The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-27
president TO ACT
ON CAR SHORTAGE
Serious Conditions Will Bring
Campaign for Legislative
Reforms.
Governor Gooding Blames Rail
roads Famine Letters Are
Pouring In.
Journal Special Service.

journal special 60fvlC0s EEya 49,. - y
Washington, Dec. 27-So serious are
the evils revealed by the investigating
Of the Interstate commerce commission
President Roosevelt has determined to
begin campaign for legislative re-
forms early IN the new year.
Nobody recognizes more clearly than
the. president the effect Of further
government intervention in railroad
operations. It will be step nearer
to government ownership, which he is
so anxious toS$5avoid: But the condi-
tions reported to him by the interstate
commerce commission are such that
further government regulation seems
an imperative nee essity if the. people
are to be saved from suffering and ag-
ricultural and other interests are to Be
protected. 81
Governor Blames Hartman Line.
Full responsibility for the coal fam
inc in Idaho is placed upon the Ore
gon Short Line, Hartman railroad,
by Governor Gooding, in letter to
Franklin K. Lane Of the Interstate COM
MERGE commission. Drastic measures
for the relief of the public 8 distress
are threatened by the Idaho executive,
who denounces the railway company as
a corporation which cares only for divi-
dends.
The nature Of the step contemplated
by Governor Goodings not known
here, but it is assumed that he thought
Of Selling the railroads and operating
them in behalf Of the suffering people.
Wants State Commission.
The governor informs the commits
sioner that he win recommend the crea-
ton of a railroad commission in his an
nual message to the legislature, which
convenes on Jan. Z. Governor Good
ing includes in his letter to Commits
sioner Lane copy Of a report made
az sne an eo MAJ
tions, concludes that the coal famine
in western Wyoming, south and south
east Idaho is due to a shortage in mo-
tive power and cars. (,
.tThe$ serious trouble," writes Coy.
ernor Gooding, g it seems to me, is the
fact that: among the transportation
companies the one important consider
alton in their management is the OBJ
tanning Of dividends without regard to
the service ice rendered to the people. I" !
9 Famine Pleas Pour In. Ii s
Commissioner Lane, who has had di.
rect charge of ameiorating conditions
IN the northwest, where both coal and
car famines have nreN.siled, lis in daily
receipt Of hundreds o. letters from
dealers and residents in North Dakota,
Minnesota, Wye1ninRua1td> Idaho that
tell q most interesting storykof existing
conditions. ~, -
Some Of the writer's go to the, extent
Of saying that in many instance freight
trains have not passed NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
for a month or six weeks and that hun.
dreds. Of thousands Of dollars have,been
lost to farmers and elevator men, par
ticularly in North Dakota, by reason
of failure to obtain cars to move wheat
and fax. az.
Commissioner Lane today received a
letter which is a sample Of many, from
Cheyenne, N. D., in which it was stated
that on Nov. >26 car was billed from
that point and that on Dec. IL the car
was still. on the sidetrack, and a freight
train had not passed up or down For
weeks. t-.s-- J. ~ Hr.s. -.