Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-25
Rumor That the Steel Corpora
ton Will Build From Pitts
burg West
INCORPORATE SMALL ROADS
A Number Of Minor Systems Will Be
Included In the Proposed Line the
Corporation Building In the Missing
Links-Resarded as Good PROPOSE
ton.

nancial circles were much interested
yesterday in a report that the United
States Steel Corporation contemplates
building trunk line from Chicago
to Pittsburg and thence to the sea-
board
The immediate motive for the build
ing of the line is said to be the corpor-
atoms desire to avoid any controversy
with the interstate commerce COM
mission, a contingency that continually
confronts it while it has to arrange
for terminal allowances with the rail
roads it uses to transport its heavy
freight.
The stories bearing on the project
Of the projected line go SO far as to
say that number of small roads now
being built east of Chicago are to be
combined and made part of the new
system. The United States Steel Cor
poration pays something like $120,000,-
600 to the railroads annually in freight
charges, an amount that would in
year or two build a trunk line of no
mean dimensions
~SSA S0olu0So GIVPOStSuOOs
| AS business proposition railroad
men say that it would be good sense
for the Steel Corporation to build such
line. In addition to carrying it's own
products and raw material, they say,
a general freight business could be
carried on, and even passenger traffic
could be taken advantage Of to swell
| the receipts. Another fact that rail-
| road men gave as an advantage that
such line would enjoy is the direct
connection in Chicago with the marine
lines to and from the iron producing
country of northern Michigan The
steel road undoubtedly would have all
the heavy freight traffic furnished by
the bridge companies and the builders
of engines and heavy machinery, a
business that is now distributed among
the railroads that the United States
Steel Corporation patronizes.
| The troubles about treminal allow
ances have confronted the corporation
ever since its organization and have
| been the subject of frequent investiga-
| ton by the interstate commerce COM
mission. That body Is said to have
suggested to the executive officers of
| the corporation the idea Of building
| trunk line as the only way out Of the
difficulty. The railroads have been in
the habit of charging heavy terminal
rates and switching charges and as it
is in violation of the interstate COM
merce law to make any compact for
rebates the corporation has been help
less.
| The only railroad running east Of
Chicago that might be bought and
equipped for the traffic sllch as the
Steel Corporation would supply is
the Nickel Plate. There was some
speculation last night as to whether
this road IN. sht not ultimately be pur-
! chased by the Steel interests instead
of building line.
| officials of the Illinois Steel Com
pany and of the American Steel and
Wire Comnany were not prepared to
discuss IL subject.
ut is all r VS. to me- said p. j. Buff
fngton, president of the Illinois Steel
Company. II have not heard anything
about it and know nothing In refer
ence to it,
IF such a thing is to be DONE" said
J. S. Keefe, vice president OF the
American Steel and Wire Company, Il
do not know anything about 1t. We
might not know it here anyway. The
only place where any information on
subject Of that kind could be had is
in the executive Offices of the United
States Steel Corporation in New York"