The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1906-12-20
1on-MiIe Is a Fiction
a Menace, Says PheIan
Former Railroad Man, Now Stock Shipper Gives
Sensational Testimony Before Interstate Commerce
ommisson-Bockade Due to Incompetency.

Minneapolis Journal: Criticising
railway management unmercifullv,
making the direct charge that the
roads are incompetent, giving instances
of hardships and losses put upon ship
pers by bungling operation and argu-
ing from numerous personal observa-
tons that economy of operation Is an
important cause of all the trouble, J.
b. Phelan, a Dickinson, m. ID, cattle
man, electrified the courtroom in the
car shortage inquiry yesterday ana
gave the most sensational testimony
heard since the investigation began.
Mr.. Phelan started life as a railroad
fireman ON the Lake Shore He rose
successfully through various grades d
be a division superintendent ON tie
Northern Pacific. Twenty three years
Of railroading gave him knowledge
of operation 50 thorough that Mr.. Bum
of the Northern Pacific, who grappled
with him, found him more than d
match and was unable to discomfort
him. H
Some fourteen years ago Mr.. Phelan
became q ranchInan and is now a large
shipper of livestock.
The story he told was one of hard
ships and handicaps. Its double signifi-
canoe lay in its disclosure of intimate
reasons for failure of the railroads to
meet demands of the people, and the
fact that it was the statement of a
plain man Of common sense, a tale of a
cattleshipper of the west, tale that
the president will probably hang over
Il II,
himself ranchman in the very coun-
try where Mr.. Phelan's herds Craze,
and he knows and understands the
transportation business from that end.
Ton Mile Is Supreme.
That the railroads gre enforcing a
policy of operation for the purpose of
making favorable ton-mile showing,
that this consideration has precedence
over everything else, and that it is be-
ing done over roadbed and with
equipment that render it's successful
accomplishment a thing impossible,
was Mr. Phelan's argument in conden-
sation. While Mr. Bum was in contro-
versy with him, James ]. Hill, who had
come on from New York, entered TIE
room in time to catch the drift of the
d 6hlllGut tIolIl Tic GOhCiudllA WbEuS
and it was significant that Mr. Hill
Immediately held conference with Mr.
Bum, and that, after communicating
with the commission, Mr.. Hill left the
room to appear in the morning leav-
ing the inference in the minds of all
that it was the railroad desire to dis
cuss the testimony of Mr. Phelan and
consider ways and means for answer
ing it before submitting the great rail-
road chief to the queries of Attorne.,
Marble
Mr.. Phelan was the last witness ex-
amined yesterday. He is man of a
vigorous individuality. His testimony
hinged about lengthy article he had
written in a Fargo, N. D., paper, de-
scribing a trip he had made to st. Paul
with a stock train, and denouncing
in vigorous language the failures of
the train crew and Of the operation of
the road as he found it. Though eccen-
trio, Phelan spoke with the assurance
of one who knew whereof he spoke, and
his words evidently made an impress
sion on the commissioners.
Il consider we shippers have been
very well treated with cars this sea-
son, under the circumstances" he said
at the outset of his remarks. and then
went into fiery criticism of some of the
circumstances"
Cattle Moved Earlier.
livestock commenced to move this