Business: Brothers

The Interstate Commerce Commission approved the merger of the Kansas City Southern and the Louisiana & Arkansas railroads last May, made possible an integrated mid-continent system extending from Kansas City to Shreveport, La., and Port Arthur, Texas.

Less than a month later Arkansas Public Utilitycoon Harvey Crowley Couch, second largest stockholder in Kansas City Southern (largest: Amsterdam Trust Office, The Netherlands), became its president. Between expanding his inland public-utility empire and working for the New Deal as director of RFC (1932-34), Ozarker Couch had also obtained control of Louisiana & Arkansas. Of that road his younger brother (by 13 years) Charles Peter Couch has been president since Harvey gave up the job in 1932.

Last week Pete Couch (who got his start as a railroad fireman), was elected president of Kansas City Southern, now heads both roads and will boss the merged system. Big Brother Harvey (who started out as a railway mail clerk) became board chairman of Louisiana & Arkansas. He also heads the Kansas City Southern board.