The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1922-06-16

through Ell PasO against the short d.
rect route, through Ogden, which af-
fords in a smaller division of the
through rate.
VindicatiOn Sought.
This apprehension has been very
greatly increased by the tentative
consolidation plan promulgated by the
interstate e commission,
which, while leaving the Central Pa
cifc with the Southern Pacific, pro-
vided for the merging of the Rock Is
land with the Southern Pacific, thus
giving the latter a 100 per cent haul
over it's own lines via Ell Paso, even
to the middle west as well as to the
Atlantic seaboard via New Orleans
and Galveston, which, quite naturally,
it would be inclined to favor, as far
as It could control the traffic, as
against the short and direct haul
through Ogden. Such an
.ment the Union Pacific obviously
would be interested in opposing to
the last resort, and might be expected
to take all measures necessary for
Ia SAAulCQtlOA VI I'D ll6llJo uuuCI LuC
Pacific railroad acts.
"The interest and right of the I'm
ion Pacific is to see that the westerly
half of the federal railroad system
from the Missouri river to the Pacific
ocean, of which the Union Pacific is
the easterly half, shall performs it's
share of the duties imposed by the
Pacific railroad acts, which provide
for the operation Of said system as
'one connected, continuous line with
out discrimination of one against the
other by whomsoever operated.
.. p. Concerned.
"Now that the supreme court has
ownership of the stock of the Central
Pacific by the Southern Pacific and
decreed the independence of the Cen
trail Pacific as a competitor, in con-
nection with the Union Pacific and it's
connections, of the Southern Pacific,
via its Ell Paso route, the Union Pa
cific is directly concerned in the treat
ment and disposition of the Central
Pacific, to the end that the through
transcontinental line which together
they constitute shall, in the language
Of the supreme court, be able freely
to compete with the Southern Paciic's
southern line, to serve the public eff
GENTLY, and to accomplish the pur-
pose of the legislation under which it
vas (they were) constructed
1.-THE Union Pacific is willing to buy
the Central Pacific from the Southern
Pacific, If fair and reasonable terms
can be agreed upon. But it is not
seeking to buy the Central Pacific,
and it is not necessary for a compli-
ance with the decree of the supreme
court that it should. All the Union
Pacific will ask is that the Central Pa
cific be made an Independent line to
be operated as such, and that it per-
form it's duties as the Union Pacific
is performing it's duties under the
legislation by which they were both
constructed, and that if it is to be
merged into any system, under plans
being worked out by the interstate
commerce commission, it be merged
with the Union Pacific, with which it
forms a continuous transcontinental
line, competing with all others.
at is inconceivable that the COM
mission aver would, even If it could,
under the decisions of the supreme
court, put it in the power Of the
Southern Pacific or any other COM
pany operating and having a larger
interest in a rival and competing line,
to close this gateway, in the face, so
to speak, of the shortest and by far
the best and most efficient transcon-
~tinental transportation line, and GER
tainly the rights of the Union Pa
cific, which is still bound. as is the
Central Pacific, under the Pacific rail-
roads acts, are entitled to considera-
ton.
There is very active propaganda
in California for the purpose of work
ing up public sentiment, with the idea,
presumably, of influencing the inter-
state commission to eXer-
else some very doubtful power in the
premises, which need not be COM
mented upon now, further than to say
that according to reports it has gone
beyond the bounds of possibility in
representing the alleged detrimental
effect that would result from carry
ing out the supreme court desire. The
rates would not be more, or the SER
vice less. if the Central Pacific were
made an Independent and competing
line as ordered by the supreme court,
but every reason Just to the contrary,
and as for the possibility of the Cen
trail Pacific being merged with the
Union Pacific, no line has ever come
under the control of the Union Pacific
which has not been improved in SER