The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-29
WITNESSES TELL
OF LEGISLATION
Former State Senators Testify
at Hearing in Railroad
Merger Case.
DISCUSS SALT LAKE ROUTE
INDEPENDENCE OF LINE TO LOS
ANGELES is SHOWN.

During practically the entire day yes
tefday efforts were made by the gov
eminent in the railroad merger hearing
TO show that the intention OF the build
ers Of the Salt Lake Route was to make
the line TO Los Angeles from salt Lake
an independent railroad TO be con-
structed to compete with other lines.
especially the Southern Pacific railroad.
The principal Witnesses for. the govern
ment on this point We're Stephen II.
Love and George \. Lawrence. former
state senator's. and Kenneth c. Kerr.
district passenger agent for the Salt
Lake Route.
In the crOss-eXaminatiOn of witnesses
on this point and others directly con-
nected with the building of the Salt
Lake Route, Judge ". r. Kelly. general
counsel for the salt Lake Route. took
the place Of Judge r. s. LOvett, gem
eral counsel for the Union Pacific. who
has been conducting the Cross-exa NINA
ton of the government witnesses.
MIR. Love was the first witness called
by the government. He was on the
stand all morning. Mr.. Loves testi-
mony was largely devoted to the rail-
road legislation of 1901 when Mr. Love
was a member Of the state senate. He
said that at that time the city council
of Salt Lake had voted to deed TO the
Salt Lake Route Pioneer square as the
terminal point Of the new railroad.
There was some question concerning
the legality of the title and the legisla-
ture was asked to validate this action.
4 measure was introduced in the
house validating the action. II went to
the senate and finally became a law
after It had been amended so that the
matter would be submitted to vote Of
The people. This was not done. how
ever. and the square is still city park.
r z. Gibbon, Mr.. Love said, appeared
before the senate committee. urging
the passage Of the dill He declared,
Mr.. Love said. that the new road was
10 be an independent road built to COM
pete with the Southern Pacific to Cali
fOrnia points. Mr.. Love said that Mr.
GibbOn had made some reference TO the
Oregon Short Line people as thugs"
Details of Interviews.
Mr.. Love went into detail as to in
terviews he had with Winslow s
Pierce. attorney for the Union Pacific.
with reference to the passage of
measure permitting the extensive reOr-
esnizaton of the Union Pacific railroad
The measure amplified the powers Of
railroad companies, permitted them 70
purchase stock Of other railroads, in
crease their capitalization and float
bonds. in urging the passage Of this
bill. Mr. Love said that Air. Pierce
prom 'sed that the Union Pacific would
double-track its line from Omaha 10
Salt Lake. would build a cutoff from
Evanston 10 salt Lake would con-
struct large terminal stations I'm Salt
Lake and would build g line to Deep
Greek. IN addition TO this a point was
made that the state would receive S35.-
600 as the fees for filing amended arti-
cles Of incorporation
This bill was introduced early in the
session of 1901. It passed both houses
and was signed By the governor within
two DAYS after its Introduction and be
fore IT had been printed AIR. Love said
that he objected TO such hurried act on
on such an important matter. but that
he was practically alone in his objec-
tions, so that he did not urge them.
Lawrence Testifies.
The testimony Of Mr.. Love with ref
erence to the legislation was corrobo-
rated in the afternoon by George =.
Lawrence, former state senator. Mr..
Lawrence said that Mr.. Gibbon had told
the senate committee of which he was
member that the Salt Lake Route
vas To De an INDEPENDENT TOcQ 20 o
operated i'm competition to the Southern
Pacific. He also told of conversations
with Mr.. Pierce in which the hurried
passage of the bill permitting the re-
organiza ton and extension Of the oper-
atoms Of the Union Pacific was urged.
You will note" Mr. Lawrence vol
mteered. that railroad legislation has
undergone rapid evolution. Two bills
passed early in the session of 1901 wer-
repealed by a third bill passed later in
the session. All Of these bills were
passed at the instance Of representa-
tives of the ia ilroad companies. the last
one on the preteXt that il was to cOdify
the railroad laws of the state"
Kerr's interviews.
Kenneth e.. Kerr. district passenger
agent for the Salt Lake Route, was on
the stand, not as a railroad man. but as
a newspaper man. Before being con-
nected with the passenger department
of the Salt Lake Route Mr.. Kerr was
for many years railroad editor OF the
Salt Lake Tribune. In this capacity he
reported the organization and constTuc-
ton OF the Salt Lake Route in the fall
OF 1900 Mr.. Kerr had several inter-
views with those prominently connect
ed with the enterprise. Among o>SleTs
Mr. Kerr interviewed Senator W. A