Show Basin Railroad Necessary If S. S P. P and CP Are Grouped H. H W. W Prick manager of ot the traffic service bureau of Utah last week testified before the Interstate commerce commerce commission as to the results results re re- to be obtained by grouping of railroads He devoted much time to the Uintah basin He asserted that If it the Southern Pacific and Central Pacific are allowed to work together it will be necessary to build a railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road Into the Uintah basin Mr Pricket says in part The Panama canal today controls the to coast-to-coast traffic and and the carriers cannot in compliance with the provisions of lof the act publish rates from the Atlantic to P Pacific coast ports sufficiently low to attract to them any great volume of such coast to coast to traffic therefore in self Interest these carriers must look toward the development of the the territory territory territory ter- ter ter ter- inland from the Pacific c coast ast As was stated recently by Mr Sproule president of the Southern Pacific company The canal controls the business today and is taking a great volume of the tonnage between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts so that we have to look as carriers for the development of or our business inland Utah as a manufacturing center is strategically situated as having from a transportation standpoint an advantage over the Panama canal It naturally follows that independent lines serving Utah from the me west can provide rates for the transportation of Utah products of the Pacific coast tha that are remunerative to them and still be low loty enough to compete with those provided for the transportation of the same products fro from n the east to the Pacific coast en route through the Panama canalA canalA canalA canal A striking example Is the fact that recently a corporation corporation corporation corpor corpor- was formed for the purpose of developing the iron and steel Industry industry industry Indus indus- try of the state of Utah Blast furnaces are to be erected at a place recently named Ironton lo located be between between between tween Provo and Springville not far distant from the coal and iron fields This project Is now und under r way and already a sum in excess of has been expended thereon The blast furnaces have been contracted contract contract- ed for and will be erected in the near future The commission has recently recent recent- ly Issued a certificate of of convenience I and necessity which authorizes the I building of a certain in piece of track to reach the coal fields owned by this industry Can i Malco Malm Rates These blast furnaces can be reached by the Southern Pacific through Ogden In connect connection on with electric lines or directly by the Rio Grande or Union Pacific system lines and the Southern Pacific Is in position position position tion to provide rates for the trans- trans of the products thereof to the Pacific coast at rates remunerative remunerative remunerative tive to It and still low enough that the tonnage to be moved can successfully successfully suc suc- suc successfully compete with that moving by water through the Panama canal This Is only one example that thai many follow the development of the Interior territory by an independent railroad not interested in providing rates to the end that through is ratemaking ratemaking ratemaking rate- rate making policy it may 1 Be re e in position to dictate to our producers and shippers shippers ship ship- pers where they shall find mar markets ets for their products Unlike a railroad which serves us both to the east and west and is not concerned as to whether our products move to the east cast or to the west such Independent line serving us only toward th the west would not bo be in position through its ratemaking ratemaking ratemaking rate- rate making policy to dictate whether our products should hould move east or whether er they should move west or whether er they should move at all if their movement interferes with that of some Bome preferred competitor or interferes Interferes interferes inter Inter- feres with its general policies Resourceful Basin I IThe The Uintah basin Is miles by eighty miles the forest area covers covers covers cov cov- ers acres from which can be cut feet of f lumber board measure the tho oil In the Utah section of the Uintah basin can an anbe be made mado to produce barrels of crude oil and tons of ammonia ammonia- sulphate the gilsonite gU- gU and amount to and tons respectively respective ly the Vernal coal fields of th the tho Uintah basin are aro estimated to con con- tain tons o of coal the irrigated land under crop In Inthe inthe the Uintah basin in 1919 was acres land under canal in 1919 was acres land under canal canalin in 1919 OO acres land capable of Irrigation acres and dry farming land acres The Uintah basin is one of the richest sections s of the west western rn country coun coun coun- try Any degree or development thereof under present conditions is practically out of the question because because because be be- cause of the necessity of hauling the prod products there ther produced a distance of seventy five to miles in order to reach a railroad Now New Line Lino S Surveyed A line of oC railroad has been surveyed surveyed surveyed sur sur- from a point near Provo en route through the Uintah basin to Craig Colo the western terminus ol or orthe the Moffat line It would be uneconomical cal to build such a line orto or to extend the Moffat line into Utah if such Buch lines had n no outlet to the Pacific coast and it is altogether Improbable that such a line w would uld b be constructed or any other railroad extended to Utah from the east If the Central Pacific is controlled by the Union Pacific or any other railroad owning its own rails between Omaha and San I Francisco The commission in its tentative grouping plan proposes to group the Western Pacific and Rio Grande with the Santa Fe Such grouping would leave the Burlington terminating terminating terminating at Colorado common points with a restricted outlet for California traffic If the Moffat line should be grouped with the Burlington and be extended from Craig Colo to a connection connection connection con con- of the Central Pacific in Utah such grouping would give the Burington Burlington Burlington Burl Bur ington an outlet to California traffic over the lines of railway not unfavorable unfavorable unfavorable to it provided the Central Pacific is permitted to remain a par part of f the Southern Pacific and is is not controlled by the Union Pacific It Is respectfully submitted that the he foregoing is justification for the position taken in this proceeding by bythe bythe the he committee of twenty-five twenty referred to o and that in the public Int interest rest of f the state of U Utah ah and the i intermountain intermountain inter inter- ter- ter mountain territory the Central p Pacific Paci Pacific Paci- Paci ci- ci fic should be consolidated with the Southern Pacific In system No 13 13 the commission ion tentatively groups the Oregon Short Line Washington Oregon Railroad Navigation company and the Los Angeles Salt L Lake ke with the Pacific The committee which I here re represent approves of such grouping Western Pacific In system No 16 the commission tentatively groups the Rio Grande Western Pacific and Utah railways with the Santa Fe The said committee committee committee com com- seriously opposes the inclusIon inclusion Ion on of the Ut Utah h railway In this group It advocates however the grouping of the Western Pacific and the Rio Rit Grande except that part of its line Hue operating between Salt Lake City au 1 u-I u Ogden with the Santa Fe Fe in preference preference prefer prefer- ence to any other large system The Santa Fe is fina financially capable af of re- re the Rio Grande and Is In 11 position position more more so than either the Burlington or Missouri Pacific Pacific to to increase the flow of transcontinental traffic over the rails of the Rio Granke Grande 1 and Yes Western tern Pacific If It these lines are grouped with the Burlington Burling Burling- ton it is inconceivable that that railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road would be able to increase Increase substantially sub the flow of transcontinental al traffic ov over r the rails of the llio Itlo I grouped with the Burlington it Is inconceivable that railroad would be able to Increase substantially substantially substantially the flow of transcontinental traffic over the rails of the Rio Hlo Western Grande-Western Pacific whereas if It they are grouped with the Santa Sant SantaFe Santa SantaFe Fe it would be natural to assume that a considerable volume of trans trans- continental traffic originating at ana destined to points on tho the Santa Fe Pe north of Tehachapi would b be diverted divert divert- ed to that route I believe It will willbe willbe be conceded that the future futuro prosperity prosperity prosperity pros pros- of the the itlo Western Grande Pacific properties depends to a considerable considerable considerable con con- extent upon an increased movement of the tho transcontinental tonnage over their rails and that the opera operation lon of these properties r by the Santa F Fe will bring about that condition condition con can more so than If It they are aro aroI I gro grouped with either tho the Burlington I or Missouri Pacific Another factor factor to to be considered Is that the Rio Western Grande-Western Pacific Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- grouping with the Burlington or the he Us l Missouri Pacific would re require require require re- re quire the the c construction of branch lines from the present Western Pacific rails in California into territory now quite adequately served by the Santa Fe and Southern South South- ern Pacific if any great amount of ofin in erase in transcontinental tonnage was desirable all of which would be a aa nee needless ess expense expense to the shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ship ship- ping public Resources Extensive Utah has enormous undeveloped d natural resources One of the I greatest needs to insure the development development development develop develop- ment of these resources is that the Rio Grande be grouped with a railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road sy system tem that is strong financially financial financial- ly such as the Santa Fe to do its part in bringing about this result In event the Rio West Vest ern Pacific is consolidated with the tho Santa Fe Fe there would be splendid I opportunity fir f fp r additional railway development In Utah and Colorado such as' as the extension of a line to Uintah basin from either Provo or Soldier Summit Utah the extension extension extension exten exten- sion of the Marysvale Utah branch of the Rio Grande into southern Utah and the vicinity of Zion National park and the construction construction construction con con- of connections between present narrow-gauge narrow lines of the Rio Gr Grande nde in Colorado and the main line of of the Santa Fe In New Mexico and various other extensions tonnage in its operations operation In that the l large rge volume of coal movIng moving moving ing westbound from the Castlegate Castles Utah district to California points would provide pro a better balance of tonnage as against the preponderance ance of Its loaded movement eastbound eastbound eastbound east- east bound from California The consolidation consolidation consol consol- dation of tho the Rio Grande with the Santa Fe would we wo believe result in placing the Rio Grande in splendid splendid splendid did physical condition and be f followed followed fol fol- l- l lowed by the inauguration of solid soUa passenger train service between Chicago and San Francisco via the Santa Fe Rio and ana Western Pacific |