The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-01-09
JACOBSON OPPOSES
| &C. PROPOSALS
Railroad Commissioner Claims
Incentive for Competition
Would Be Eliminated
DISCREPANCIES FOUND
Study Shows Northwestern
Roads Would Be Placed at
Big Disadvantage

st. Paul, Jan. 4-The Minnesota
Roalroad and Warehouse commits,
sion will oppose the proposed con,
solidation of northwest railways as
suggested in a plan for consolida,
ton of railways throughout the
country by the Interstate Com.
merce commission, o. P. B. Jacob,
son, chairman OF the Minnesota
commission announced today.
There are a NUMBER, of the fea-
lures of the consolidation which
appear to be ridiculous" Jacob.
soE said.
practically all the carriers car
offer today is competition and ser
vice and with the proposed con.
solidation there would be no incen.
tive whatever to either maintain
the present high grade of service
or to attempt to improve it."
'It would of course, take a very
extensive study and construction Of
several maps in order to determine
exactly what the proposed console
dation would accomplish, but what
study has been made of the subject
up to the present time inevitably
leads to the conclusion that one
feature of the railroad situation ir
this territory as it exists today
namely, active competition between
the rail lines, would be very large
ly eliminated and with the elimina
ton there would be little less tc
expect excepting the deterioration
of the really great service furnish
ed by the carriers through the
towns and villages who donated
the money to the carriers for the
sole purpose of encouraging the
building of a second line of rail
road where but one had heretofore
operated
These towns and villages would
find they had spent their money
for purpose which had been SCI
aside by the consolidation and they
would be back again, in traffic
sense at least, to where they were
when there was but one road il
the state"
Mr.. Jacobson pointed out tina
under the plan of the merger Their,
would be joined together such line.
as the Chicago and Northwestern
with the Mobile & Ohio, the A:
bama Central railway, the BirmIug
ham, Selma and Mobile, and I'll,
Mississippi Eastern. all OF wn:":
are quite remote from anv con-
ton of the Chicago and North
western.
ITO attach these roads to tn,
Chicago and Northwestern would
have but one effect namely, to re
duce the present class standing o,
the Chicago and Northwestern rail
road" Jacobson said.
1.-The same thing is true with re
ference to other suggested combi
nations of large lines to which e
number of remote short lines have
been attached.
Neither is it understandable
how the Interstate Commerce com
mission could compel the two
northerns (Great Northern an6
Northern Pacific to sell their 5O-5(
interest in the Chicago, Burling
totn and Quincy to summon out
siders and this is also true of the
Spokane, Portland & Seattle road
which, we understand is Joint,
owned by the two northern lines"
In some instances the proposed
consolidation proposes to give to
one carrier an undivided one-halt
interest in some short line and in
other cases, a one-third interest in
short line. An example of this
being found in the Duluth & North.
western railways one-half interest
OF which is to be given the Mil.
waukee road and the other one.
half interest to go to the Great
Northern-Northern Pacific combi.
nation.