Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-18

II IdtlIORuo III TIC LII ~
west should be consolidated into two
regional systems, one built around the
Great Northern and the Chicago, Mil
waukee & st, Paul, and the other
around the Northern Pacific and the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, was
taken up for detailed consideration at
a hearing Friday before the interstate
commerce commission.
Representatives of the Hill group,
including the Northern Pacific, Great
Northern and Burlington, were given
the first opportunity to be heard, and
through Walker D. Hines, former
director general of railroads, they i'm
mediately attacked the consolidation
plan which would result in a separation
in their present unified holdings.
Other railroads concerned, including
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul,
through its president, II. K. Byram,
and the Duluth, Messaba & Northern,
one of the iron ore carriers, as well as
various state railroad commissions, also
were represented.
Commissioner Hall opened the SEES
sion by explaining that the commission
was passing under the general instruc-
dation plan that would combine all
the major railroads in the United
States into IS or 20 great regional
systems. The commission, he said, had
tentatively proposed in the northwest
TO separate the Great Northern from
the present Hill group, combine it
with the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
and thus Create two strong systems in
the same territory.
However, the commissions plan is
not to be taken as q p~rejudgment Of
the situation" Commissioner Hall de-
clared. 1T represents an attack at
the general problem and a basis for
building up the fullest record of fact
and argument which the commission
can elicit to aid it in decisions and the
eventual action will be dictated by find
ngs from the record"
Opposes Tentative Plan
Mr.. Hines proceeded directly to an
argument for the setting aside Of the
tentative plan. 1t was expected that
he would be followed by Hale Holden,
president of the Burlington; by Charles
Donnelly, president of the Northern
Pacific, and by Ralph Budd, president
of the Great Northern. Louis Hill,
who was succeeded to direction of
affairs Of the late j. J. Hill in the
organization of three corporations, also
was pieoeuL puL uid Aot expect W
testify.
THE Burlington, Northern Pacific
and Great Northern" Mr.. Hines de-
clared, appear for the purpose of
showing that the general public interest
as well as the legitimate interest of
those three companies require that the
should be placed in the same group.
Their interdependence is not only
one of the great existing facts in the
railroad situation Of the country, but
it is a situation which has been the
outgrowth of planning of the ablest
pioneers in railroad development. The
prosperity of the three companies has
been due to the realization of this
early planning"
History of Hill Group
Mr.. Hines sketched a brief history
of the construction and financing of
the corporations concerned, explaining
that the Burlington stock had been
purchased in 1901 by the two northern
lines as a development from a policy
Of joint operation and joint use of
terminals which the three companies
mutually had adopted as early as
1885. The actual purchase Of the
Burlington he treated as simply a
further step in the realization of the
idea of handling through traffic by
these lines" which had been in the
minds of their original builders.
I'VE will show from the public
standpoint" Mr.. Hines continued, 'the
results of the closer realization of the
plan, and through President Holden Of
the Burlington, also will show the
physical and traffic situation of the
Burlington. its relation to the North
ern Pacific and Great Northern, its
dependence upon interchanged traffic,
the injurious effects which would fol-
western roads should become effective
in fact, and the beneficial result if
the Burlington, Northern Pacific and
Great Northern were grouped togeth-
err"
Productive characteristics Of the
middle west and regions served by
the Burlington when compared with
the same characteristics of the regions
traversed by the northern lines. Mr..
Hines asserted. are such that they sup
plement each other and make free in
terchange of products and railroad ia
cilities between them a matter Of high
est Importance. The lon~g-standing
cooperation of the three companies.
ne atlitU. mas I1hIr IiipIN particularly
intergrading organizations.
Plan Called Dangerous
1--WE believe it will clearly appear
that no other proposal involved il
the tentative plan of the commission
flor general consolidation promises
such a formidable disruption of exist
ing relationships upon the faith of
which enormous expenditures have
been made for the development of the
public service as is involved in the
of this tentative plan upon these
three companies and their controlled
Mr.. Hines asserted.
=" Il y In fact the manner in
the Burlington has been dealt
with in the plan tends largely to de-
stroy the ~Ruriington's strength. 1t
viii necessarily appear that such mem
aces to the prosperity of the Burling-
and therefore to the two northern
ines which own it, will inevitably de-
prive the Great Northern of any mo-
whatever to voluntary action
which would be necessary to bring
about the realization in fact of the /
tentative plans.
Since the statute is framed solely
IN the idea that no consultations are
o take place except by voluntary
action Of the wners of the property.
+ will become evident that the dispo-
made by the plan are of such
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