Show HE NEW OFFETT MOFFETT TUNNEL PROJECT ander the caption A new tunnel tunnel elect elect lect the lie denver mining record i ot of a proposed bill introduced it a Coli colorado orado legislature looking to construction by the hie state ot of tile the rt it five mile moffat tunnel should it would lr li calculable benefiting bene fitin opening up oll oil fields mines and shale wd beds intall basin it would offer affer ii a ip p and practical outlet to a a new h empire of half a iii million illion rich ich agricultural lands irr in that hat L ot of the state according to united is geological survey experts expert s e are untouched abal deposit depopas aaning upwards of i the proposed tunnel and its ro road ad to follow into inlo and acis ac Is them utah would strike ti th tiroui roul rouga kangela rangely oil field cr cro osin jiin oil ie 6 deposits and sweep past near great coal measures U i capi abts is have lately hakea it up the ihu uini uin i I 1 railroad project and liay build road the colordo journal huyg formidable measure it ts is j en in need into the lower lowe r home of the nado ado state legislature iehl ali i pro labs tor for the 1 f a i rail rv ld I 1 commission to operate the bof road under state ownership complete om the famous moffat tunnel er james peak the funds tr 0 1 i work and all other work in colt cm lion with the purchase opera operation tiou maintenance of the railroad are ie raised by a bond issue a conati onal amendment for fat the approval he people to be submitted should I 1 i measure pass he bill provides tor for an expert it in state socialism that is some it unusual the country country is at j lent nt concerned over government enship of railroads federal conand other forms of 0 public man ment ent it Is 13 now seriously propos n the steele bill to take over dver agh condemnation railroad property of 0 any line lice ily illy within the state stae and anci main and operate it this would ap j lt it is understood to the colorado i land and and the mortal moffat lines both which aich roads have hate been to 11 ll operate under private Privat ct airship the moffat line it is 6 tended cannot ie be successful with 11 a tunnel under james peak e 1 tild midland land according to the leads herald democrat with one of finest tunnels in the west was ible to make both ends meet ch in itself is no condemnation condemn atron the e malfat project but merely ion on strates that a tunnel iu in itself no matter how many miles of grado grade it may save does not necessarily put iiii a railroad on a self sustain ing basis bitsis terminal at sat sal t lake the project of a state owned and and controlled oiled railway system is a novelty and one ne of questionable value denver it is true title is eager and acx i j lous ious tor for the construction of the mortal moffat tunnel innel and once before an all attempt was made to secure a favorable vote vole on oil a bond issue but after the construction of th tha tiline tiu ine the whole business of tile the railroad would be dependent on oil its ita terminals in salt late lafee and ogden and its connections with the transcontinental lines to the coast the present bill would seem to be the moffat tunnel project under a pew name nama and under tinder another form i the Ilic inclusion lusion of the midland in the nidas measure illie which goes out of its NY way ay to express rii much ch concern over the proposed junking of the line would inda indicate that it Is s desired to placate any hostile criticism which might be roused IT if the clio moffat project alone were I 1 contemplated before such a measure as this is indorsed endorsed indor sed it would be well it those who tavoi it have reamona reasonable able I 1 rant tor for the belief that the roads can be made to pay ahe the colorado midland liar has certainly biot not been a finan cia success as a local road the mount of freight or originating Igi j along the line being too small beven even to pay expenses the th e moffat line has also proved financially finan cialli disastrous and the state of colorado would find itself charged with a heavy burden in trying to kep keel the lines running there Is no assurance that the bond issue for the purchase of the roads would be voted by the people at a general election and it if the bill were to pass it would seem as if colorado would be e merely saddled with andler another expensive commission drawing funds fa cpr r its support fro from m the public trea treasury silky with practically nothing todo to do we doubt very much whether tile the measure will secure sufficient support in the legislature to assure its passage the whole point to the bill revolves around a bond issue that gaii has not yet lleen been voted on by the people and which hardly will be we should like to see the midland rehabilitated but since the he federal government refused tp to have anything to do with it iland and it tailed failed under private management it does not seem possible Is for the state to mane make a success of I 1 he the venture I 1 |