The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-03-30
BIG RAIL SYSTEM
PROPOSES TOCUT
BRANCH SERVICE
Southern Pacific Says the
Double Daily Trains
Lose Money
WOULD ELIMINATE THE
FAMOUS "BUMBLE BEE"
Only Thing That May Stand
In Way Is Refusal of
Commission


Last week the local newspapers
noted the move Of the Texas & Pacific
railway to discontinue the present
boil weevir' passenger train on the
Opelousas division and the substitu-
ton of a mixed freight and passenger
train between the two terminals, Mel
Vile and Crowley. The attempt of the
railroad company to secure permission
CT the commission to cancel this train
is meeting with much oposition both
from Crowley and Church Point. 9th
er important places on the line, like
Rayne, Branch, Lewisburg. Opelousas
and Port Barre, are taking no steps
whatever in the matter, either through
individual citizens, commercial bodies
or municipal councils, and if Crowley
and Church Point are left alone to
fight against the railroad company the
loss of the service seems certain in ad-
vance.
Now it is stated pbulicly that the
Southern Pacific system proposes 70
the Opelousas-Alexandria division
cancel one of the trains operating on
the one leaving Lafayette in the morn
ing and returning in the afternoon.
The company, the public can rest as
sured, viii claim that the operating 0f
a double daily service on this branch
is a money-losing proposition and viii
ask the commission to authorize the
removal of the train on that ground
alone, just as the Texas & Pacific
claims for its local service.
The Southern Pacific has been fight
ing for years the maintaining of a
double daily service on his branch but
every time the company got the mat
ter before the commission it lost out
in its contest with the patrons Of the
road. Whether it will meet with sue
cess this time or not depends upon
the fight put up by the patrons Of the
branch line service or the temper Of
the commission. The railroad com
pany operates twelve first-class pas
senger trains on the main line daily
six in each direction-and there has
never been any disposition to concel
any one of these trains on the grounds
that it was a money losing proposition
But whenever the company wishes to
retrench and cut out expenses it hops
en- the branch running between La
fayette and Alexandria and makes 1t
suffer in order to keep up appearances
on the main line, though reduction
Of the number of palatial steel trains
on it would work little injury to the
towns along the line.
Judging from the number of heavy
freight trains running over this branch
line it is not such a money-loser afte
all. The public looks on it as mon
ey-maker for the company, and Ger
tainly the company has not expended
any tremendous sum in the upkeep u
the track and roadbed, as a trip over
the line will quickly show. Heavy
engines have kept the tracks in bad
shape and the total lack of gravel bal
last has initiated against the roads
maintenance. Frequent wrecks On
the branch have been. proof positive
that little attention has been paid to
the keeping of the branch in safe, con-
dition. The company has shown little
regard for the branch line. and though
if has fed much freight to the main
line. still the ,headknockers Of the
system have devoted little of the in.
come to the keeping up Of the eighty
odd miles. Why should the commits
sion grant the request for the cancel
lation of half of the passenger serv-
ice. IS a question the patrons would
like to see answered. Everybody IS
opposed to the granting of the order.
except the railroad company, and it
desires to save present expenses, AMI
to that end is cutting wages to the
core.