Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-07-07
dl)e Ca,,faster 1ntelli9enfer.
Railroad Movements.

There are wonderful tales current of new
combinations between the Vanderbilt and
Pennsylvania railroad interests, the aim Of
which is to enable the two parties to live
together in peace and stop the competition
from which the public has been
expecting much for its own inter-
est. The story runs that the new
South Pennsylvania railroad and the
Beech Creek, Clearfield 4 Southwestern
railroad, are to be handed over to the Penn
sylvania, while the West Shore is to be aban-
doned to Vanderbilt according to which
arrangement the New York Central and
the Pennsylvania would stand out of each
others way in the states which give them
their names. What is to be done with the
Jerdly roads is not as yet clearly indicated.
Vanderbilt, in the spirit of accommoda-
ton with which he is credited, might be
persuaded to drop Reading; but the Balti-
more & Ohio stands as factor in the situ-
alton and needs to be taken into the
combination to make the arrangements al
| together lovely. AS this road is not greatly
addicted to dickers of this sort, it will
have to see its way pretty clearly to its ad-
vantage to meet the idea in an accommoda-
ting spirit.
Upon the whole, considering the magni-
tude of trading proposed and the lack OF
gigantic intellect among the traders, we
have very small expectation that it will be
accomplished. IL it is undertaken, 1t is
clear enough that one of the parties to il
will be badly cheated, along with the gen.
eral public that is credited with dispo
sition to look on acquiescently. II
may do so, under it's experience that
such combinations are never Ions
successful in securing their pro
posed aims. An agreement by the Penn
sylvania railroad to purchase the riva
roads that are being constructed in thil
state by Vanderbilt and his associates
would remove these rivals from its way TO
the present; and secure it in the futur
the opportunity to buy up, In lik'
manner, many others which woul'
be started, to he thus absorbed
Fortunately, however, TO take from tn
Pennsylvania railroad directors TIN
temptation thus to absorb rival lines, at
cost which would sometime be too burden
some to be borne, the constitution @
Pennsylvania forbids its railroad corpora
tions to consolidate with each other whe
they are parallel or competing lines, o
to lease, or in any way control each other
Under this prohibition it would seem
be difficult for the Pennsylvania railroad
secure the control of the rival Vande
bilt lines, which are assigned 70 it by tn
current story of its effort to obtain thi
forbidden fruit.
Pennsylvari.. is not good field fC
the spectators in new railroads. Whe
FKey build them they run great risk {
being compelled to operate them. We ar
strongly of the opinion that both the Sout
Pennsylvania and the Beech Creek, Cleal
field Il Southwestern railroads vii
remain for some time longer in thei
condition of rivalry to the Pennsy
vania. They cannot handily get out of il
way, If they would and it is not easily
be credited that they would il they coult
The interests which built them would hav
to be revolutionized wholly to create thi
disposition.