Arizona republican., 1922-06-20
DISCUSS EFFECTS Of
COURT DECISION ON
4 WESTERN STATES
Public Utility Commission
ers Meet to Talk Results
of Railroad Separation
Order.

SAN FRANCISCO, June f9-Pub-
lie utility commissioners from Cali
fornia, Arizona, Nevada and Utah
discussed here today the possible re-
suits of the United States supreme
court decision ordering the separa-
tion of the Southern Pacific and Gen.
trail Pacific railroads. To gain fur
! fher light on the question. they de-
%cided to ask william +. Herrin, gen.
keral counsel for the Southern Pacific
company, and E. E. Calvin. vice
president Of the Union Pacific RAN
road company. to appear before tnem
tomorrow.
Although the belief was expressed
ut the morning session of the con-
ference, called by President Harley
Brundige of the California railroad
commission, that the transportation
Ect of 1920 conferred power on the
Interstate commerce commission 10
group the Southern Pacific and Gen.
tral Pacific together despite the court
decision a later consensus of opinion
was that the two roads would have
to go through an un-merging process
before they would be permitted to
unite again as one system. Public
opinion in the West as to whether the
Union Pacific or the Southern Pa
cific should control the Central Pa
cific is somewhat divided. according
TO the opinions given today.
The New Mexico public utilities
commission telegraphed the Califor-
MIA railroad commission that separa-
tion of the Central Pacific and South
ern Pacific would be fatal mis-
take and authorized the California
body to protest in its name to the
Interstate commerce commission.
Chairman E. r. Johnson of the Ari-
Zona corporation commission said at
the meeting that public opinion in his
state, judging from about 25 tele-
grams he had received today consid-
cred the separation a bad thing for
Arizona. President Brundige of the
California commission expressed
himself similarly for California.
On the other hand. the Oregon
public utilities commission declined
to take part in today's conference
saying opinion in western Oregon
was divided along sectional lines. A.
r. Haywood of the Utah commission
and w. H. Simmons of the Nevada
commission said public opinion ap-
parently had not been formed in their
state, the latter remarFing that his
people were, to a certain extent.
awaiting the outcome of the present
meeting here.
"A large part of the day was taken
up with a report by Rickard Sachse.
chief engineer of the California COM
mission, outlining two plans which
the interstate commerce commission
had had under consideration before
the supreme court decision was hand
ed down. The first. called the Rip
ley plan, contemplated uniting the
Union Pacific and Central Pacific,
the latter continuing the present
transportation system, but with
number of improvements.
s;achse said the Ripley plan would
give the Union Pacific predominant
position in the West, with the short
est routes to Sauthern California via
the Los Angeles and Salt Lake rail-
road company line to central Cali
fornia by the Central Pacific and to
the northwest by the Oregon short
line. He favored the second scheme.
called the interstate commerce COM
mission plan.
The Ripley plan. Sachse said, also
would weaken the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroad by bringing
two new competitors into California,
the Union Pacific and the Burlington
system, through a proposed consoli-
dattion of the latter with the West
erIi Pacific railroad company and by
making the competition between the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe more
keen because both would have purely
southern routes across the continent.