do ro go disputes need of railroad FURTHER SURVEY REQUIRED REQUIRE BOARD TOU TOLD SALT LARE LAKE AND CHARGE MOVE declaration by the denver rio grande western railroad that further investigation into the resources of the uintah basin is necessary before it can determine the railroad needs of that section and charges by the salt lake denver railroad that the D R G W railroad Is seeking a monopoly of western colorado and eastern utah by its application to build a branch line from soldier summit to vernal are contained in responses to interstate commerce commission questionnaires now on file with the state public utilities commission the denver rio grande western sets out that it has already spent more than in surveys of the basin but is now making further responds filed response ot of the denver salt lake western railroad to its application to build the cutoff from dot sero to orsted colo is on file with the commission the declaration of 0 the denver rio ric grande western railroad by its president J S pyeatt comes as a surprise in view geological reports which characterize th the e basin as the greatest undeveloped section ij in the united states the T he railroad company says respondent entertains no illusions concerning the business to be developed by the construction even of its proposed branch while the agricultural possibilities of the ulu uin tab basin are considerable they alone would furnish remunerative returns and the mineral developments to date have not been sufficiently extended so tar far as respondent is now advised to determine accurately the business which may accrue there for development the greater part of the basin is now served ly by public conveyances and trucks operating over well constructed ted highways extending to respondents spon dents railroad at price which it is proposed so respondent understands to improve by federal aid and also by similar facilities operating in connection with the uintah railway there will doubtless be handled over these highways much business to and from the basin but re predecessors have been and respondent is interested in the up building of the territory tributary to its lines as evidenced by numerous railroad branches in colorado and utah and it believes that it if the present or future public convenience and necessity requires the construction of a railroad into the uintah basin it should be accomplished complis hed bed by the shorter and less expensive branch proposed by the respondent and thus preserve to it the business of its natural territory w in spite ot of the fact that it is not yet convinced the uintah basin needs or would support a railroad the denver rio grande western Il estern claims preferential right to construction on the ground that its surveys have extended over a period ot of years and that it now owns ond end operates a line of railroads from which a branch of about miles may be constructed to serve the basin monopoly charged arthe the response of 0 the D R G W N charges that construction 0 0 the salt lake denver railroad ot of miles would not only of 0 itself be unprofitable but would serve to impair respondents ability to adequately equa tely serve the public now dependent upon it and to sustain it self answering tor for the salt lake denver julian bamberger vice president and general manager advises the interstate commerce commission that to grant the permit ol of the D R G W for the construction of a branch line from soldier summit to vernal would make it impossible to finance another road into the basin in its application to the interstate commerce commission the D it G W states the applicant proposes to construct a branch line which would have no utility as a through or connecting carrier this would mean that probable traffic over the branch line would consist ot of outbound products ot of the area locally served including products ol of the soil various mineral products and livestock and in addition there would be manufactured articles inbound also some passenger traffic tor for the local population served disputes Bushi business in its response the salt lake denver railroad declares that it if the applicants proposed line and the dottero dotsero cutoff cut off were both built the denver salt lake railroad would be dependent upon its limited local territory and such addition al tonnage as a bridge carrier which the denver rio grande western railroad might see fit to route between dotsero dottero and denver this latter bridge tonnage in respondents opinion would je be very limited by reason of the fact that the missori Mis soui sout pacific railroad halt half owner ot of the denver rio grande western at present connects with the D R G W at pueblo and that this will be the preferential gateway ot of all tonnage controlled by these interests would build at once construction ot of the salt lake denver railroad connecting with the denver salt lake lahe at craig colo it Is pointed out would place denver on a transcontinental line and would offer western outlets to tho the rock island lines the burlington and santa fe systems in reply to a questionnaire on its own application the salt lake denver railroad goes extensively into the resources ot of the uintah basin construction of 0 fhe salt lake denver road would begin on approval ot of the application and the refusal ot of the D R G W application says the response and would be completed and ready tor for operation as soon as the james peak tunnel has been finished in 1927 the tunnel is now moie than 60 50 per cent complete