New-York tribune., 1922-11-18
NJ ants w esterra
Roads Merged Q,
Into A Groups
resident of aIae gurling-
! tom Supports Plan to
Consolidate s'HiIl" Lines
Into a Single SYSTEM
{ C. C. Keeps Open Mind
Prof. Ripley Believes 3-Line
Combination Would In.
serfere With Competition
s,er, sas rrssans.s wssssmoson svrs.v

Fsezs fAs TTt6UTts's Essa Sfs1son B~rsev
WASHINGTON, Nov. i7.--In support
~ consolidating the three so-calledI
IHfsS lines into single system, Hale
|aciden, president uf the Burlington
geute, proposed to the Interstate Gem
ysrce Commission day that Western
aiiroads be divided into four groups
astead of eight, as provided in the
6mni iissionss tentative plsn.
Such q grouping, MIR. Holden con-
sgnded, would not create systems any
niger than either the Pennsylvania or
saw yerk Central Questioned by
Commissioner Hall, who is conducting
the hearing, the witness said that fu-
ture expansion of roads IN the West
susid not make any of the four groups
sxawieldy.
Mr. Holden predicted no more trans
continental roads wia be built. Ter
sinai improvements will be extensive,
5us the new mileage in the future, he
said, will be comparatively small.
Board Keeps Open Mind
Commissioners Hall said the commits
SION is taking up the question of con
soiidations with an open mind. Its
tentative plan is not to be regarded MS
q pre5ndgment, but merely a mark to
boot at,
\ Commissioner Hall asked Mr.. Holden
70 suggest the groups to which the va
rtcus Western roads should be as
signed- The Burlington president was
ret ready with q plan, but sHid he be-
lieved such n grouping would he de-
celoped as the various Western roads
are heard from. From what Commits
sioner Hall said, the "Hill" lines, In
1sfense OF their proposal for bigger
4.
sasqast tho groupings CT other roads
Mr, Holden occupied most of the day
ssfpre the commission with his testi-
5aaMy and eross-examination. He was
&scl2wed by Vice President Martin, of
she Great Northern, with statistics IN
4 ssnded to back up the contention of
4 shs "Hilp' lines that they should not
Be divided. The tentative plan calls
teY putting the Burlington and North
4 IN Pacific in one system and the Great
gorthern and ST. Paul road In another
". Martin did not complete his testi-
cory. Both the Great Northern and
4 ssrthern Pacific will present testimony
sAowing from their individual view
POINTS why the threefold combination
iasald net be broken. -.
I Examined by Ripley
1 Professor. Ripley. of Harvard, who
~ ms. y SbuuS w tftS CpHSolluapIDn Qll6Ss
d III and proposed groupings of rail-
! asas, Withdrawals followed closely by
| ts CON ra issioriwin its tentative group
4 nwrdid the, CROSS examining of, Mr..
asiieail- He toek. the position. that the
sssdis Euul mot be put into single
gsupe becsuse sof interference with
sonpstition. he cited the decision in
lhs Northern Securities ease.
1 Walker D. Hines, chief counsel for
bs aHillp,lines, interrupted to say
ag he does not think the, Nnrthern
Siearities decision. has an adverse re-
atom to the proposed congratulations
furthermore, in defense of the ..gHi1i''
ines consolidation he said the Esch-
gunmins act contenplates groupings
n foads that will maintain the present
sznneis of trade, rather than creating
new channels, which Professor Ripley
utacated tosbe desirable; WI
Professor Ripley in his questions
smphas izeei that after the Great North.
/ ern and Northern Pacific entered into
me combination with the Burlington