American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1922-07-08
uTAH'S WELFARE
IS THREATENED
Efforts Of Capitalists to Null
lily Supreme Court Decision
on Central Pacific Southern
Pacific vitality Concerns Utah

Pacific vitality Concerns Utah
That Utah's welfare is threatened
II shown In an editorial appearing
recently In the Deseret News regard.
ing the effort that is being made b.
certain capitalistic interests to NULL.
~ the decision Of the Supreme Court
ordering the separation in owner
ship and control Of the Pacific and
Southern Pacific Railroads. The ed.
itorial follows:
The eagerness with which public
utilities officials and business men
generally Of Southern California
Arizona. New Mexico and other sec.
tons OF the southern parts Of the
country are fighting against the
separation Of the Central Pacific
Railroad from the Southern Pacific
Indicates Enthusiastically that the com.
mercial interests OF those sections
have much to gain from the grouping
Of railroads which they desire. And
In It at all plausible that this gain
referred to could be accomplished
except at the loss OF commercial in
terests In sections further north?
One Of the states further north 10
Utah. Il seems self-evident and In
svitable that II southern sections
prevail In the ,ailroll controversy
that has arisen It must be at cost to
the more n0rtherly communities,
among which Utah must be counted.
The business interests Of Utah, there
fore. could not be blamed II they
entered tie fight FOR y grouping
that would mean the routing Of traf-
fic both passenger and freight, over
lines that come inso their territory.
Indeed, II Is surprising that the COM
mercial and industrial interests Of
this state have not taken up the
matter far more vigorously than has
been done up "a the present time.
In . recent decision the United
States Supreme Court ordered the
separation Iii ownership and control.
Of the Central Pacific and the South
srn Pacific. The Central Pacific IL
.that line extending from Ogden to
Ban Francisco, with It's various
branches and feeders. The Southern
Pacific has q southern route extend
ing down the Pacific coast. across
southern California, Arizona, New
Mexico and Texas, TO Gulf OF Mex
leo ports. The mileage Of this route
far exceeds that Of the Central Pac-
fife which joins the Union Pacific
ut Ogden. Now. while 1t 10 true that
shipper may. and is. indeed. ex-
pected to specify the routing Of his
consignment. II is clearly evident
that the employees Of a system can.
in various ways and various methods.
determine over which route the con-
signment shall CO. And II would
be less than human for them. even
lupconsciously without premedit-
alton. to favor the line which they
are working. Nothing less could be
expected, Irrespective OF tia integrity
and honesty OF the railroad officials
and the men whom they employ.
Briefly. therefore. aud without cam
ouflaging the situation, 4 could be
expected that with tho Central Pac-
fife joined to the Southern Pacific
and it's great network OF mileage
across the south. a prep ,lderence OF
shipments would be Gcnected over
the southern route rather than sent
directly across the country ~ way
Of Ogden, and the Union Pacific.
This, 1t is self-evident means loss OF
traffic. loss Of tourists trade and q
measure of retardatio1 :or the sec
ton OF country in which Utah Is In
cluded.
There is no desire On the rert OF
the people OF Utah to see anything
done that would be 10 the disadvan-
tage OF transportation in general and
the development Of the entire coun-
try; but they do insist that they be
given fair and equal opportunity
in the matter of railroad facilities
and privileges. 30 that their own
cities and towns can be built up and
encouraged In common with other
communities in the intermountain
section OF the West.