The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-02
IS PLAYING HAVOC.
Union Pacific Is Causing Much OPP
poSition.

The proposed fast train service of the
Union Pacific, which is announced from
Omaha headquarters as going into eff
feet next Sunday, is playing havoc with
calculations of railway managers.
IF the service is carried out accord
ing to official programme, it will upset
plans of managers both in the east and
in the west, and may lead to pasSen-
ger rate war OF far-reaching conse-
quence. Already it is intimated that
pressure is being brought TO bear upon
the Union Pacific to declare the 2S-hour
schedule off.
Many reasons are advanced for the
opposition to the plans of the new man
agement One is that the rate war
which may follow would deprive roads
of a large profit which they might
otherwise expect from Alaskan travel.
Another reason is that fast train
service on the Union Pacific would dis
arrange all transcontinental passenger
time cards, require the cancellation of
many long standing traffic agreements
and throw passenger business of the
west into such muddle that there is
no knowing where the troubles would
end A third argument against the IN
noVation is that there is no urgent rea-
son for shortening the running time be-
tween the mountains and Chicago. The
public is well satisfied with present
conditions, and nobody is clamOring for
the dangerous rate of speed which
would be necessary if the distance of
1850 miles was covered in Is hours.
Then it is shown that the longer and
therefore the weaker lines will not
stand idly by and see all the traffic car
ried off by the Union Pacific or the Bur-
hngton, which is inevitably drawn into
the contest of endurance if the flyers
are put on the track.
AS the Union Pacific and the Burling-
ton have the shortest mileage between
Denver ard Chicago, it is pointed out
that the battle royal would inevitably
take place between those two great cor
porationS. The Santa Fe, having mile
age which leaves it out entirely as a
time competitor, would be obliged to
cut the rate. 1t would be driven to the
alternative of reducing the rate or
going out of the passenger business
between the two important railway
points of the west. A differential is
something which the Santa Fe up to
the present time religiouSly avoided, |
but many times it has been pointed out
that a differential is a necessity if the
Santa Fe hopes to become an import
ant element in the passenger business
between the great lakes and Colorado. !
Although the track and the roadbed |
may be as perfect as can be made, the
public of today looks to the fastest |
line. and time is money to the business
man. Officials of the Santa Fe have re-
Trained from letting their sentiments on /
the subject be publicly known, but If |
rUmOrs from Chicago are true, the diff /
ferential is becoming one of the warm /
questions at Santa Fe headquarters
The Missouri Pacific has not been
considered a Chicago line, but the Mis-
souri, Pacific may shy its castor into /
tT,a ,-fv, ,.11 70 f1aa fnrrlf of
the problem. The Rock Island might |
be an important factor, but its officials |
say they will continue at the existing |
schedule until spring. Then they may /
take a hand in the game.
The date. Feb. 6, is a puzzlN y'hich no /
Denver man has been able - olive. |
Why the Union Pacific seie "a tn .
worst month of the year to us-Sel as
the month of experiment with the first I
train, is beyond the comprehension of
the average mountain railroad man.
Snow, sleet, hail and rain are not con-
ducive to great speed on steel rails.
and the MANAGEMENT of the Union Pa
cific has broken all presidents by de-
flying the elements and attempting a
feat which few years ago would have
been declared an utter impossibility.
Had the change been arranged for later
in the season, when the weather be-
comes settled, the surprise of trans
portation men would not be so great.
Everybody knows the pride with which
railroad officers try to maintain a
schedule, especially in the early days
Of its experience. The eyes OF jealous
rivals are on the road, and failure to
make schedule time is announced in
gleeful tones and used as a knOck-down
argument in soliciting for passengers.
The Union Pacific will not dare to fall
down" in the attempt to carry out the
fast train schedule The change once
made, it must be carried out success
fully at all hazards.
Six weeks ago it was quietly given
put by the. Burlington that a fast train
service would be installed on that line
in the spring. No date was named FOR
the service, and officials visiting Denver