New Britain herald., 1929-11-02

more than 5000 miles of track. for permission 10 buy control of the Northern Pacifc's 6.GS2 miles and create the longest system in the country.
 Before Group since 1920
 Rail consolidation has been actiyc- ly before the commission since 1920 when congress directed it 10 prepare a tentative draft for mergers. This was added, providing for l q systems, hearings were held upon ii and the commission began draftnE it final proposal l-one that would be sufti- clently induciye for in" railroads to carry out its general provisions. as the plan is not to he compulsory Since 1925 the commission has re- peatedlv advised congress that the .drafting Of such a plan was tmpos -sible and asked to b" relieved, but without success.
 Bills were introduced, however. al the last session of congress intended 10 facilitate rail mergers by modify
 
 law that all unions must be consist ent with the general scheme outlined by the commission.
 In the meantime. th" commission has gone ahead with irs draft which Commissioner Porter expects 10 h" ready next month, In addition Q be ing inviting 70 the lines. the com missiOncrs must at the same time safeguard the public interest, pre- serve competition and maintain-Iu- solar as possiblo-cNisting channels of trade and make possible the en- plOrment Of rates producing equal rates Of return on competitive traffic.
 Many systems Proposed
 From ten 10 thirty systems have been proposed for Ih" country. In the east for the present the most vital section. suceo ostions n"ye rang ed from four 10 six major trunk lines.
 The four scprato applications for control Of various lines dJrady he fore tho commission wor presented by the Ral'im ore X oh}o. the Chosa- p"ako X Ohlo, tha Wahast and thn Delaware ee Hudson Th pcnusyl- lania and the New York Central. both dominant factors in tho eastern transportation world. also ar- bruey- ed in railroad circles to havo plans in the making. whU" fine I.arba- wanna also has hran -u-gr-'ed as tho Eoyljnc U another group
 The Baltimore X Ohio s.,Ls roo- troL Of ltt4l mII,s of 'tacE. The s}a'oms property irtaa'u,ut "ouId total approximately &g.f>@ u@G. and ir would hay" gross r-snHur. based upon fg-H figures, ot z...olr tr.
 It has asked romulot. control o' .hn Reading system. }a. r.a.r4I o' New Jersey tHo LsMgu A Hudson 2lvcr th" Western MaH aud 'n, Buffalo, Rochester & IH'slnrgh. tHa FunaIo X SJsquoharna- fE, Detroit, Toledo X Irontou. thr rh,@@o. IT, dtahapoHs x Louisville tt. Wabash and th" Ann Arhor
 Another pruro-al HtarI
 From the Van S@,rsr-r.'e f'....0- pcakc X. Ohio came m aputuatIou for control or i&.n5G miI.s. sirH prou- erty investment ot &Ispf.@a2. .roa. and gross revenues Of fzctCrf. .o.1. Control is asked of thc Uo.Eng Nal- Joy, the Prre Marquette. fur Erie. the New York. Chicago d. St. Louis. the Nirginau tbr DrlaWau. l.arka- wanna da Western Ih, 1&esrmnr & Lake Erie. r1n Wheeling N Lake Erie, the Pittsburgh @- %hawmu'. tho Pittsburgh, Shawmut & Northern, and the Chicago, Eastern lliuorz.
 Wabash Asks Control
 The Wabash, which was included in the Baltimore G ohjo's merger plans, asked control of tha L"hi2h Valley, the Wheeling d- Lake Err, the Pittsburgh X West Nia@inl Western Maryland. Lehi@h * NJ" England tho Akron. Canton t. Youngstown. tho EI-U. Joliet > Eastern. the Toledo Peoria x W"s. ern and the Chicago &. Illinois MIt- land,
 These would involve trachasc of e.949 miles, with a property invest ment of about $2f7.5lo,t61 and rer- enues of $@&2.5GLGiD in 1928.
 From the Delaware X Hudson the most recent petition came Op- erating SSl miles of track. if asks control Of a unified system l3,55&