The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-25
This Man Believes Railroad
Commission Would Hurt,
Not Help, Utah.
SUCH BODY WOULD KEEP
CAPITAL OUT OF STATE
Fewer Miles of Roads Here
Than in Most Other Parts
Of Union.

a delegate to the Democrats state con-
Vcntlon. held ut Provo September 10, who
was also Il member OF the platform and
resolution committee. announced in the
committee room that he had been urged
10 accept a certain nomination at the
hands OF his party, but that he would
iciuso 10 accept II should tho party put
plank In It's platform demanding a rail-
road commission for Utah. He said that
with such plank In the platform he
would DC ashamed TO go before the peo-
pie OF his district. He also asserted that
what Utah needed WIS not railroad COM
mission. but more railroads.
The argument Of this man, with that
OF other members OF the committee, pre-.
vented the putting into the platform of
the plank proposed.
since that convention one of the dele
gates has made little study OF the
railroad situation and Thursday stated
reason for the stand taken by some OF the
members OF the platform and resolution
committee OF the Provo convention, His
statement Is as follows:
More Railroads.
i heartily agree with the delegate
VINO declared that what Utah needs is
more railroads and not commission that
VIII keep capital out of this state. AT
The present there are six out OF twenty
seven counties In this state that are not
touched by railroad, yet every one of
them Is rich In natural resources and only
awaits a railroad to develop II and make
II wealth producer. These counties arc
Rich Wayne. San Juan, Garfield, Kane
county is known TO prove that II would
support thousands Of people where there
i ls One ,ne n9W o'No living i In IT. fhe possibilities
but who cares 10 invest money in the
development of a section where there is
no means OF transportation except that
used a hundred years ago?
In my little study | find that there
are two other counties In the state that
are barely touched by railroads. The re-
sources Of uintah and Wasatch counties
are boundless, especially that of the for
mer. yet neither OF them has more than
NIFTY miles OF railroad. Carbon and Grand
counties have railroad running through
them but for every mile which they
nave at the present they need ten to
develop the coal beds and other resources.
Iron county has q railroad running
through the northwestern part OF It bui
there is no road To tap the great noun
tans OF iron ore In that county which
but await the coming OF a railroad to add
millions every year TO the wealth of
this state. And so II is with every coun-
ty in the state, with the possible eXcep-
state, which now has three railroads rum
ming through II. two Of which are trans
continental lines and the other an inter
urban line. Utah is but in the infancy
OF its development and that development
Will never be completed without railroads.
Idaho Against Commission
I'm my little investigation l found that
Idaho, with an area smaller than that
of Utah and with not as many possibil-
tiles, has more than 1000 miles of rail-
,oads. that railroads In that state are be-
Ing built at the rate OF II mile a day
and more. and that the end is not in
sight, and 1 also found that Idaho has
gone on record as being opposed to any
railroad commission. Utah has less. many
miles less OF railroads, though there was
railroad across this state and the cap
ital city and far south Of Il long before
tie or rail was laid In Idaho. In my
little study | have found that the per-
centngc OF mileage OF railroads In Utah
Is less than In any other state or terri
tory in the union, with the exception of
four states. and that not one OF these
four states had the possibilities await
Ing development in Utah. IL might in
terest you TO know that Texas, the larg-
est state In the union, has the greatest
number Of miles OF railroad. more than
49, 600. and that Rhode Island. the smallest
state In the union. has the fewest miles
Of railroad. less than 300 and that the
percentage OF mileage In the last state
| is almost four times as great as that
| OF Texas, according TO area; that the
| lowest percentage OF mileage OF any state
| in the union Is that of Wyoming. and the
| highest that OF New Hampshire. which
state has mileage OF more than ten
times that OF Wyoming. though the lat
| ter state has an area OF more than ten
| times that Of New Hampshire.
Data Authoritative.
az have taken these figures from Of
| fetal reports and government documents
| and they are az near correct rs IL f5
possible to get them. They show some
| interesting things and are but part oi
| the study which I have made in the last
| three months. all OF which has thorough
| ~ convinced me that what Utah needs
Is more railroads and no legislation tina {
Will keep away certain capital tn;lt
would help In the development of this
state"
With the remark. II can furnish you
with still more figures as to why l be-
| lieYe the delegate At the convention was
| riSbt and will give them at anotier time,
| the man opposed TO railroad commission
| left TO catch south-bound tran.
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