Evening star., 1929-12-21
10 UNITS PROPOSED
IN LWAY MERGER
Interstate Commission Plan
includes Radical Changes
in AIignments.
BY the Associated Press.


the steam railroads of the United States
into ls giant operating units was laid
down by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission today in compliance with a
congressional mandate.
Five Eastern trunk lines would be
formed, headed by the Pennsylvania,
Baltimore e. Ohio, Wabash-Seaboard,
New York Central and Chesapeake &
Ohio. The Boston g. Maine and the
New Haven would form the key sys-
tenn in New England.
In the South there would be three
systems, headed by the Atlantic Coast
Line, the Southern Railway and the
Illinois Central.
Other key systems under the plan
were as follows: The Great Northern
Northern Pacific, the Chicago, Milwau-
kee, st. Paul & Pacific; the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy; the Union Pa
cif1c, the Southern Pacific, the Atchi-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe; the Missouri
Pacific and the Chicago, Rock Island g.
Pacific and Chicago g. Eastern Illinois.
Two Canadian groupings were also
allowed, but were not included in the
list of trunk systems.
Relations to Be Disrupted.
Many long established relationships
between existing carrier systems would
be disrupted by the carrying out Of the
proposal, but the commission said that
it represented the attempt to create a
transportation system in the country
which would maintain competition and
give every important traffic center re-
course to two or more lines for trans
port service.
In Eastern territory the commission
plan would leave the New York Central
and Pennsylvania systems largely as
they now are, but would enlarge ma
terially the Chesapeake & Ohio system
by adding to 1t the Erie and Pere
Marquette and a large group Of con-
Meeting short lines.
The Baltimore g. Ohio would be given
the Central of New Jersey, now af-
filiated, and half ownership of three
other roads, the Detroit, Toledo 81
Ironton. the Chicago, Indianapolis g.
Louisville and the Detroit g. Toledo
Shore Line. 1t would also be allowed
to keep the Buffalo, Rochester & Pitts
burgh, which it now tentatively con-
trolls but would be separated from the
Western Maryland, which it had en-
gagged in purchasing during the last two
years.
Fifth Trunk System.
A new fifth trunk line system would
be created in Eastern territory around
the Wabash, by incorporating with that
system the Wheeling & Lake Erie, the
Pittsburgh g. West Virginia, the West
ern Maryland, the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railway Co. of Indiana, a half interest
in the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton, and
finally the Seaboard Air Line, running
down the East Coast of Florida, with
most of its adjuncts and connecting
lines.
In connection with Eastern systems
the commission set aside several pro-
posals advanced by the Baltimore &
Ohio, the Chesapeake e. Ohio and the
Wabash. Its rearrangement of prop
critics indicated a disposition to break
up some present oWnerships, and sew
eral of the new systems would have
parts of lines long owned by other and
competitive systems In connection with
that it was noted that the New York
Central system would be assigned al
most complete control over the Vir-
ginian.
In New England territory the Boston
& Maine and the New Haven would be
built up into two regional systems by the
inclusion of connected and associated
lines although the New York Central
was left ownership Of the Boston 6S AL
bany. Association of the Atlantic Coast
Line with the Louisville & Nashville was
confirmed by the plan. The Southern
Railway Co. was assigned the Florida
East Coast Line, which is now independ-
ent, and the Norfolk Southern, but the
Mobile & Ohio, which it has long con-
trolled, was excluded.
Reduction Of Ownership.
In addition its long established own
erShip of the Chicago, Indianapolis &
Louisville was reduced to a one-fourth
interest, the balance of that line being
assigned to the Baltimore g. Ohio and
Northern systems.
For the Illinois Central the commits
sion proposed the addition of a large
number of short lines in Southern ter
ritory including the Gulf & Ship Is
land the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley
railroad, and likewise the Minneapolis
& st. Louis, a now independent line
running into the Northwest. Radical
changes in present railroad alignments
were exhibited by the attachment of
the Mobile 81 Ohio 70 the Chicago
& Northwestern system along with
several other short lines in Southern
| territory into which that road has not
! hitherto reached.
| without specifying the actual local
| treatment necessary the commission de-
/ clared that any railroad consolidation
should be accompanied by unification
of all terminal lines in the respective
! terminals" so that all terminal prop
critics should be thrown open to all
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