The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-07
Great Trolley System Con
solidation in Los Angeles
Is Said to Be Pending
NORTH MAY GAIN IF
DEAL GOES THROUGH
Electric Magnate Expected
to Look This Way Should
He Sell Lines Outright
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL


NEW YORK, Dec. e.-NegOtiations
nre under way here between III. f.
Huntington and T. H. Hartman for
one of the greatest trolley consoIida-
tiOns in the country. If the merger
goes through as planned IT will involve
four important Southern California
systems centering in Los AngeIes-the
Pacific Electric, the Los Angeles Inter
urban, the Los Angeles Pacific and the
Los Angeles and Redondo.
The Los Angeles Pacific is con-
trolled by Hartman. who plans i'm
mense improvements, IL is reported
here. including q great subway in Los
Angeles. broad gauging and long ex-
tensions: the Pacific Electric is owned
half and half by the two magnates.
and the other two lines named are
Owned principally Huntington.
The price at which the Southern
Pacific magnate holds the Los Angeles
Pacific Railway in the proposed con-
solidation is said to be the only
stumbling block thus far encountered.
It is claimed the figure is $1O.Oo0,o0o.
and Huntington declares that he could
build It standard gauge for ss.oOo.o0o
Reports from Los Angeles show that
numerous proposed railway improve
nents have been held up there for
some weeks and it is apparent that
this is due 10 the pending negotia-
tions.
Il was announced two months ago
that the Los Angeles Pacific would be
standardized at once and an immense
quantity Of material was ordered and
has been delivered, yet no step toward
actual work has been taken; and the
Pacific Electric had every plan made
for an elevated line TO enter the Hun
tington building at the rear and carry
the now eongested traffic over costly
private right of way through dozen
crowded blocks in the heart of the
city. when that work was suddenly
stopped. all Of which is significant
II is understood the proposed changes
viii revolutionize the personnel Of the
rival systems in Southern California
Hartman, who is likely to be the con-
trolling power, is not the man who
would carry the additional expense Of
an extra set Of general and executive
officers when one organization would
90 for all.
Huntington, since his recent arrival
here, has received hattering offers for
his interests in the Pacific Electric, but
it is not believed he has given serious
consideration to any proposition, as he
takes a never-diminishing pride in the
development of his great electric sys-
TENS in Southern California. the best
paying OF which is the Los Angeles city
system On the other hand. all things
being equal. il is believed Huntington
would prefer purchasing all the rival
lines than TO sell and make a system
rivaling in mileage and profitableness
many important steam railroad systems
OF the country. Should ne sell. how
ever. il is confidently predicted that he
would go to Northern California or
washington for his new field and give
either San Francisco or Seattle such a
trolley system as neither city ever
dreamed Of
Should Hartman gebble up the
Southern California syAfem, il is be-
lieved from his attitude on the subject
that all the contemplated extensions
and perhaps even those actually under
construction would be indefinitely
tabled and the earnings paid to the new
factors in control in the shape of divi-
dends.