The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-11-19
HOLDEN FOR 4 RAIL
SYSTEMS IN WEST
Gives Interstate Board His
Views on Federal Merger
Plans.
LINES SOUTH IMPORTANT
Officials of Hill Group Stress
Need of Connections
to Gulf.
LINES SOUTH IMPORTANT

WASHINGTON, Nov. Decentralization
OF railroads in the West should create
four great systems. each having ter
mtnais on the Pacific and Gulf coasts
and at Chicago or st. Louis. President
Hale Holden Of the Chicago. Burlington
and Quincy declared to-day at the In
terstatc Commerce Commissions hearing
on suggested mergers. He opposed ten
tative plans of the commission to put
the roads Of the Northwest into two
systems. plans Involving the separation
OF his railroad and the Northern Pa
cific from the Great Northern.
Suggesting that the commission con-
slider the advisability of even larger
combinations OF railroads stretching
throughout the West, however. Mr.. Hol-
den said the Encouragement should con-
slider north and south traffic routes as
well as transcontinental east and west
routes through the West.
IF any such cast and west plan OF
consolidation interferes with north and
south movement, will not an articulation
of roads running north and south result
in shutting off business at the present
free junction points, really reducing ma
terially the amount of railroad operation
at points like Council Bluffs. Kansas
City and Buffalo? asked Prof. w. u.
Ripley, author OF the commissions ten
tative plan.
Roads Need Lines to south.
Perhaps so. My point is that the
enough or has gone too far" Mr.. Hol-
den responded IF you combine the
transcontinental lines in the north and
give each one a line to the southwest
there will be no expectation Of a great
amount of interchang!ng of traffic be-
tween roads. My conclusion is that the
transcontinental lines in the north must
have a line through to the southwest
or an open gateway"
Mr.. Holden agreed with Prof Ripley
that consolidation on the greater scale
would generally tend to wipe out bust
ness at secondary gateways through the
west"
why don't the western lines help us
10 estimate just what situation would be
precipitated?" Prof. Ripley asked. I'VE
are breaking our hearts in the commits
sion trying to put through a voluntary
consolidation plan that will effect the
least disruption to pleasant established
conditions and IL you who have the
fund Of information would come to Us
instead OF leaving us to set up con-
solidation proposals in necessarily some
what academic fashion it would help"
Attempts had been made. the Bur-
lington president added. to get the
western roads into joint consideration
OF consollda ton plans. Asked whether
he thought southern lines should be Ney-
tended to Seattle in case the consolida-
ton connects northern lines with Gulf
OF Mexico ports, he said his suggestion
would require that all four of the great
consultations in the West should have
reasonable access to both regions.
Howard Elliott, chairman of the board
of the Northern Pacific. declared the
arrangement by which the Burlington
Railroad was purchased by the North
ern Pacific and Great Northern was
wise and should not now be disturbed
There was no criticism of the Inter
state Commerce Commission involved.
ne said. in the suggestions of the Hill
roads that they be kept together.