Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-04
SYSTEM RAIL
PLAN BEFORE |. &C.
Carriers Ask Commission to
Accept Proposal in Place
of 5-System Setup.
Continued From First Page)

stantjal position, where the remainder
necessary to constitute control is de-
clared in friendly hands.
This lineup diSmembers the northern
portion of the fifth System-Wabash-
Seaboard provided in the commission
plan. The Wabash as has been said.
would go TO the Pennsylvania, while the
Seaboard, now in receivership, is left
untouched.
1t also leaves out of consideration the
New England roads, although 1t dips
into ALLEGATIONS made to these and to
other systems proposed in the commits
sion plan which was Nationwide, pro-
viding for 81 groupings, including two
that reached over the Canadian border
to get in the Canadian National and
Canadian Pacific.
Meets I. C. c. Requirements.
In their petition, the carriers say that
the set-up they propose would meet the
requirements of the Interstate Commerce
act providing that competition shall be
preserved as fully as possible. and that
the systems shall be arranged so that
the cost of transportation also shall be
the same as far as practicable, that
each may employ uniform rates and
earn substantially the same rate of re-
turn.
Benefits are cited as follows:
Each of the four systems would have
adequate main stems between the Allan
tic Seaboard and Middle West and
direct routes between important cities
and industrial centers
Nearly all the principal producing,
consuming and population centers of
the eastern territory, excluding New
England. would be served by two or
more and in many instances by all four
systems.
Each system would have access to
sources of fuel supply as well as parti-
cipation to q large extent in the ccm-
mercial distribution of coal.
The lineup would provide access for
each system to at least two OF the five
principal North Atlantic ports, none of
which would be without competitive
service.
Each system would have substantial
access to the lower Great Lakes ports,
Ohio River crossings and Lake Michi-
gan ferry routes. and thus participate
in the transportation of the large vol
ume of traffic passing through and over
them.
Would Serve Public.
"The four systems proposed would
have the necessary physical and flnan-
cial strength to serve the public eftl-
GENTLY and economically and to co-or-
dinate their services with waterways
highways and other modern means of
transportation the petition says, ad-
ding that lin addition to their physical
and financial strength, the four systems
would be we'll articulated and reasonably
balanced with one another and would
thus assure a greater amount of effec-
tive competition than would be possible
with any number Of systems in eastern
territory greater that four"
The controversial issue of trackage
rights which the Pennsylvania sought
over the Nickel Plate, along the south
shore of Lake Erie, which would have
tied in some of its short lines and
York Central, has been held in abey-
ance, it developed with the filing OF
the petition.
New York Central Opposes.
The Nickel Plate was willing to make
this grant, but the New York Central
steadily held out against it. and under
the circumstances the matter was left
for adjudication later. Because the
Pennsylvania withdrew its claim for
this facility, it was understood that
the New York Central also would With
draw certain demands
Another matter over which the rail-
road arrangements were at odds, name
ly, the disposition of the Virginian.
the Pennsylvania and Chesapeake e.
Ohio, and giving to the New York Cen
trail joint rates and through routes, over
1t. This will give the Central an outlet
at Hampton Roads. The Virginian a
coal road. is owned by the estate of H.
H. Rogers.
The grouping would also result In
giving the Van Sweringens their long
sought extension for passenger service
into New York City.
Principal 1. c. C. Changes.
The principal changes in the Inter
state Commerce Commissions plan
would be as follows:
The Delaware e. Hudson from the
Boston & Maine system to joint owner
ship of the four proposed systems
The New York. Ontario & Western
from the New Haven system to the
New York Central
The Lehigh g. Hudson River Railway
from the New Haven to the Baltimore
& Ohio
The Lehigh & New England Railroad
from the New Haven to joint ownership
of the four systems
The Virginian Railway from the New
York Central to joint ownership by the
PENNSYLVANIA and Chesapeake & Ohio
Nickel Plate
Detroit, Toledo g. Ironton. from
joint ownership by The Baltimore &
Ohio and WabsSh-Seaboard to the
PENNSYLVANIA
The Delaware. LackaWanna & West
ern Railroad, from the Chesapeake &
Oh1o-Nickel Plate to the New York
Central
The Wabash Railway, Toledo. Peoria
q Western Railroad and the Norfolk e.
Western Railway, from the Wabash
Seaboard to the PENNSYLVANIA.
The IRhiph Valley Railroad Wheeling
& Lake Erie and Chesapeake e. Ohio
Railroad of Indiana. from the Wabash
Seaboard to the Chesapeake & Ohio
Nickel Plate.
Joint Ownership.
The Pittsburgh & West Virginia, ex-
cept that portion west of Gould's tunnel
--three miles west of the Ohio River
and the Akron. Canton &, Youngstown
Railway from the MISUNDERSTANDING 10
Joint ownership of the four systems.
That portion of the Pittsburgh & West
Virginia west of Gould's Tunnel would
go to the Chesapeake g. Ohio-Nickel
Plate
Western Maryland Railway and Ann
Arbor Railroad from the Wabash Sea-
board to the Baltimore g. Ohio.
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway
from the Chicago & Northwestern to
the Chesapeake & Ohio-Nickel Plate.
Chicago. indianapolis & Louisville
Railway CMonon) from joint ownership
of the Baltimore 81 Ohio. Atlantic
Coast Line and the Southern Railway to
the Baltimore g. Ohio,
Monongahela Railway from joint
ownership by the New York Central,
Pennsylvania and Baltimore g. Ohio to
joint ownership of the four systems.
Pittsburgh, CHARTERS & Youghiogheny
Railway from joint ownership by the
New York Central and Pennsylvania