Evening star., 1929-12-21
19UN|TS PROPOSED
IN RAILWAY MERGER
Interstate Commission Plan
includes Radical Changes
in Alignments.
Continued From First Page.)

users on "fair and equal terms" re-
gardless Of terminal ownership.
A long study and much controversy
within the commission and in the 1ail-
road field preceded the announcement.
Since 1920, when Congress authorized
general railroad consolidation on a
basis Of maintaining competition and
further maintaining existing routes and
channels Of commerce, the commission
has repeatedly asked to be relieved of
the mandate ordering 1t to. prepare
plan, without result.
Commissioner Eastman In a concur
ring opinion to the document today de-
clared that 1.-The plan is very little more
than q procedural STEP" He added that
there is nothing compulsory about 1t
nor even any assurance that authority
will be sought to carry out the con-
SolidationS which 1t proposes. The I'M
POI tGnt time will come when we take
action upon definite applications" to
bring about rail consolidation.
In the actual alignment Of railroads
projected by the plan there was marked
difference with some OF the proposals
made by important railroad interests
which have sought to take advantage
of the consolidation law.
Changes In West.
In the West the commission proposed
to take the Burlington system away
from the Great Northern and Northern
Pacific, which now own it, and to erect,
by addition of the Missouri-Kansas-
Texas to the Burlington, a new and
extensive railroad structure. Inc
Burlington system projected will include
a half interest in the Great Western and
likewise half interest in the Trinity &
BraZoS Valley and would run from the
Canadian border to Mexico. The Great
Northern and Northern Pacific would
be merged in another consolidation, In
cluding most of their present aftlliated
and connecting lines.
Around the Chicago, Milwaukee, st.
Paul 81 Pacific the commission proposed
another single system by the inclusion
of the Duluth, Missabe & Northern, the
Duluth & Iron Range, o half interest
in the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific, and
trackage rights and partial interests
in several short lines which would be
associated with other merger systems
as well.
The Union Pacific was left practically
all Of its present subsidiaries and was
tentatively assigned q number Of short
lines. Similar treatment was accorded
the Southern Pacific, and among the
assignments to that company OF lines
at present independent were the Waco,
Beaumont. Trinity and Sabine.
The AtchiSon, Topeka & Santa Fe
was likewise assigned q number of
short lines including half Of the Chi
cago g. Great Western, the Min
neapolis, Northfield e. Southern and
the Minnesota Western Railroad carry
ing its system far north Of territory 1t
now serves.
Missouri Pacific Enlarged.
The Missouri Pacific was definitely
enlarged by the inclusion in 1t Of the
Western Pacific, which corporation is
now seeking an entrance into San
Francisco, and was confirmed IN the
acquisition of the Denver &S Rio
Grande Western in which 1t is now
interested. A large number Of short
lines connecting with 1t were included
as a part of the new system projected.
The linking Of the Rock Island to the
st. Louis-San Francisco and the join
ing of the Louisiana Railway & Naviga-
tion Co. and a half interest in the Trim
ity e. Brazos Valley made up the nine
teenth American system.
The commission indicated that the
Canadian National routes on this side of
the border including lines in New Eng
land, the Grand Trunk Western, and
the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee,
would be left as at present constituted.
Canadian Pacific Holdings, which in
clude the 500 Lines and extensions into
New England, were also left undisturbed