The Washington times., 1923-05-02
WEST OPPOSES
MERCER Of
ROADS
Project Would Wise Out Mid
West Cities as Trade
centers, Is Claim.
BY DOUGLAS G. TINSLEY.
international N-.vs service.


KANSAS CITY, Kan, May q
Proposed consolidation of the rail-
roads of the United States into
few great systems with its conse-
quent elimination of individual car
riers as separate entities will wipe
from the map as commercial ana
TRANSFORMATION capitals the cities
of Kansas City, st. Louis, Omaha,
Minneapolis and st. Paul, and will
work other hardships and unfair
ness to the entire West, according
to CLYDE M. Reed, chairman of the
Kansas Public Utilities Commits
sion
Branding the proposed consolida-
ton as manifestly unfair to the
Southwest, he declared that the
terminal advantages enjoyed by the
cities mentioned will go to Chicago
and the great market facilities built
Tp in those cities would be lost and
the country served by them would
be placed from 500 to 1000 miles
further away from its central mar
ket point.
1.-The fundamental idea contained
in the plan proposed for consolida-
ation' of Western railroads is to
hinge all transportation on Chi
cago," he said. Instead of St.
Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, st.
Paul and Minneapolis continuing to
be the transportation and COM
mercial capitals of the Southwest,
Central West and Northwest, trans
portation systems now terminating
at the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers would be projected forward
to Chicago basis, removing the
seat of control to the transporta-
ton facilities of these great region
NJ empires substantially 500 miles
further away,
"TOo Much Capitalization"
There is too much Capitalization
of transportation and industry for
the good of the country. There
should be decentralization instead.
The great cities and congested in
dustrial sections contain greater
menace to the development of our
country than would a wider diffu-
sion of population, wealth and in
dustry. Besides limiting competi-
ton as between rail carriers, the
centering of all control of the
transportation systems at one point
would, in my judgment, have an
unwholesome effect.
1.-THE, Interstate Commerce Com
mission employed Professor w. n.
Ripley, of Harvard University, to
make comprehensive analysis and
report upon that part of the Esch-
Cummins act which dealt with con-
solidations
Professor Ripley said: The
price paid that is for the extern
sion of the railroads into Chicago
is avowedly a heavy one; for the
open market for the choice of rout-.
ing at the Missouri River gateway
and at the Twin Cities is found to
be restricted by the provisions of
these comparatively unified through
routes. Not only st. Louis but
Kansas City also, in a way, are
primary markets; whereas on the
southeastern neither Louisville nor
Evansville may be said to jeopardize
the supremacy of Chicago. But
Chicago and st. Louis particularly
are keen rivals for business and
It will contribute to national de-
to be so. Such being the case, it
VIII unquGSllOHdDly GOQtTIOubS W
holding the Chicago market on a
parity with those OF the Missouri
River cities if the railroads of this
country operate their own trains
into Chicago and have a substan-
tial investment to support. Through
billing and quick delivery, with a
number of other favoring con-
comitants would be much more
likely to prevail than il Chicago
were compelled to do business in
Oklahoma, Kansas or Texas, both