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Show recently the literature issued in behalf of the Southern Pacifics retention of the Central Pacific, in violation of the UNTIL of the Supreme Court of the United States, was silent as to the Western Pacific. Maps issued in support of A Plain Statement of Facts show cnly the Union and Central Pacific railroads. Within the last few weeks the Southern Pacific has admitted the existence of the Western Pacific, but has represented that the Western Pacific is too weak to be regarded seriously as a competitor of the Central Pacific. Such representations are misleading. What the Southern Pacific Would Like to Have the Public Believe According to the Railway Age, the Western Pacific is making incars) and gondolas (equal to 1100 fifty-toquiry for 800 seventy-to- stock cars. At no point on the Western Pacifics entire line is the grade more than 1 per cent. It has the best grade of an line in western United States. GOO Finally, it must be apparent that the domination of this state and section by one transportation agency, no matter how well intentioned that agency may be. is a dangerous thing and menaces of growth by minimizing or completely removing that competition Commarkets which is essential to development. (Provo Chamber of merce resolution, September 29. 1922.1 "The disruption of the cxi.Ming system of the Southern Pacific Company would afford opportunity for another system to develop a (State of position of monopolistic and predominating strength. Utahs petition of intervention to Interstate Commerce Commission, (6) October 2S, 1922.) A strong, effective transportation agency would be irreparably ruined in order to create a transportation monopoly for Western America. Will this section permit the utter domination of one railroad system? (Southern Pacifics Pulletin, October 2, 1922. A Plain Statement of Facts." with three maps and nine exhibits.) To prevent the domination of this state and the intermountain section by any single transportation agency." (Five Reasons Why issued by Salt Lake City Chamber in the Central Pacific Controversy of Commerce and Commercial Club. November S. 1922.) What the Facts Really Are The real fact is that the Western Pacific is a standard railroad, which does now and always will, give the Central Pacific formidable competition, no matter who owns the Central Pacific. During the World War the Western Pacific and Central Pacific were operated as a double track railroad, each line carrying its share of the traffic. Western Pacific fast freight trains between the Pacific Coast and Utah are scheduled four hours quicker in each direction than the Central Pacific. The Scenic Limited of the Western Pacific, providing through service between St. Louis and Chicago to San Francisco, is faster mile for mile than the Overland Limited on the Central Pacific. The Western Pacific has mor- than one thousand miles of railroad. Its facilities .compare favorably with other lines of similar - mileage. The Western Pacific now lias an order in for 2.ma new refrigerator cars. The Western Pacific built 5m coal cars in 1917 and 75' more in 1920. These were used in coal and licet service in Idaho and Utah, both on and off Western Pacific rails. n n fifty-to- n Western Pacifics Competitive Activities According to Western Pacific officials, the Western Pacific except at times when all roads were issuing embargoes has never declined a shipment of freight. The Western Pacific has, on various occasions, detoured trainloads of fruit for the Santa Fe on account of washouts and other interruptions to traffic on that line. The Western Pacific assisted in building up the livestock industry in Nevada, fully 9S per cent of which is competitive with the Central Pacific, and has equipped a liberal supply of stock cars with doubledecks for both sheep and lamb movements. The Western Pacific makes as good time on stock to eastern markets as the Central Pacific. The Western Pacific reduced the rate on copper bullion from Garfield to San Francisco, which permitted it to move through the Panama Canal. The Central Pacific never met this rate. (Utah business men have been led to believe that this reduced rate was put in by the Southern Pacific, which is not the case). The Western Pacific also initiated reduced rates on ore from California and Nevada to Utah Smelters. The Western Pacific, on its own initiative, reduced coal rates to the Pacific Coast in an effort to develop a market for hundreds of thousands of tons of Utah coal in competition with coal from Australia, Manchuria and England. From January 1st to October 31st, 1922, a period of only ten months, the Union Pacific received from the Western Pacific, at Salt Lake, S224 loaded freight cars, and delivered to the Western Pacific 2.649 loads, a total interchange of 10.S73 cars. These figures do not include the very substantial business which the Western Pacific interchanges with the D. & R. G. W. at Salt Lake City. The Denver & Rio Grande Western also has been omitted from the Southern Pacifics Plain Statement of Facts. Every summer the Western Pacific brings into Salt Lake City each day fourteen or fifteen passenger cars. The Scenic Limited between St. Louis and Chicago and San Francisco has observation and dining car service all the way. "At least 50 per cent of our passengers stop off at Salt Lake City, says a passenger official of the Western Pacific. The foregoing proves conclusively that the Western Pacific is an important competitive element in Utahs transportation structure. No matter who owns the Central Pacific, the Western Pacific competition will continue and increase. well-fille- d Why should the Southern Pacific ignore such competition and service unless it be that to admit the Western Pacifics existence would spcil the picture of domination of this state and section by one railroad? We shall furnish additional information from time to time UNION PACIFIC SYSTEM SALT LAKE CITY 9 |