Show Basin Railroad League Wins Intervention Pleas Plea On Consolidation Consolidation s Plan History of Long Fight For Railroad Facilities Given In Petition Presented to Interstate Commerce Commission at Recent Session The Uintah Basin Railroad League and W. W H. H Paul of My Myton ton Utah are permitted to intervene and be treated as parties to the hearing hearing hear hear- ing tag on the reorganization of the Denver and Rio Grand Western Railroad Railroad Railroad Rail Rail- road Company in an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission received recently by hy G. G V Vt Billings Duchesne Chairman of the league The order was sought by the league lengu and Mr Paul in an effort to forestall the proposal of the th Denver and Rio Grand to consolidate with f that company the Denver and Salt Lake or Moffat road Toward this end a petition was presented at a session of the Interstate Interstate Interstate In In- Commerce Commission Division 4 held at its its its' office in Washington D. D C C. on the day of November 1936 The petition was presented by A. A L L. L Vogl Denver Denver Denver Den Den- ver Colo Attorney who has represented the league throughout its fight for a railroad for the Uintah Basin Much valuable information la Is given liven in the petition which accompanied accompanied accompanied ac ac- companied the order to all parties to lo the proceedings and all aU interested interested interested inter- inter ested parties The proposed reorganization reorganization reorganization re re- re- re organization includes the consolidation consolidation consoli consoli- dation of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Vestern Railroad Company Com Com- Company pany the Denver and Salt Lake Railway Company the Denver and Salt Lake Western Railroad Company Company Com Company pany and the Goshen Valley Railroad Railroad Railroad Rail Rail- road Company Oppose The petitioners oppose the consolidation consolidation consolidation con con- or control of the Moffat Moffat Moffat fat Road The Denver and Salt Lake Railway Company by the Denver and R Rio o Moffat road was originally intended to tobe tobe tobe be extended r l the Uintah and Duchesne counties to Provo or Salt Lake City and th they y feel that the Rio Grande is opposed d to this extension and that its control control control con con- of the Moffat road would be detrimental to that road and tho the public served and which could be served by it The city and county of Denver r nver Colorado as early as 1913 began attempts to finance the Ule construction construction tion of or the Moffat Moffat road finally culminating in the Moffat Tunnel Act passed by the Colorado olo d Legislature Legislature Legislature Leg- Leg in 1922 under which h the Moffat tunnel was constructed out of public funds at a cost of more than fourteen II million dol dol- lars ars Financial Condition C Improved With the completion of tho the Moffat Moffat Moffat fat tunnel and the leasing of the said tunnel to the Moffat road its financial condition became more improved and the prospects of Interesting interesting in interesting in- in capital in financing the Ule western expansion of the road became became became be be- came improved At this point the Rio Grande began maneuvering to get control of the Ule Moffat road for the purpose the petitioners believe of preventing th the construction construction construction con con- of the Moffat westward through Utah The petitioners contend that t is the purpose of the Rio Grande in the proposed consolidation to load up the railroad from Denver to Craig Colo with an amount of indebtedness which the road cannot carry and in that manner to destroy any possibility of extension extension exten exten- I sion of the road west from Craig They are opposed to any consolidation consolidation consolidation consoli consoli- dation which will thus bankrupt the now solvent and useful railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road property Hearings to be bo Held Records show v tl that lt the peU petitioners petition petition- ion ion- ers rs opposed the acquisition acquisition by the Ule Rio Grande of of the stock of the Moffat road when that matter was vas before the Commission at a a. previous pre date and carried arri ci that opposition to the Supreme Court ourt of f the United States fully They now say that it Is contrary to their int interest rest and to the he public interest for the Commission Commission Com Com- mission to approve the proposed consolidation and therefore protest protest pro pro- test est against such consolidation It Is expected that for the con veI of the intervening pe- pe hearings will be held on the he consolidation by by the Interstate Commerce Commission in Denver and in Salt Lake City sometime In n February Financial assistance in carrying on In the fight to keep open the possibilities of a railroad for the Uintah basin is bc being ng given the League eague by both the State Stat legislature legis legislature lature sture and the Pubic Utilities Commission of Utah I |