The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-09-14
NEW HEARINGS
ON RAIL MERGER
INTERSTATE COMMERCE BOARD
TO RESUME SESSIONS ON PRO.
POSED CONSOLIDATION
Controversy On Dissolution Of s. p.
and c. p. Lines Likely to De
Reopened; Nineteen sys-
TENS Proposed

Washington.-The interstate com.
merce commission is preparing for re-
sumption OF hearings on the import
ant issue OF consolidating the rail.
roads OF the United States into a
limited number OF systems. The COM
missions tentative plan contemplates
the creation of nineteen systems, into
which would be incorporated all the
railroads Of the country.
Henry c. Hall. the commissioner dI.
rectly in charge OF the consolidation
problem, is now planning a series OF
hearings to be held in the far west,
TO begin next month. The initial hear
ings held by the commission have dealt
with the three consolidated systems
proposed for the southeast. The ma
joity OF the main lines that would be
affected by the proposals for that
region either entered violent protests
or suggested different consultations.
The controversy resulting from the
order OF the supreme court of the
United States directing dissolution OF
the Southern Pacific and Central Pa
clfic properties will be injected into
the hearings TO be held by the com
mission.
Advocats for continuation OF the
merger of the Southern Pacific and
Central Pacific lines and proponents
OF dissolution OF the properties and
a merger Of the Central Pacific with
the Union Pacific have waged battle
ever since the supreme court handed
down its decision.
An interesting feature OF the situa.
ton is that the commission, in its
tentative plan. put the Central Pacific
with the Southern Pacific. while Pro.
lessor Ripley, who prepared the re-
port from which the commission made
its tentative plan, thought the Cen.
trial Pacific should be linked with
the Union Pacific.
The California Producers & ship.
pers' association has been active in
opposing consolidation OF the Central
Pacific with the Southern Pacific and
Is urging that the decision OF the su-
preme court be carried out. This
organization has issued statements
FROM which the inference has been
drawn that II believes that the inter.
state commerce commission will be
bound by the decision Of the supreme
court and forced to divorce the Cen.
trail Pacific from the Southern Pa
cific In any consolidation plan devised
for the railroads in the far west.
Against that point of view is the
belief on the part OF many that the
transportation act gives the Interstate
commerce commission the authority.
In adopting a plan for consultations,
to disregard the antitrust statutes OF
which the supreme court based It's
decision in the Southern Paciflc-Cen.
trail Pacific antitrust case. II is con.
ceiyable that the commission could
form a system of roads in the West
which would include the Southern pa.
cific and the Central Pacific.
Commercial organizations In towns
and cities served by the Union Pa
cific in the western states have filed
many OF these petitions. Commercial
organizations in the central part OF
California have adopted resolutions ia
yoiing a continuation Of the merger,
while similar organizations in north.
ern California have waged an act,v,
battle for divorce ment OF the Central
Pacific from the Southern Pacific