New-York tribune., 1921-10-15
Norf folh & Western
Fails to Benefit
By No. 9 Group
Would Have Been Assisted
With Nirginian, but Is
Handicapped by Addition
of Two Smaller Lines

fTkts Is TIE eighth Of series OF dGilv
articles dnaigrtne the proposals Of tbs
Interstate Commerce Commission for
.he consolidation Of the railroads Of the
eoustry sito n.reteen mGjor systems
The series - based on data obtained in
tn.errietcs ;elth railroad men and bank
s-s. Tire niN,h articie tciu oppen7 IN
the frrnciGi section to-morroac.- Finuu-
-i0i Editor
The Norfolk & Western is line af-
fliated with the Pennsylvania Rail-
road The Interstate Commerce Com
mission in its tentative plans for
consolidation OF American railroads
into eighteen or nineteen systems pro
poses to make the Norfolk & Western
the basic line for an independent svs-
ten. to which is added the Kanawha G.
Michigan and the Toledo & Ohio
Central.
The Norfolk & Western runs from
Columbus and Cincinnati in the West
tc Norfolk and tidewater, with
branches into the West Virginia ccal
ields Il has tributary to it the finest
grade Of bituminous coal as yet discov-
cred on 3 large scale, the Pocahontas
4 Ohio in developing coal handling
facilities at Norfolk, thus being at an
advantage as TO tidewater coal AS =
road affiliated with the Pennsylvania
It has been in q peculiarly strong stra-
tegic position to get eaStbound traffic
through sn interchange with the va~i-
aus Middle Western lines. in exchange
for its coal traffic bound west and Tor
the lakes
The Toledo & Ohio Central and the
Kanawha & Michigan are controlled at
present by the New York Central. The
latter connects with the Norfolk &
and together they parallel the Chesa-
peake & Ohio's Hocking Valley At
present. therefore. We have two com
peting lines running north to the
.akes from the Kanewha and New
River coal fields. one controlled by the
c. & O., the other by the New York
Central. The commissions plan pro
poses that this competition be perpetu-
ated. but that instead Of being q part
Of the New York Central system ex-
tending down into the coal fields the
7. O. C.-K. & NJ shall become
part II the Norfolk 4 Western. giving
Il an outlet u the lakes.
II IS extremely doubtful whether
FOLK & Western whereas. on the other
hand, New York Central officers are in
clined to feel tat it will be depriving
them OF an important competitive ad-
vantage to take away the T. & o. c.
Modern Machine
In making a separate system out OF
the Nor ok g. Western the Interstate
Commerce Commission apparently
RECOGNIZES some of the salient features
in the development Of the property.
hut if This surmise is correct the com
missions plan t0 link OF 10 the system
the To'edo { Ohio Central balks the
plain logic Of the commissions own
reasoning
The Norfolk e. Western has been de-
vel~rei under the best traditions OF
Pennsylvenia Railroad scientific rail
roading. but unlike the Pennsylvania,
t has been q comparatively small seIe-
contained property. susceptible of close
supervision by the MANAGEMENT, which
combines both responsibility and au.
thority The result has been that 4 fer
more perfect Transportation mach n
mas been built up than has been found
possible IN the Development OF larger
American railroad systems This is
shown IN nearly every department of
the organ zation Of the Norfolk &
Western as we'll as in the physical de-
velopment of the property.
There IS quite remarkable family
spirit which pervades Norfolk & West
ern employees and officers alike. In its
traffic relations its affiliations have. it
!s believed worked to the ADVANTAGE Of
BOTH compar es. Its phys cal dcve op-
nent has been in accordance with the