The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-19

The Western is making gratifying
progress in the work of extending
from Salina to Richfield, distance of
twenty. miles The grading is nearly
completed already, and will be finished
by the end of the month. Then the
track laying will be commenced, and
this ought to be completed and the
road in operation in May next. While
the railway officials are not talking
much about pushing on, it may be
taken as absolutely certain that un-
less adverse legislation puts a stop to
it, the extension will be pushed right
on to Marysvale, a distance of thirty
five miles from RichfeId This will
open up a great mineral district, and
will be of immense benefit to the
country south.
Colonel D. G. Dodge, of Denver, the
general manager of the Western, was
in conversation with Mr.. Babcock, at
the Knntsford last evening. When APP
preached by a reporter and asked
concerning the latter piece of work. he
replied: Unless adverse legislation is
INDUCED in the line will be extended
as outlined,
IF the legislature want more roads,
it should not pass this bill said the
time. When the state is threaded with
roads will be the time for railroad
commissions. I will say in reply to
your question that the passage of
measure of this character would great
ly interfere with the building of lines
and extensions.
RAILROAD commissions do not serve
the people as we'll as imagined he
continued. ''It is not a case of want
to get all we can in Utah with US
by any means. We want to be fair
with the people and if we get the bust
ness we can be fair.
It's a question OF tonnage inter
rupted Mr. Babcock. "Give US the
tonnage and we will make the rates.
But it must be remembered that in
this country we have miles and miles
of country where we do not receive
cent of income. Besides conditions
are different here as compared with
Iowa and Nebraska, where commits
sions are in existence. There the
grades are even and the expenses of
hauling about the same one place as
another. Here, however, matters are
different
1T is like this" said Colonel Dodge.
''The distance from here to Ogden, by
way of our line and the distance from
here to Park City by way of the Utah
Central are about the same. But who
would for a moment think of asserting
that the same amount of tonnage could
be hauled from here to Park City,
over the Utah Central. as cheaply as
we can haul it to Ogden?
"The reports of the passenger SER
vice for last year show the Michigan
Central line received more per mile
for passenger rates than did the West
ern," interpolated Mr.. Babcock. ''The
Central does an immense business, too
The Western is not to be compared
with it in that line or in the way of
handling freight. [ was agent for ten
years ON the Michigan line and the
tonnage of one city amounted to more
than does all the tonnage of the
Western.
'I would say to the people of Utah.
remarked Colonel Dodge. chat they
want railroads worse than they do
commissions The conditions which
obtain in other states do not obtain
here. There is no crying mead OF any
such body of men. Utah is not get
ting the worst of it on account of
rates and is much better off than some
states in the east where railroads are
more plentiful You can state that
railroad commission will do much to
retard the construction Of the lines
needed to develop the resources"