The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-01
Consolidation of
American Railways
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Announces Plan to
Join All Great Compel
ing Systems into Nine
teen Lines

Tive pam IOI -COHSOIltdllOil VI oil
! American railroads into 10 great
competing systems was announced
today by the interstate commerce
commission.
The proposed combination, au-
thorized under the transportation
act is designed to remove weak
nesses in the national railroad sys-
TEN shown by the operation Of the
rate making power Of the commits
sion and to effect readjustment of
terminal and other subsidiary ia
cilities with resultant economy in
operation and delivery of ship
ments. Weak lines which have
shown their inaE:ii.. to live un-
der rate schedules profitable to
stronger roads. would, under the
plan, be attached to systems more
advantageously situated, but it was
announced that in every case the
effort was made to maintain the
identity Of existing strong systems.
Hearings Will be called soon by
the commission for the purpose Ci
discussing the proposed consolida-
ton. Since, under the law no plan
can be adopted which has not been
given the approval Of the individual
lines affected as we'll as that of the
commission, it was expected that
discussion would be prolonged and
that number of notifications
from the plan made public today
would be suggested.
we have sought to minimize
dismemberment of existing lines
and systems" the commissions an
nouncement said. This tentative
plan is put forward in order to
elicit a fun record upon which the
plan ultimately adopted can rest,
and without prejudice.
las announced today the propos-
ed consultations are:
No. /: New York Central, includ-
ing the Cleveland. Cincinnati. Chi
cago & ST. Louis; Monongahela;
Boston & Maine: Bangor & Aroos-
took, and others.
No. 9. Pennsylvania, including
Toledo, Peoria & Western; Long
Island, Morongahcla, as an alter
native 10 the inclusion of that road
in the New York Central system,
and others.
No. 3. Baltimore & Ohio; Read
ing. New York. New Haven &
Hartford, LehiSh & Hudson, and
others.
40. 4. Chicago & Erie, Della
ware, Lackawanna & Western. Bes-
scmer e Lake Erie. Wabash lines
east of the Missouri, and others.
No. 81: Lehigh Valley, New
York, Chicago & st. Louis, Pitts
burgh e. West Virginia, and others.
No. 6. Pere Marquette, Ann Ar
Dor and others.
No. /. New York, New Haven
! & Hartford: Boston &; Maine, Ban
sor & Aroostooh. Lehigh & Hudson
River, all of these being alterna-
lively to be taken into other sys-
/ TENS.
/ The commission here proposed a
variation indicated as system No.
"a or New England-G Lakes
consolidation which would include
! the roads given in No. I, the Del
aware e. Hudson, the Delaware.
Lackawanna & Western, the Buff
alo. Rochester {; Pittsburgh and
! others.
No. s. Chesapeake e. Ohio,
Hooking Valley and Virginian.
No. g.: Norfolk & Western, To-
lcdo e. Ohio Central and others.
10. 10. Southern, New Orleans
Great Northern and Alabama &
Nicksburg.
No. Il: Atlantic Coast Line, Nor
folk Southern, Florida East Coast,
Mississippi Central, Carolin a,
Clinchtield & Ohio and Louisville
& Nashville and others.
No. -: Illinois Central. Sea-
board Air Line, Carolina. Clinch-
field & Ohio, alternatively, and
] others.
No. 13. Union Pacific lines, Chi
caGo Northwestern, Wabash lines
west Of the Missouri. and others.
No. a. Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy, Northern Pacific, Spokane,
Portland & Seattle and others.
No. u. Chicago. Milwaukee &,
st. Paul, Great Northern and 9TH
ers
No. Is. .Atchison, Topeka and
Santa F'e. Colorado & Southern,
Denver & Rio Grande, Western Pa
ciGc and others.
No. Il. Southern Pacific COM
pany, Chicago. Rock Island &, Pa
cific. FL Paso & Southwestern,
Vicksburg. Shreveport &; Pacific
and others.
40 Is. St Louis, San Francisco,
St. Louis SouthweStern, Chicago d
Alton, Missouri. Kansas 6, Texas.
San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf and
others.
No. 10. Chicago s; Eastern Illi-
nois. Missouri Pacific. Texas g. Pa
ciiic, Gulf Coast lines and others.
The plan follows the line of con-
solidationS worked out under the
direction of the interstate COM
merce by Prof. VILLAIN 4. Ripley
of Harvard college, but some
changes were made and alterna
tiveS proposed.
Prof Ripley's report, issued
With the commission plan. suggest
ed that the consolidation if decided
upon could be brought about with
out sale of properties, through the
exchange OF securities between the