The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-11
Officials Of the Santa Fe and 3. & O.
Say Their Companies Have no
Intention Of Buying
the Road.
NOT IN A BUYING MOOD
Independent Management Of the x. 6
w. Would be Harmful Not Only
to the Road but to the
Patrons.

The controversy which has recently
developed in Shenandoah and Clar.
india respecting the right of the c., B.
O. railroad to hold and operate the
K. & w. has provoked considerable
discussion and 1t is understood that a
special investigator for the govern
ment will be sent along the line to
gather the facts in the case. The two
cities named above are most active in
the movement and claim the operation
of the K. & w. by the burlington"
is in violation of the Sherman anti
trust law. AS to the legal phase of
the question this paper does not ven
ture an opinion. That is a matter for
the courts to determine, but as to the
management OF the K. & w. by an
independent company the wisdom OF
such plan is very much doubted. 1t
is believed it would prove very unfor-
tunate
This question of separating the K.
& w. from the Burlington" is mat
ter that interests the people along
that line and one that deserves care
full fought and investigation. It is
believed that the movement gained
considerable impetus by reports cir
culated that the Baltimore and Ohio
or the Santa Fe would buy the road
and operate it. If such result could
be secured, The Gate City would be
willing to give encouragement to the
movement, but to make an independ-
emily managed and owned line out of
the K & W. would mean inefficient
service and bankruptcy.
Would Harm all Towns.
II strongly managed trunk line,
such as the B. & o. or the Santa Fe
would purchase the branch and give
us through main line, the benefits
and desirability is quickly appreciat-
ed, but If the K. & w. Is forced into
Independent operation, Keokuk would
be injured as we'll as every other city
and town on the line. 1t would be far
better to continue the Burlington
control and management rather than
to bring on independently. The ex-
perience of the Grand Island road as
an Independent line has revealed the
weakness of such management. No
branch road independently managed
can survive. When a branch road Is
damaged the reople along the road
are damaged. The road that serves
it's patrons best is the best managed
road and such a service can be OBJ
tanned where strong trunk lines can
give aid and assistance to the
branches.
Reliable Information.
in order to obtain for the readers OF
The Gate City and the people along
the K. & w. reliable information about
the probable purchase Of the road by
the B. & o. or the Santa Fe, letters
were addressed to officials of those
lines, inquiring if they had any such
intentions and the following replies
from President E. P. Ripley OF the
Santa Fe, and George F. Randolph,
first vice president of the B. & O.,
were received:
Mr.. C. F. Skirvin, care The Daily
Gate City. Keokuk, Iowa. Dear Sir:
Yours of the 5th inst:
This company has not been asked
to take over the keokuk & Western
railroad and has no thought of so do
ing. It Is nv belief that no local
road in the west, dependent upon the
prodvcts Of agriculture only. can DO
made to ray any return on its Value
or its cost. even though the latter be
very low: and this is particularly true
in Iowa in which state the rates are
ridiculous and we are not in the mar
ket for the Keokuk & Western prop
erty.
Yours truly,
z. p. RIPLEY,
President.
18th August, 1914.
Mr., G F. Skirvin. publisher The
Daily Gate City, Keokuk, Iowa.
Dear Sir: Your letter of August
ard addressed to President Willard,
is received during his absence, and
under our organization is referred to-
me.
In response, I beg to aovise that the
gaItimcre & Ohio railroad company
is not contemplating the taking over
of the X. & w. railroad, and has mo-
present in. en- ion of extending It's
line beyond Beardstown.
Yours truly,
GEO. F. RANDOLPH,
First Vice President. !
Aupusf 18th 1914