Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-16
RAILROADS. ON CAR SUPPLY
Burlington and Northwestern Deny Re-
spOnsibility for Coal shortege.
SITUATION IN NORTH DAKOTA
Railways ninme Dealers, Dealers
blame Consumers, and both
Dealers and .Conpmers
.... BlaHse Railroads,


WASHINGTON, Dca. l5,-The telegram
sent yesterday by the Interstate Commerce
commission TO the presidents OF various
railroad systems eating their attention 10
complaints of car shortage and failure TO
transport the necess ties Of life. brought
replies today from Vice President PEN
nington OF the Minneapolis, st. Paul a
Sault Ste, Marie railway, George B, Har-
ris, the president OF the Chicago, Burning
ton x Quincy railroad and Marvin Hughitt
OF the Chicago x N6rthu csteyp railroad
None Of the answers. however, is from the
railroad companies Supplying the territory
where the shortage OF fuel is stated TO
esist.
Mr. Pennington tClegraphed;
There Is no blockade Of treisht or short
.ge or cars on our lines west oi Mime
polls. except what is due to bad b4iAzards
..,. the last few days.
President Harris OF the Burlington tele-
..4phed from Chicago:
We will ,uuoavur To comply and furnish
.umpt ana satisfactory service, and Will
e much pleased TO have amy suggestions
you Will kindly mako harc has Ueen 40
seuerHt or prUlrdCtyd shortage OF cars or
congestion OF lralic on the Burlington,
tholgh II Is true that every year there rs
.Oma car snurtAge ana some congestion due
to thc fact. tnat shippers, esu tCiauy ot coal,
nave nlllC OF no Oh l-4t.u lil the way %
storage ana always decline to antic pate
their orders, consequently there Is "A SEN
eral demAnq tQr coal at the III ST real cold
weather We have been able to transport
coal Tor all our customers with reasonable
prOmpness ana to do something In the way
o. FURNISHING CARS ana transporting coal
Tor other railroads, If there Is any specific
complaint ON the Burlington road at pres
ent t has not been mace known TO the
officers OF this company, ana II the COM
mission has received anys complaint as 10
failure to tran. port coal ON Ane Bur
lington we Will be oUfgedAf you viii give
as the de,ails and We WIG guarantee prompt
reliet.t .r.r-. = "
NOrthwestern Dentes ResponsibiIity.
President Hughitt OF the Chicago *
Northwestern, SAID"
The Chicago a Northwestern Railway
company is not taihnB At this time. nor
has II at any time failed to furnish cars
and to move th- IA win reasonable prumpt-
ness both Tor fuel and other COMMODITIES,
ara il there is suuerlng ior lack OF any
commodity at stations tuDutary TO It's lines,
let me assure you that IL. is not due 10
failure on the part OF tnis company TO W
charge its tull duty in this respect.
have, during the last three weeks, been in
frequent communication with the governor
OF south Dakota on this subject. Ihe re-
ports this mCInlng, indicated "A good sup
ply Of fuel at stations on the line of this
company. especially in Minnesota and South
Dakota. 'a
Senator Hansbrough Of North Dakota
consulted the commission today and de-
c.ared that the situation regarding coal
In his state Is most deplorable, and thaC
the public schools are closing on account
of lack Of fuel 1t is said at the COM
MISSIONS offices that for number of years
at this season, there has been complaints
Of a lack of cars. but that the situation
was never so acute as now.
The actual werk Of the commission in
looking into the situation viii begin next
week. at Minneapolis and Chicago Com 4
missloners Lane and Harlan left Washing
ton tonight for Minneapolis TO begin their
work Of inquiry. Inquiries at Kansas City
and st. Louis are to followt
Everyboay to RIame. ."s.-
FARGO, N, D., +, Dee$1S 1.-The Forum
prints the following on the fuel shortage
In North Dakota: THAT the fuel famine
win quickly become a serious matter in
this state, II the roads are tied up By snow
blockadcs. is evident
The supplies Of COAL wood and oil are
very low in most Of the towns.
A great deal Of inconvenience and dis
| comfort, and positive suffering even Is
| possible. There are many views as to the
| responsibility for this condition. The rail-
roads are blamed for not shipping fuel
The dealers are blamed poth by the rail-
roads and their patrons for not ordering
earlier. The patrons are blamed by the
dealers for not buying earlier and beinS
\ moro forehanded.
The Forum was in touch with many
towns of the state and found that the fuel
! supply I'm some is entirely exhausted,
A few towns seem to have sufficient to
withstand a long siege of cold and blizzards
To Investigate Car shortage.
! MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, Dec. 15-Ar-
| rangements have been completed for the
Interstate Commerce commission to probe
| into the car shortage situation. The hear
! ing will begin Monday morning before
| Commissioners Franklin K. Lane and
James 8. Hanlan !fs.
From Minneapolis the commissioners will
go to Chicago, where n hearing will be
! held Thursday. other hearings will prob
ably be held later in other sections.
! John H.. Marble, attorney for the com
mission, stated that fifty witnesses had
been subpoenaed to appear here. These
include grain shippers, railway men. coal
dealers, farmers and men who are in any
way connected with the situation.
/ The car situation is bad I'm the south
| also, Mr.. Marble states, II being practically
| impossible TO ship cotton Oklahoma and
| Indian Territory are feeling the effects OF
! the shortened tratlc, ne says ana inc COil-
| mission will likely hear evidence from
southern shippers after the holidays.
Great Northern Acts
| MINNEAPOLIS Dec. l5.-Aroused by the
| distressing predicament Of those North Da-
| kotans who face zero weather with insult
/ hciCht supplies OF fuel, the railroads will
| try to hurry coal TO the districts In which
| need is most imperative. Late yesterday
afternoon the Great Northern issued an
/ order that no carot shipments except OF
| coal would be shipped for points west OF
! Grand Forks. This applies to shipments
| originating at Duluth as well as at st.
! Paul and Minneapolis
appeal from Maddox,
! MADDOX, n. D., Dec 15.zThe follow
/ ing message has been sent by the CONNER
I cial club TO President Elliott Of the North
ern Pacific railway at St. Paul; ~
! Maddox and surrounding country IN
| great need Of coal. Dealers supply IS ex-
! hausted and private supply wifi not last 10
! exceed ono week We therefore most urg-
| entity request immediate relief.
| Eleven Trains showed In.
! GRAND FORKS. n. D., Dec. l5,--It IL
| reported here that between GRAND Forks
and Minot on the Great Northern railroad
! tbara ara pIayeu freight trains "a biqh "a n