St. Paul daily globe., 1895-11-18
THURsTON,s PACIFIC PLAN.
Attorney of the U. p. Believes IN
ConsOlidR ton.

OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 17.-Local rail-
wav circles were given an insight into
a new scheme for the reorganization
of the Union Pacific today. The mat
ter comes in the form of an authorized
statement from Senator Thurston
through Col. James B. Haynes. Sena-
tor Thurston left this evening tor
Washington. In the interview the SEN
ator said:
..My resignation as general solicitor
of the Union Pacific railway has been
forwarded to Judge Dillon in New
York, and will not be presented to the
receivers of the road. I resigned, not
because of any real or apparent i'm
propriety in my acting as attorney for
the receivers, but simply because the
duties of that position require the
whole time and attention of the man
who holds it,
'I have little idea what the prospect
is for success of the reorganization OF
the Pacific roads under the plan pro-
posed by the present committee. L
have another idea for the readjustment
of this government matter and reor-
ganization of the Pacific properties
somewhat in line with the recommen-
dation of the government receivers,
but not according to their method OF
reaching the result. I believe 1t would
be a great thing for the country at
large to have the Union Pacific ana
Central Pacific lines operated together
as one property. At present the whole
country is largely at the mercy of the
Pacific lines west of Ogden operated by
the Southern Pacific, which has the
choice whether its traffic shall go via
the Union Pacific or the Southern line.
I think it was one of the purposes OF
the government in chartering the roads
that they should continue as one line
operated together, and l think a rea-
sonable legislation can be enacted to
secure that result.
"I have prepared a bill which shall
introduce in the senate early in the
session, the general plan of which is
this: Take a statement Of the govern
ment claim against the main line from
the Missouri river to San Jose as 1t
will stand July 1, 1896, and offer that
claim as a. whole for sale to the highest
bidder who will give 40 or SO per cent
of the principal or interest; make that
the minimum, so the government
would get nearly or quite half of its
entire claim, sell that claim to one pur-
chaser, giving the purchaser all the
rights of the government, including Its
right of entry, possession and fore
closure Give to one court OF the
United States, presumably of Nebras-
ka, jurisdiction over a suit to foreclose
on the entire property, and ON the fore
closure sale provide that the property
should be sold as whole, purchasing
committee to be created as a corpora
ton and as such to possess all the cor
porate powers that congress conferred
upon the several lines.
f'That in brief is my idea Of the solu-
ton of the Pacific roads controversy
and reorganization Of the roads as a
through line. 1 think committee
could be reorganized within thirty days
to buy the claim fer so per cent of the
entire amount. The sale would excite
spirited bidding and the amount real
lied would be greater than 80 per cent
of the governments claim. The gov
ernment would certainly get all that
1T could hope to realize from any meth
cd of enforcing claims"
Senator Thurston said also that he
thought the Republicans should try to
organize the senate without combina-
ton with the Populists, and that he
believes the Republicans in congress
ought to pass a general tariff act in
harmony with its idea of American
protection, and on which they would
be willing to go to the country in, the
presidential campaign.