" Unequal Division "

Robert S. Lovett, Chairman of the Union Pacific, in a hearing before Henry C. Hall of the Interstate Commerce Commission, strongly opposed the plan of Hale Holden, President of the C., B. & Q., to combine the railroads of the West into four great systems.

Mr. Lovett began his career as a Texas attorney, later became General Counsel, and still later President of the Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific (Harriman) Railroads. He feels that these roads would not be fairly treated under Mr. Holden's proposed plan. Mr. Holden's plan provides for four railway systems: (1) The Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Burlington (Hill); (2) The Union Pacific (Harriman) and other minor roads; (3) The Santa Fe; (4) The Southern Pacific (Harriman) and others.

This plan, leaving the Hill roads practically intact, would leave them overshadowing their competitors, according to Mr. Lovett. The great Harriman roads, divided, and each loaded down with other lines to make it equal in mileage and investment to the Hill combination would be made competitors instead of natural allies.

Said Mr. Lovett: " There are many unsuccessful railroads in the United States which ought to be liquidated. Doubtless there are owners of these who are looking to this consolidation law as an opportunity to unload on the strong roads. . . . There will be great difficulty in the stockholders' agreeing upon relative values."

Another of Mr. Lovett's objections to the plan is that it connects each of the four proposed systems with the Gulf of Mexico. He regards east and west traffic as the controlling factor for transcontinental lines and believes that the plan would unduly favor Gulf ports.