The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-10
Rail Lines Ready for Greatest
Speed War.
Rock Island, Union Pacific
and Santa Fe.
Competition Between Northern
and Southern Routes.
Other Items Of General Inter-
est in Traffic World.

Beginning Sunday the speed war for
mail contracts between the Union Pa
cific. Rock Island and Santa Fe rail-
| ways begins in earnest. On this date
| the new time card Of the Rock Island,
recently completed in Topeka, goes into
effect. The Rock Island has arranged
to have the Golden State Limited meet
the Missouri Pacific mail train from
St. Louis at Kansas City. The Santa Fe
also has held up its California Limited
In order to meet this eastern mail.
The Union Pacific is fighting for the
northern route.
mental roads are lining up for the great
est speed war to the coast in history.
The value OF the government contracts
across the country not only increase
the revenues of the roads but gives
them the advantage Of being known
over the country as the route of the
| transcontinental fast mail.
The northern and southern routes are
at war in the effort to capture this
prize. The northern route goes through
Cleveland, Chicago, Omaha and on to
| San Francisco from New York. It is
! from New York to Chicago. the Bur-
lington to Omaha. the Union Pacific to
Ogden and the Southern Pacific to San
Francisco. The southern route goes
from New York to St. Louis over the
Pennsylvania, the Missouri Pacific to
Kansas City and the Santa Fee and
Rock Island to the coast with a bulk
over the Santa Fe
The Rock Island competition is
through the combination of the Rock
| the Ell Paso & Southwestern to Ell Paso
and the Southern Pacific to the coast.
In other words the Rock Island from
Kansas City to Ell Paso as the Ell Paso
| 8 Southwestern Is now under the same
management as the Rock Island.
| Still another competitor il the st.
| Paul fighting for contract from Chi
cago to St Paul, thence over the Great
Northern to Puget Sound.
Northern Lines In Lead.
At present the northern lines have al
most a monopoly Of the fast mail BUSH
! ness between New York and San Fran
cisco. The southern route gets the mail
on business which originates in the
cities along its line, but practically all
the New York and Chicago business to
! the Pacific coast passes over the New
York OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Pacific
combination. ~ 4
It lis the policy OF the government to
give this lucrative business to the rail-
road which operates on the shortest
schedule and maintains that schedule
best-that is, operates the trains on
time. Once each four years the con-
tIdCC Is dWdEOcu, OuI dt OlucT lluIcSs
whenever a railroad shows it is ham
ding as much as 10 per cent. more mail
than was awarded 1t at the last period,
there is a readjustment of its allotment.
| For that reason the railroads east of
| the Missouri river will do all in their
power to assist their connections west
| Of the Missouri to secure, or retain, the
fast mail route.
| The time has arrived for the award
! ing Of contract for carrying the mail
between the Missouri and the coast,
and if the Santa Fee can beat out" the
4 Union Pacific the connections Of the
! former line will secure a much greater
haul. and therefore, more money. on
! mail between New York and Kansas
City. And If the Rock Island-Southern
Pacific combination can step in and
secure the contract its eastern connec-
| tons will secure the bulk of the trans
continental mail between st. Louis and
New York.
Likewise, If the Union Pacific has to
cut time to the coast. the Great North
ern railroad will have to look to its
contracts to the Puget Sound country.
since it will be small trouble for the
Union Pacific to handle mail for that
section on the trains with which 1t
expects to beat the Santa Fee to Frisco.
Santa FEES Fight.
The Santa Fe opened the race by
quietly announcing from Topeka recent
/ ly that it's fast train, which has been
| leaving Kansas City for the west at
$40 every morning, beginning today,