The Redwood gazette., 1935-09-12
Details of Plan to Divide
Trackage of Road Are
Made Public
Both Ends of Line Serving
This Section Would be
Abandoned

Details of the plan Of eight
competing railroads to buy and
dismember the M and st. L sys-
tenn were made public this week
when the roads offered $1,000, 900
for the right to own and use 1,025
miles of the road and abandon 525
miles.
Under the plan the Great
Northern would take over the
Marietta to Hanley Falls section
Of the road, west of here, while
the Milwaukee line or the Great
Western would acquire sections
which would include the Hanley
Falls to Norwood trackage, serv-
ing Belview, Delhi, North Red
wood, Morton and other towns in
this vicinity. The Milwaukee and
Great Western may be merged.
Among the sections slated for
abandonment if the deal is ap-
proved is the Marietta to Water
town, South Dakota, part of the
line through here and the Nor
wood to Hopkins part on the east
ern end. The first involves ~
miles and the latter, 32 miles.
The application was filed with
the Interstate Commerce commits
sion by the Associated Railways
Company, a corporation formed
by the eight roads to make the
purchase and parcel out the tracks
and other properties among them.
The plan was approved last Feb
ruary by the Reconstruction Fin
ance corporation, which will lend
the $7,2OO,OOO to the Associated
Railways company.
The eight roads and the
amounts they would pay for shares
of the Minneapolis and st. Louis
properties are: North Western,
$1,1o9, 900; Burlington, 81, ,259, 900;
Milwaukee or Great Western, for
lines in Minnesota, Iowa and South
Dakota, $1,664 900; Rock Island,
81, ,O87 900; Illinois Central, ST.
123 5000; Great Northern, $107, 900;
Great Western, $257, 900; Milwau-
kee, $257,OOO; 500 Line, $257 900.
Each of the eight roads, except
the 500 Line, would obtain some
of the Minneapolis and st. Louis
trackage.
Public hearings on the sale and
dismemberment plan will be con-
Quoted by the ICC next winter,
probably at Minneapolis and other
key points on the Minneapolis and
st. Louis. Testimony and argu-
ments in support of or opposition
to the proposal will be presented
at these hearings.
Opponents of the plan nave
nine weeks to get protests and
counterpetitions before the ICC.
Legal notice of the proposal must
be published for the next three
weeks in a paper in the county
seat of each county served by the
Minneapolis and st. Louis. Then
the eight roads, which propose 20
make the purchase would be given
six weeks to answer question
naires as to details of their plans.
Directors are allowed the entire
nine weeks to file protests.
Opponents of the dismember-
ment program Tuesday began pre-
parations for renewing their hight
to have the road maintained as an
independent operating unit. The
Minneapolis and ST. Louis Rail-
road Employees association, an or
ganization Of some 5000 workers
in Minneapolis and towns all over
the system, has filed protests with
the federal government.
The Minneapolis and st. Louis
has been in receivership since
July, 1928. Its construction was
begun by a group Of Minneapolis
investors in the early '8Os and ad-
dition of more lines and acquisi-
tion of smaller connecting roads,
notably the Iowa Central, lncreas-
ed the mileage to 1923. About Is
miles of track have been aband-
oned in the past year. The road
serves Minnesota, Iowa, South
Dakota and Illinois.