The border vidette., 1922-12-02
KEEP SP AND cP INTACT.
The Reasons for Continued Unifind
 Operation.

Following is an outline of the developments in the Southern Pacific-Central Pacific disnem berment proceedings and 8 brief summary of the reasons for con | tinued unified operation:
 The ordered unmerging of the Southern Pacific-Central Pacific would not be the separation of two individual organizations. but the tearing apart of one system, which, although bearing two names, has been planned, devel oped and operated as one for more than fifty years.
 When the two roads first came under one management there 1 was in existence only 30 miles of Southern Pacific railroad. The unmerger and acquisition of the Central Pacific would in jure the Pacific slope because it would weaken not only the Southern Pacific but all other competitors that are now serv ing this territory and make the Union Pacific dominant to an extent which would stifle all possible competition.
 It would transfer the promo tion and transportation develop ! ment in the west from San Francisco to Omaha, the bead quarters of the Union Pacific. Ia other words, it would take this work out of the hands of the hands of men whose lives have been devoted to learning ] the needs of the west and filling over to strangers who are more interested in the development of 1 the middle west.
 It would impose.upon western i shippers heavy burdens in the 1 way of increased freight rates necessary through the substitu tion of two or three line haulS for one line service.
 Railroad commissions gener 1 ally, as we'll as the Interstate Commerce Commission, have re cognized the principle that two line haul is entitled to a proportionately higher rate than one line haul" (From deci- l SIOl 4SO. 1OO1o Ol CuS SdlllOt bid Railroad Commission, case No. l645. decided June B, 192)
 It would add further addition al burdens on shippers because ] in order to"'carry on" after dis memberment, it would be neces sary to duplicate terminals, shops and other facilities in the terri ] tory now served by the Southern Pacific Central Pacific System and otherwise to increase the capital investments by more than hundred million dollars, and this without adding anything in the way of improved service. h fact, the service could not be as good, being rendered by two agencies instead of one.
 The Interstate Commerce Com
 mission in it's tentative plan of consolidation prepared in ac cordance with the Transports
 ton Act of 1920, has already placed in concrete form it's be
 lief that the continued unified operation of the Southern Pa cific Central Pacific System would best serve the public in
 terests. The Interstate Com
 merce Commission reached this conclusion in spite of the fact that Prof. William E. Ripley, wh prepared list Of suggested consultations. advised the com
 bination of the Central Pacific with the Union Pacific. Prof. Ripley in discussing his plan for the Commission, admitted that the dismemberment of the South ! ern Pacific Central Pacific Sys
 tenn would work to the disad- vantage of California. He call
 ed attention to the fact that the California State Railroad Com
 mission was opposed to the dis
 mem berment and quoted John Eshlemen. president of the board |, as declaring that the proposed dismem berment would amount to a calamity to California.
 The California State Railroad 1 Commission today is just as firm ly opposed to such dismember ment.
 The Railroad Commission then and now opposes dismember meDt and a transfer of the Cen
 tral Pacific to Union Pacific, be
 cause this would:
 First-Merely substitute the operating agency of the Central