The Washington times., 1922-08-06

SohN OhAChCC dho SoAhhAoh oOAoOs
The misdirected energies Of his
Administration are stili bearing
fruit. Two months ago q suit, fool
ishly instituted by his first Attor.
fiey General In 1913, ended In a de-
cision of the United States Supreme
Court ordering the Southern Pacific
to divest itself of the Central Pacific.
The two have been q single sys-
tenn for half a century and business
interests Of California are up in arms
to find a way to prevent the separar
ton.
wilson began his trust busting
with the Seven Sister laws. passed
while he was governor Of New Jer.
sey.
Wilson began his trust-busting
principles, cured no bad practice, but
put innumerable obstacles in the way
Of doing business, and after eight
years Of failure, every one Of the
seven laws was repealed by the al.
most unanimous consent OF both
political parties and of public optn-
ion.
Wilson, in forcing the American
Telephone and telegraph Company
to sell IN holdings. Of Western
Union, fought she development Of
co-opsration between the telephone
and telegraph. The recent Central
Pacific case, however, presents
the best instance Of Wilsonian
crusade against the public welfare.
The Governments suit to compel
dissolution Of the Central from the
Southern Pacific came as . by
product of the dissolution of
Southern Pacific from Union Paci.
fic. ordered by the Supreme Court
In December. 1919.
Bought By Hartman.
Hartman, who controlled the
Union Pacific. in 1891 purchased
the G. p. Huntington holdings Of
Southern Pacific. Thsse. along
with similar PURCHASES. put Harri-
man In charge Of both properties. (.
The rssult was the elimination
monopoly in defiance Of the ,sher.
Government. In It's suit was sup
tion :: disappear as the southern
Pacific. q California corporation,
was swallowed up into. a vast rail.
road system controlled In New
York.
Do the Supreme Court wisely or.
dsred the merger dissolved. In
negotiating regarding the .ufi-mer-
ger the United States Attorney
General suggsstsd that the South
ern Pacific sell the Central Pacific
to the Union Pacific.
WaplxAd IN tFsS~,n.~~v
Recall the location Of the Cen.
tral and the Southern Pacific in
California. The first trapsconti.
mental line was created by Federal
money and land grants to the
Union Pacific, which built west
from the Missouri river, and the
Central Pacific, which built east
Ogden, the Central Pacific being
$50 miles Of the route and the
Union Pacific 1000 miles.
TAough the two roads have been
separately ownSd, save for the Harri-
man period, neverthelsss they have
worked In complete harmony. They
formed and stiii form the chief trans
continental rail route. The Central
Pacific has been extended from Sac
ramento ID Oakland and to a con-
motion with the Southern Pacific
south Of San Francisco. -
Like . Single system.
- Since Southern and Central Pa
ciffc in California were owned by
the same interests, the extensions
Of their first trunk lines proceeded
Ike q single system. For example,
for nine years the Southern Pacific,
before the completion Of it's coast
line from San Francisco to Los
Angeles, ueed . long stretch Of the
Central Pssific's branch into South
ern California az part Of the South
ern Pacific's Sunset-Gulf route from
San Francisco to New Orleans. Even
today the Southern Pacific's line
FROM San Francisco to Portland
muSt use two hundred miles Of Gen.
trail Pacific track. The Central Pa
cific does not get to San Francisco,
but must use the Southern Pacific
rails twenty-five miles, from Red
wood City. The Southern Pacific
has its main shops, with a payroll
Of s14.00o.oo0 per year; on Central
Pacific lands at Sacramento.
That ID, the two railroads are
thoroughly scrambled. Their dfvi-
biOil pOltitbp WIN sHopu hnu ydub,
are 50. located as to require runs
on tracks beionsi to both roads
impossible II they were separated.
Train schedules Of the whole net
work OF Southern and Central Pa
cific lines In California are 30 ar
ranged as to provide the best pos
slble service, and California shippers
do not want this united service
broken.
Commission Made Objection.
When in 1918. following the
Pacific Southern Pacific un-merger.
the Department OF Justice asked the
Southern Pacific to let the Union Pa.
cific buy the Central Pacific, an at
tempt was made to effect the trans
fer.
But the Railroad Commission OF
California objected and placed such
obstacles In the way OF the sale that
Il was abandoned. So the Govern.
ment brought suit in United States
District Court Of Utah to compel the
Southern Pacific to sell the Central
Pacific.
The Governments contention was
that the Central Pacific, as part of
the Union Pacific an-ran route to
the East was natural competitor"
OF the Southern Pacific rails from
San Francisco to New Orleans and