Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-18
DISRUPTION Of HILL
RAILROADS OPPOSED
IN WESTERN MERGER
Separation of Great Northern From Burlington
and Northern Pacific Would Be Disastrous,
Says Representative of Three Lines; Combina-
ton of All Roads of Country Planned by I.C.C.
gest some other method of treating
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul.
Consider Milwaukee Line

gest some other method of treating
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul.
Consider Milwaukee Line
1--WE realize that one important
problem is to provide a satisfactory
grouping for the st. Paul" Mr.. Hines
said, but it will further appear in
the course of the commissions hearings
that other relations of the st. Paul
problem are practical"
Heavy losses are in prospect for the
Burlington, President Holden testified,
if it were divorced from it's present
association with the Northern Pacific
and Great Northern. A large invest
ment in railroad lines in southern
Illinois coal fields has been made by
his road, he said, to develop a through
movement of coal to st. Paul. Mime
apolis and Montana points. A line also
should be put through from Billings.
Mont, southwark for the interchange
of freight tonnage with the northern
roads, he said, adding that long traffic
routes had resulted, which could not
be broken up without damage to the
service as well as to the earnings of
the property. Mr.. Holden declared the
consolidation proposed by the commits
sion of the Colorado & Southern, a
subsidiary of the Burlington, with the
Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe. would
be a mistake" Such a step, he contend
ed, would destroy an important north
and south route between Texas ports
and the interior.
Denver Called Gateway
1.-THE whole plan of the commission
is based too largely upon the east and
west traffic instead Of giving weight
to the independence of north and south
traffic." Mr.. Holden said. AS the
population in the western territory
continues to grow. the Denver gateway
will increase in independence as a
center of large north and south traffic.
The market for products of the north
west, principally lumber, will increase
throughout the central and southwest
ern states and the volume Of fruit,
vegetables and other products from
the south destined for the northwest
likewise will expand.
1t is somewhat remarkable, in Mr..
Holden's view, that none of the ten
tatiye consolidation plans~ other ter
~ritories involved serious disturbance to
existing relationships. while the plan
.n the northwest was a direct cutting
up of associated railroads. No good
can be accomplished, he concluded, "by
first weakening a strong line like the
Burlington and then expecting to add
any of the mileage of the so-calied
weak lines to it's present system"
Mr.. Holden was cross examined at
the conclusion of his direct statement
by Professor w. Y. Ripley of Yale, who
drew up the tentative plan Of ~conseli-
dation for the commission taking part.
Your objections to the proposals in
the northwest largely arise because of
the fact that they contemplate break
ing up to a degree existing systems,
do they not:" Professor Ripley asked.
THAT is right MIR. Holden replied.
II think that the commission could
well adopt the policy of building up
systems and adding to
them
Mr.. Holden added that in consider
ing generally in the western half of
the United States the commission
might well have made the projected
sailroad mergers much more extensive
than had been proposed. On the basis
of the tonnage now handled by west
ern railroads, suggested as c~omponents
of mergers, he said, several of the
eastern companies including the pres
ent Pennsylvania and New York Cen
tral systems. handle more traffic than
will the western consultations if