The Topeka state journal., 1902-03-29
To Thwart HuntingtOn's Cali
fOrnia Railway Schemes.
WOULD KEEP HIM OUT.
Do Not Want Competition in
Southern California.
Santa Fe and Southern Pacific
Will Stand Together.

Los Angeles Cal, March 29.-The Los
Angeles Express. edited by Samuel p.
Glover, formerly editor of the Chicago
Evening Post, prints the following:
E. H. Hartman and the vast rail-
way and financial interests he controls,
in alliance with the Santa Fe system
with it's trackage of nearly 5000 miles,
is to wage war against Henry E. Hunt
ington and his southern California op-
erations-
The mileage controlled by f. H. Har-
riman embraces the Southern Pacific,
Union Pacific. Oregon Short Line and
affiliated railways, a total in excess OF
20 600 miles These interests are about
to combine in an attempt to crush
Henry E. Huntington, who will have
the assistance of the millions that are
accessible to 1. W. Hellman and his as
sociates. The neutrality-suspicious.
combination is to be thwarted in its
attempts to gridiron southern Califor-
mia with electric railways.
The steam roads in opposition have
awakened to a realization of the fact
that with the Huntington plans per
fected the Southern Pacific and the
Santa F'e are in danger of losing mil
lions of dollars of revenue every year.
incidentally it may be stated in this
connection that there is no alliance be-
tween Senator w. A. Clark and Z. H.
Hartman in this territory and none is
ter would not be desirOus of crushing one
rival and in the next moment COM
bining with another opponent whose
interests are equally antagonistic. Mr..
Hartman is not a traction man. He
owns no property of that character, and
so far as known has no desire to ac-
quire interests in that direction. Mr.
Hartman is anxious to block Henry Z.
Huntington and in that desire he will
be aided by the Santa F'e.
President Hartman and President E
P. Ripley will discuss existing condi-
tiOnS in Los Angeles The time and
place of the proposed meeting has not
been determined, but will depend
Mr.. Harriman's movements. The latter
is due here in a few days. AS soon as
he arrives President Ripley will be in
formed, and the two railway executives
will confer either in Los Angeles or
Santa Barbara, where a plan of cam
paisn for the guidance of their local
representatives Will be agreed upon
If Senator w. A Clark cares to be-
come a party to the proposed alliance
his assistance will be welcomed so far
as it does not conflict with the main
idea of preventing construction of in
terurb2n electric railways in southern
California. Should it develop that Sen
ator Clark has absorbed the Los Ange-
les Traction company he Will be treated
by the Southern Pacific-Santa F'e COM
bination a common foe.
Local headquarters Sf the Santa Fe
sounded the alarm TO President Ripley
syndicate first were
unfolded several months since. Chicago
headquarters of the system, however,
paid no heed to the warnings, although
facts and figures were quoted to prove
that the Santa Fe was certain to lose its
passenger business in this territory if
Henry E. Huntington was not check
mated.
The history of traffic to and from
Pasadena and Santa Monica was cited
as proof of what was predicted Then came
the agitation incidental to granting to
Henry E. Huntington and his associates
the freight franchise, whose legality
now is in court, and the personal visit
of President Ripley and Second Vice
President Paul Morton to southern Cal
ifornia has furnished the final argu-
ment responsible for the Southern Pa
cific-Santa Fe alliance to be consum-
mated here in the next few days.
President f. P. Ripley is not enamor-
ed of doing politics to obtain results
usually acquired by corporations
through that means. 1t is believed the
Santa Fe. however. will not hesitate to
protect itself if necessary in all stages
of the impending struggle. The South
ern Pacific viii render all the assist
ance necessary, and the conflict bids
fair to become the fiercest Los Angeles
has ever known
Second Vice President Paul Morton
of the Santa F'e is here, also Third Vice
President j. w. Kendrick.