Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-30
WHY NOT?

1UOGE II. >. LoVett, mead OF the
4 TIL Union Pacific railroad system, has
s.st completed, with his party of rail-
road experts, an inspection of the Ore
gon Short Line railroad in the state
OF Idaho. This is preliminary to the
passage OF the road from government
control to private management. When
that takes place every railroad will be
1t Its wits end to increase it's revenue
10 that the roads may be extended,
new connecting and feeding lines built
to handle the vast tonnage in their re-
spective territories. Under government
ownership there was little done toward
preparing the roads to meet the heavy
freight demands In rapidly developing
4 territory. Under government owner
ship the roads have not paid. Private
ownership will exert every effort to
make them pay.
There is no question but what Judge
Lovett and his party became convinced,
after inspecting the southern Idaho ter
ritory, that if the Oregon Short Lins is
to meet traffic demands it must inaugu-
rate an extensive building program.
Congestion on the main line has been
recognized for some years. Southern
Idaho is developing more rapidly than
is the Oregon Short Line. The direc-
tors of that road are shrewd business
men. They realize that If their line is
to control the territory in which it now
operates and expects to give satisfac-
ton to its patrons, the increased de-
mands of shippers must be met.
The logical conclusion therefore is,
Line railroad from the government the
management will proceed to map out
an extensive building and improve
ment campaign. 1t is as logical that
the various sections of the state de-
string improvements to those portions
of the system in their respective dis
tricts, will present their claims.
Boise should be the first on the list.
And this city has legitimate claim
on the oregon Short Line. 1t is, in the
first place, the capital of the state and
therefore the Mecca of thousands of
travellers annually who reach here via
the Short Line, adding materially to-
the revenue of that road. 1t is an
important freight revenue medium of
the Short Line. No section of the state
is developing more rapidly than south
western Idaho, the entire territory of
which Is tributary to Boise.
Yet We find this city still Stunned
off the main highway of travel, the
terminal of stub branch line, when
by virtue of its prominence, it is en-
titled to main line position A main
line for Boise Is a dream of twenty odd
years standing. 1t will continue to be
dream unless Boise wakes up and
procseds to press its claims on the
Oregon Short Line. With the passage
of the control of that road from the
government to private management,
the time appears to have arrived to do
thiA
Construction of a link between the
main line of the Oregon Short Line and
Kuna, Mora or Owyhee stations and
Boise Is an engineering possibility. The
citizens of this city who have the in
terests of a greater Boise at heart
could well afford to bond themselves.
or to raise the necessary funds by
popular subscription, to build 1t pro-
viding the Oregon Short Line would
agree to regularly schedule trains
over it. We would then be placed upon
the main line.
why not?