New-York tribune., 1921-10-17
-Four full columns OF in
restn,ent questions and an
suers are published in The
Tribune erery Sunday
Illinois Central
May Have Trouble
In System No. II

This is the tenth OF ssraeS of daily
articles analyzing tho proposals Of tho
Interstate Commerce Commission for
tho co7lsolido ton Of the railroads of tho
country ssto nineteen major systems.
The series IS based on date obtained in
ipte7uieus 1oith railroad men and bank
sys. The eleventh article toiU appear IN
the financial section to-mory0w.- innn-
ciQJ Edlt0r.)
System No. IL, as suggested By the
Interstate Commerce Com mission in its
tentative plan Of consolidation OF the
railroads, consists Of the Illinois Cen
tral, Yazoo g. Mississippi Valley, Cen
tral Of Georgia, Sea aboard Air Line,
branch Of the Norfolk 4 Western from
Lynch burg, Va, to Durham, N. c., the
Gulf &, Ship Island and the Tennessee
Central. The commission also suggests
the possibility Of including in System
Carolina, Clinchfeld & Ohio, presum-
ably TO give the Seaboard Air Limo q
connection with a coal field.
This is q logical arrangement, Il the
commission abandons the plan as sug-
gested in its Michigan roads system, Of
making the Clinchheld connecting
link between the Northwest and South
east for tho development OF through
traffic. Connected with the SeAboard,
il is not as good link, railroad officers
who have studied Southeastern railway
problems are inclined to think, as it
would be connected with System No. II.
that is, the Atlantic Coast Line-Louis-
villc & Nashville system. There might:
however, be Il consdera bic difference of
opinion on this point.
Without the Clinchfeld, System No.
~ simply raises the question as 10
whether the Illinois Central, which al
ready has the Central Of Georgia, could
be connected up with the particularly
prosperous. There are obviously ad-
vantages accruing TO the Illinois Cen
trail for an extension into the coal and
IRON district Of Birmingham. and it
was in recognition Of these advantages
that the Illinois Central acquired con
troll of the Central Of Georgia. But
would there be advantages in going
further7
William 2. Ripley, professor Of eco
nomics at Harvard University, in his
report TO the commission forms a sys-
TEN unlike that OF any of the systems
formed by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. Professor Ripley's sys-
TEN. as shown by map No. 13, consists
Of the Seaooard Air Line, branch OF
the Norfolk & Western, the Atlanta,
Birmingham e. Atlantic, the Georgia
southern & + lOrida and the fIorlGa
East Coast. The criticism OF that COM
bination is simply that combining the
weak Seaboard Air Line. which is
struggling to maintain solvency with
the bankrupt Atlanta, Birmingham e.
Atlantic, solves no financial problem.
Even in the most prosperous year in
She history OF the railroads, 19l7, Sea-
board Air Line earned 343 per cent /
only on It's investment in road and
eQui iprnent as shown on It's own books, /
and the Atlanta, Birmingham & Allan
tic showed less than J per cent. 1t
should be understood that Professor
Ripley's report suggests various al
ternatives and his map. No. 13, which /
combines tho Seaboard and Atlanta, I
Birmingham & Atlantic, is intended as
a basis Of discussion only.
The Interstate Commerce Commits !
sion's system. No, II, would on its face
go considerable distance toward
bolstcring UP the Scaboard Air Line |
with the strong Illinois Central. Here
again, as in SO many other cases. how
ever it is necessary to face the his.
torical fact: the Illinois Central has
had as high a credit as almost any
American railroad One important
reason for this fact is the perfection |,
with which the transportation machine T
exactly meets the requirements Of its .
territory without Improbable exten-
sions into different character Of ter
ritory, and from tho financia! point Of
view, because the Illinois Centrals (
credit has not been strained in direc-
tions other than tha intensive devel- /,
opmont Of It's own property.-W. f. X.