this depression will
be the most productive and prosperous
, that this generation will ever see, and
wealth and values will increase beyond
our fondest dreams. When the A. B.
I & A. gets on is feet again and renew
ed development starts along its line
it will go forward with a bound and
impetus that will make us dizzy.
Representative Mann of Glenn said
the other day that Our trouble in this
matter is that the majority of the
people lack the information and vision
to see its possibilities and for that
reason we will have hard Shedding get
ting legislative authority of the state
to buy this railroad. but that he thinks
it can be done. Georgia must send
men to the legislature with sufficient
information on the facts and condi-
tons and with a vision broad enough
and long enough to see our opportu-
nifty and fight for it until we get it
Mr. Mann is doubtful whether or
not purchase authorization can be
but thru the coming session of The
present legislature but he said it could
be done the first session of the next
Legislature if Georgia is wise enough
to send strong able men as legislative
renresentatives-men of information,
patriotism, wisdom and courage.
A railroad connecting the two larg-
est cities in the southeast by direct
short line with the best port in the
Soutll-ted bv a group of the best
small cities in the country and nour-
ished from the tlelds and factories of
the most productive section of this
country will give GEORGIA a rare prize
In addition 10 this, The A. B. & A.
through Birmingham is the only d.
rect line between Georgia's chief port
and the vast empire known as the
Middle West. The w. g. A already
Georcia-own"d. THROUGH Chattanooga.
IS the most direct line % all that vast
western country living betweo- st.
Louis and the Carolinas and Virgin
ia.
Strategicallv. intrinsicallv and pro-
tectivelv III" A. 3 & A purchase and
as an addition to the w. e. A. is a
oreat Investment opportunity for the
StHte Of Georgia.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,