The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-29
Santa Fe Consider Many I'M
proVements ON Coast Lines.
Are Planning Enlargement OF
San BernardinO Shops.
ON PAR WITH TOPEKA
/. G. Hicks Transferred to New
Position at Los Angeles.
Other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.

San Bernardino, Cal, June 29.-The
report that Master Mechanic 1. c.
Hicks will shortly be transferred to
Los Angeles and a position Of super
intendent of shops inaugurated with
jurisdiction over the local Santa Fe
mechanical facilities, has been official
1y affirmed by ]. w. Kendrick, second
vice president of the company.
On July 1 H. S. Wall, present mas
ter mechanic of the Arizona division,
will formally take charge of the San
Bernardino shops as superintendent
and Mr.. Hicks will then shortly move
his headquarters to Los Angeles, leav-
ing Mr.. Wall to take direct charge of
the affairs Of the mechanical depart
ment in this city. The new arrange
ment is the same which has been in
force at Topeka and Albuquerque for
years and will greatly facilitate in the
supervision of the mechanical depart
ment of the division by relieving the
master mechanic of a considerable por-
ton of the direct responsibility of over
seeing the work of his various subor-
dinates.
The announcement was a portion of
an interesting and pleasant interview
with Mr.. Kendrick, who with General
Manager A. G. Wells, Superintendent
of Transportation c. B. Strohm and
Superintendent J. r. Hitchcock, was
on tour of inspection of the division.
Mr.. Kendrick. who as the head Of
the operating department of the entire
system and consequently in a position
to know exactly what is pending, freely
discussed various subjects of interest
to the public and frankly confirmed or
denied numerous reports and rumors
concerning the policy of the Santa F'e.
After confirming the report that the
position of superintendent of shops was
to be established here Mr.. Kendrick
stated that although the new shops and
addition to the mechanical facilities
" ere coming he was unable to say ex-
actly when.
Yes, the new shops will be built but
l am unable to state exactly when. 1t
all depends upon conditions. We have
recently, as you know. scent a large
amount of money in improvements here
in erecting the roundhouse, viaduct and
other structures. The date for the
building of the new shops has been
Indefinitely postponed" is the way Mr.
Kendrick put the matter and from
which it is evident that although the
new shops are coming. they occupy an
uncertain date in the future.
When asked if there was anything in
the report that the Santa F'e was plan
ming on building into Salt Lake City,
the vice president denied that the COM
pany had any intention of entering the
field for a portion of the Utah bust
ness.
Salt Lake is completely out of our
beat is the brief manner in which the
official disposed of the subject.
He likewise denied the recent vague
rumor. caused by the finding of survey
stakes paralleling the Southern Pacific
from east of Banning through the San
Timoteo pass, that the Santa Fe was
contemplating a new line from Parker,
Arizona, into Los Angeles.
According to Mr.. Kendrick, the COM
pletion of the Arizona & California rail-
road from Parker to the main line at
Bengal, has been indefinitely post
poned