Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-19
INSISTS MERGER
IMPROVED LINES
CLAIMS S. P. AND u. P. ROADS
STRENGTHENED
KRUTTscHNlTT TRIES TO SHOW
BENEFIT OF UNION
Declares Everything That Could Be
Done to Render Greater Conven-
ience to Public Had Been
Done Since Combine
Associated Pressl


NEW YORK, Feb. 1S.-Efforts to i'm
prove the Union and Southern Pacific
systems since the merger of the two
railroads were related by Vice Presi-
dent julius Kruttschnitt of the Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific systems
when he resumed the witness stand
today at the hearing of the govern
ment's suit to dissolve the merger.
On the Union Pacific, Mr.. Krutt-
schnitt said, in the eight years ended in
1909 there had been provided 552 loco
motives, 1856 passenger cars, 1894
freight cars, 707 work cars, 2428 miles
of new steel rails SS,25S feet Of wooden
bridges replaced and 5919 feet of iron
and concrete bridges constructed.
On the Southern Pacific in the same
eight years there were 920 new locomo-
tives, S8S passenger cars, 26,41 new
freight cars, 24S9 work cars, 1870 miles
of new steel rails, 136,411 feet of
wooden bridges replaced and 1926 feet
of iron or concrete bridges constructed.
Another item showed that during the
period named 17,210,000 feet of new
cross ties were laid on the Union Pa
cific and 24,373,0 900 on the Southern Pa
cific.
The witness described the new facil-
tiles and methods made by the Union
Pacific and the Southern Pacific since
1902 to meet the demands of increased
freight traffic. He thought the freight
service was as good as that provided
by any of the other transcontinental
lines; ''if it weren't we wouldn't get the
business remarked Mr. Kruttschnitt.
He thought all the big lines were
working along the same plans to i'm
prove the service, and the best service
was that which had the most efficient
train loading and car loading.
Train Load Is Increased
Mr. Kruttschnitt explained that since
the old schedules were superseded the
company had increased it's trainload
greatly and had taken every possible
means to expedite the movement of
traffic which had expanded remarkably
in volume.
The schedule of recent years, the
witness declared, was the best possible
that could be given under conditions
which preclude an increase of rates
in the face of an increase in the price
of labor and materials. The ma1nte-
nance of fast freight, he added, tend
ing at all times, also, to affect all other
traffic unfavorably.
Mr.. Kruttschnitt said that, notwith-
standing criticisms of the mail service
10 San fIdliClSCOJ bilC PiOSSiS oSASA
ule, though longer in hours, brings the
mail into San Francisco early, admit
ting of it's delivery that day, which was
not possible under the old schedule.
In one year on the two mail routes
government fines aggregated $62,S3O, or
3 per cent of the entire revenue for
carrying the mails, said Kruttschnitt.
1t was because of these fines that the
railroads had revised their mail sched-
ules, he declared.
Some figures were given showing
that the taxes on the Union Pacific had
increased from $225 a mile in 1901 to
s424 in 1909, or SO per cent, and on the
Southern Pacific from $201 in 1901 to
1898 a mile in 1909, or 81 per cent.
Kruttschnitt declared that the whole
condition of the system was much bet
ter than before the merger.
The witness, questioned about the
Sunset route to San Francisco by way
of Galveston, said the terminal was
changed from New orleans to Calves
ton to provide better transfer facilities
from boat to train than were available
at Algiers, across the river from New
Orleans.