The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-03-26
Nearly $4,000 Miles of Rail.
road With Capitalization of
$4,000. 100000 Involved in
Tangled Proposition-Huge
Struggle Began Nearl;
Seven Years Ago

New York. March -. up The
checkcrboard war Of the eastern
trunk line carriers to capture the
rich railroad business that lies be-
tween the Atlantic seaboard and the
Mississippi river continues undated
while quiet moves are planned by the
captains of the railroad industry.
Nearly fifty thousand miles OF
railroad with capitalization OF
$4,000 100000 are involved in the
tangled question whether the nation s
transportation business in the north
eastern section of the United States
shall be carried on four highly con-
solidated trunk lines or a fifth sys-
TEN created by the building of new
trackagc to connect certain indcpcnd-
ent lines between New York and the
Mississippi Valley.
In the swirl and furry of railroad
securities that rise and fall on the
stock exchange; in the veiled moves
Of quiet buying by railroad interests
Of feeder railroads and in the plan
proposed for rail consolidation made
bv the Interstate Commerce Com
mission may be pieced together a
composite picture of railroad war
that has not its like in transportation
history.
No Rate War Possible
" No rate war impcnds or is posi-
hle. the bankers say, rs in other days
but it is a struggle Of carrier giants
J, to organize their stratcgical posi-
tions in their own field and obtain
the greatest amount Of gross bust.
ness.
Some seven years ago this subter-
ranean battle began with here and
there only surface indications visible
to the public. Today finds the qucs-
ton Of four or five trunk line sys-
tenn still unanswered with the force
led by the New York Central urging
a four trunk arrangement while
Leonor +. Loree, president Of the Del
aware and Hudson fights for fifth
system that would link up the Della
ware and Hudson. the Buffalo
Rochester and Pittsburgh and the
Wabash by new trackage in Pcnnsyl'
vania with certain trackage rights
over the Pennsylvania railroad
AGAINST the New York Central, Bal
ingens it is indicated. is the Pennsyl
Varia.
Lorees plan for the fifth truni
line sustained jolt when the Buf
faln. Rochester and Pittsburgh de
clincd the suggestion of the Inter
state Commerce Commission that tn,
Loree option on that line be con
tlnued. Wall Street bankers say tina
If the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion decides finally to permit Lore,
pn f.. nhn- t.
and Pittsburgh the head of the De-
acquisition.
The Four Trunk Line Plan
The four trunk line system n
urged by the New York Central an
its friends groups the following
lines:
New York Central. with the ad
dtion of the Lchigh Valley; the Buff
falo, Rochester and Pittsburgh an
the Ontario and Western.
1.-THE Baltimore and Ohio plu
the Reading, Jersey Central. Ann Ar
Dor. the Monon. Buffalo and Susquc
hanna the Cincinnati. indianapolis
and Western and the Western Mary
land.
3-The Nickel Plate plus the Lack
awanna. Virginian, the Detroit an
Toledo South Shore and possibly tn
Wheeling and Lake Erie and tn
Pittsburgh and West Virginia.
4-The Pennsylvania plus the Nor
folk and Western, the Grand Trunl
Western and the Chicago and Alton
from Chicago to St. Louis.
The grouping for the Nickel Plat
route has been changed by the oper
atoms Of the Van Sweringcns who ar
trying to bring about "A combination