The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-08
THE RAILROAD uNscRAMBL1NG

The pnn announced as agreed upon
by the officials of the Union Pacific
! and the Southern Pacific railroads for
the 'mscrambling OF their interests
does not appear to he materially diff
ferent from that first proposed by the
Hartman attorneys, We Judge, there
fore. that the approval OF this plan
by Acknowledgement Wickcrsham means
that the Attorney General has thought
the matter over and has found that
/ there is no better practical way TO
reach the results aimed at by the
court Judgment than to follow this
plan,
1t is clear that If the ruling had
been persisted in that the Union Pa
cific must throw its Southern Pacific
stock upon the market for sale, there
would have been vast sacrifice OF
interests. Further than that, it is evil
dent that il such sale had been made
Attorney General, the Union Pacific
stockholders could still have bought
in their stock at the sale; so that the
form OF separation as first suggested
by that official was not only impractical
as plan but futile as to results, since
the Union Pacific stockholders could
still have bought in their Southern Pa
ciic stock in spite of any effort TO
the contrary. Doubtless, it was the
realizing Of this proposition that
brought tho Attorney General around
TO the approval of the plan az sub
mitted by the officials of the Union
Pacific and the Southern Pacific.
There can be no doubt Of the con.
servative working ont Of the plan
proposed by the directors of the Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific. The in
terests Of all concerned are fully nam.
tanned, and the probability is that
since the Acknowledgement has ap-
proved it, the District Court, in which
the Government litigation is pending,
will also approve There Is no reason,
indeed, why all the different organi-
cations and bodies which have to pass
upon this proposition should not ap-
prove it, because it is practical,
straightforward, honest, and effective
No other plan could in any material
form or effect get actual results diff
ferent from those proposed in this
plan. We are glad TO see this favora-
BILE conclusion Of an awkward situa-
tion, which has threatened at times to
be serious menace to the large in
terests involved, which, happily, on full
consideration and by bringing to bear
the best practical thought, have
evolved a plan that will not be dis
turbing, and that will be Just to all
and will fully carry out the decree
Of the Supreme Court Of the United
States.
Under this plan the Union Pacific
gets the old Central Pacific railroad,
giving the U. P. through line
from Omaha to San Francisco.
And this is no more than fair, for
without this through line the Union
Pacific would be at the mercy of it's
western connections, 1t is all the more
in accordance with the court decree
that the Union Pacific should have this |
through line, since the Supreme Court |
of tho United States declared in a |
suit brought against these two inter
ests for collusion or breach OF the anti |
trust law, that there was no violation
of law in the union Of the Union Pa,
cific and the old Central Pacific in
terests, since the two combined sim |
ply made one continuous route. IT is
fortunate that these decisions of the |
q: S. Supreme Court fit in so we'll |
with the existing conditions and |
are susceptible of thus being carried
out without injury to any Of tho in.
terests involved, and without bringing
any check or distress upon the business
prosperitY of the cnnnfrv