The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-18
OELUS|0NS AFF[|CT
WESTERN WITNESSES
Such Is the Opinion of ]. A
MunrOe, General Freight
Manager for u. p.
STATES THAT RAILROADS
NEVER THROW B00MERANGS
Testimony in the Government
Merger Suit Develops Mass
of Technical Figures.

NEW YORK, Feb, l7-In the con
tinuatIon Of The hearings Of the gov
crnment suit 10 dissolve the Union
| Pacific merger today, John A. Munroe.
general freight manager Of the com
pany. was questioned by L, n Loomis
of counsel for the defendants, with
respect TO the practicability of the
Union Pacific moving traffic through
the Portland gateways to San Fran
cisco
"The Union Pacific officials said
Mr.. Munroe, "from time 10 time dis
cusscd the proposition of opening the
Portland gatcways TO San Francisco,
but they always came to the conclusion
that II was impracticable and would be
Improbable 10 the Union Pacific. In
the first place, Portland was the same
distance from Omaha as was San Fran
ciscp and the question Of delay III
transferring freight and making con
nections with the boats was considered.
There was only the San Francisco bust
ness 20 be secured by this means. as ii
was determined that Sacramento and
Stockton promised no business for such
a route
HApother thing that had TO be con
sidcrcd was the attitude of the South
ern Pacific. with which we had con
nections TO San Francisco. Such a move
ON the part of the Union Pacific would
be considered hostile by the Southern
Pacific and it could and would retaGatc
by DETECTING from the Union Pacihc
that which the Union Pacific could not
get except through the influence of
the Southern Pacific
Mr.. Munroc denied that the Union
Pacific had ever used the Portland-San
Francisco boat route as club to com
pei better terms from the Southern
Pacific.
Throwing No Boomerangs.
"Tbere was never any necessity for
the Union Pacific 10 swing such a
club. - said the witness. ''There were
no differences between us and the
Southern Pacific and We were entirely
satisfied with their treatment If we
did swing that club il would be to use
rs a boomerang and would hurt MS
more than il would help us. The South
crn Pacific. through lis influence with
consignors and consignees. couId affect
4 large proportion of our business. -
Mr.. Munroc gave history Of the
Portland special, a thirty-four hour
freight train which was run for short
time by the Union Pacific between
Ogden and Council Bluffs. This train.
he said. had been put on as the result
Of dispute between the receivers of
the Union Pacific and the officials of
the Oregon Short Line. 1t was discon-
tinued in sixty days, when the dispute
was settled "lt never was intended
as anything except an emergency scrv-
ice - said Mr.. MunToe. ''It was a war
measure pure and simple. -
Mr.. Munroe said on cross -eEamina
tiou that the Southern Pacific had
dominated the rate situation on the
Pacific coast. The pro rata division
of the revenues of tho Missouri river
business TO California points, Mr. Mum.
roe said was that Of per cent 10 the
Union Pacific and IS per cent To the
Southern Pacific.
Says West Has Delusions.
Mr.. Muuroe said he thought some Of
the testimony given in the west was
due to dclnstons on the part of wit
neSses who were disposed to take eX-
aggcrated views of things,
Julius kruttschnitt. vice president
Of both the Southern Pacific and Union
Pacific. and director of maintenance
and operation of the merged lines, pro-
duced figures 10 show that the increase
in the cost Of labor since 1901 had
reached au average of II per cent in all
classes of employees, Since 1890. ac-
cording TO figures submitted by the
witness. the power of labor and com
mOdltles 10 purchase TRANSPORTATION had
increased i3 per cent. while there had
been decrease of 80 per cent in the
power Of the railroads TO purchase
labor and commodities.
The public had saved 1854 900 900
since 1901. Mr.. Kruttschnitt declared. |
because his railroads had not raised
freight and passenger rates To meet the
increased cost Of commodities and
labor.
As showing what the Union Pacific
had done TO develop The system. Mr. |
Kruttschnitt gave figures instanciug
that in the eight wears ending June 30 |
1901 fully Sl2l.50S.000 had been eX.
pended for Improvements. He said |
that in the five years preceding the re-
organization Of the Union Pacific only |
S20l O00 was spout for general better
mcnts. and in the three years succeed
ing only $5,S4l,000.
In another set Of figures for The eight
years ending June 30. 1901, only S57.
722 900 was spent by the Southern
Pacific for all classes Of improvements !
in efficiency while in the eight years |
ending June 30. 1909. 1884, 900 was
expended
On the whole the witness pictured the
merged system rs Il national bCnctac-
tor that had dug deep down in it's |
pockets to provide II railroad system
of the highest efficiency.
NEW FRANCHISE FORM