Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-08
RAILWAY MATTERS.
An I'm mpOrtant M ee,i0g at SAN Fran
cisco This Week.

cisco This Week.
Within the next few days a meeting
will take place in San Francisco of
prominent officials of the Union Pacific
and Southern Pacific roads, at which it
is said strong influence will be brought
to bear against the extension of the
Utah Central to Los Angeles. The rep
resentatives of the Union Pacific who
will be present are W. H. Holcomb, the
Vice President of the road, and G. s.
Mellen, the General Traffic Manager.
They have been invited by the officials
of the Southern Pacific to meet and dis
cuss the possibility of coming to some
kind of an agreement which will relieve
the Union Pacific from the necessity of
putting through their line to this Coast.
The present terminus of the Union
Pacific is Ogden. From that point on to
the Coast all its through freight and pas-
sengera must be shipped over the Central
and Southern Pacific linee, which
are practically one road. The
Southern Pacific is the worst rival which
the Union Pacific has, and it is for this
reason that the latter is anxious to
secure through connection which will
make them independent of it. At the
same time, it is to some extent within
the power of the Southern Pacific to
head off the Union from building through
by Offering to make such traffic arrange
ments as will practically give ito rival
the desired outlet.
It can hardly be questioned that the
Southern Pacific will make some very
advantage JUS proposition to keep such a
formidable rival out of the field. The
Santa Fe is a rival only as far as the
southern part of the State ia concerned,
and it does not tap the rich mining dis
tricts where the Union Pacific at present
has full sway. The Southern Pacific
has all along viewed with decided alarm
the evident determination of the Union
to cut into it's territory, and sooner than
take any chances it will doubtless be per-
fectly willing to give up some of the
revenue which it at present enjoys from
the traffic received from the Union at
Ogden. If it should offer to carry the
Union Pacifc's business through to this
Coast at a much reduced figure, ii might
perhaps be believed that the latter road
will listen with some favor to such a
proposition. os.s
Such an arrangement to be of any
value to the Union Pacific would have to
be designed to run through number of
years, and must include the southern
part OF the State. 1t becomes q grave
question whether the Southern Pacific
would be willing to give up such q con-
siderable slice of it's profits as would be in
volved. for a long terms of years. and
whether it would be willing to make the
extensive concessions which it's rival is
in position to demand. The vigor dis.
played by the Union Pacific in pushing
through the extension as rapidly as
possible, shows that it is very much in
earnest in it's determination to get
through to the Coast, and it will not
trust itself in the hands of it's rival unless
the arrangements made will be greatly
to it's advantage.
A recent interview with President
Adams, published in the HERALD of q
few days ago, called attention to the fact
that the Utah Central was at the present
time one of the most profitable branches
of the entire Union Pacific system. and
that the outlet to this Coast was desired
more for the mining interests of this line
than for the through traffic. No arrange.
ment with the Southern Pacific would
give such an outlet, as it would involve
the use of long route by way of Ogden
to San Francisco, whereas the proposed
extension would give direct line to this
city and the coast.
1t may, therefore, be considered quite
Improbable that the proposed conference
will have the effect of heading off the
effort of the Union Pacific tc
come through to this city. The
Southern Pacific can hardly offe,
inducements in the way of traffic
arrangements which will have sny such
result. The undertaking is, however
viewed with no small degree of interes,
by capitalists of this city who are in
formed of what is going on, and it is no,
impossible that some representative NAV
be sent north to ascertain what can bs
ldone that will prove to advantage to thil
section under the circumstances.
The trains on the lines running into
this city are now running all right, ex
Icept that many Of them are subject Il
delays owing to the bad condition of the
track. The Santa Ana division will be
Iopened today-at least SO the officials
say; but as this promise has been made
several times, il is not impossible that i,
may again fail OF being carried out. The
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