The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-12
TON MILE is THE
POINT OF ATTACK
Freight Blockade Inquiry
Will Consider This Fac.
~ tor in Situation.
Existence of Blockade Will
Be Accepted as an Es-
tablished Fact. "
President and Congress AL.
ready Shaping Up Some
Legislative Remedy.

An Indictment of the "ton mile, -
together with it's trial in congress and
an attempt to deprive it of it's evil
effects as a rule of railroad operation,
are the probable results of the inter
state commerce commission inquiry in
Minneapolis next week.
Plans for the hearing began to take
on more definite shape yesterday after
noon when John H. Marble, attorney
for the commission, arrived from Wash
ington and took up his headquarters at
the Hotel Majestic. Here he was soon
in conference with sundry gentlemen
who had registered from various parts
of the United States, but mostly from
points to the west of Minneapolis. The
square shoulders of some told of years
in the railroad service and each man
seemed to have an exceedingly definite
idea of just what he had to say to the
commission s attorney. They were the
special agents employed by the COM
mission to secure facts on the great
freight blockade in the northwest and
several Of them had already nearly COM
pleted the work assigned to them.
- Mr.. Marble is too well trained as a
lawyer to PREJUDICE the case or to start
work with the idea that he must prove
any specific points. He comes to Min
neapolis' in the capacity of a man from
Missouri with exceptional facilities for
showing himself what it is necessary to
see. It is primarily his desire, how
ever, to get close to the people who
have been affected by the Inadequate
service of the railroads and to use his
special agents more as checkers than
as original investigators. This line of
action puts the success or failure of the
hearing, viewed as a remedial measure,
I'D to the people themselves, and all
who are interested and have information
or suggestions are urged to- communl-
cate with Mr.. Marble at the Hotel Ma
jestic. Whenever requested the sources
Of information will be protected. =
Blockade Is Already Proved.
Altho the commissioners who will con-
duct the hearing at Minneapolis. will
ance of witnesses, the inquiry will be
in no sense a trial. It will be simply
a calm, unbiased investigation Of con-
ditions which have been developing in
the northwest for series OF years and
which reached climax this year, Lit
tie time will be devoted to proving that
blockade of the crops has been IN
existence: that is considered as SO well
established by the unofficial investi-
cation up to. date that the commission
ers will have only to start with that
assumption and devote their efforts to
developing the reasons. The desired in
formation will be sought from grain
growers and shippers and from railroad
men.
It is in this connection that the ton.
mile will inevitably become the chief
point of attack, for the earnings "pe1
ton-mile' are the very essence of that
form of railroad economy which is gen:
orally credited with having produced
Mr.. Marble is thoroly informed on the
rules underlying railroad operation
and can be trusted to bring before the
commissioners an array of facts which
will enable them to draw strong i'll,
dictment of the ton-mile, should the
inquiry bear out the popular impress
sion regarding it.
Grain Road Expense Is Low.
In this connection facts may be ad
duced showing the relation between
operating expense and gross earnings
on the roads which have been most no,
toriously di1atory in handling the crop
this year. On the Northern Pacific, fol
instance, the operating expense is $3.50
per cent of the gross; on the Great
Northern it is SOAP, and on the 500 it
is an even so. These figures are in con.
trast with those of eastern roads. The
New York Central paws 69.65 for oper
alton, the Rock Island 6S.44, the Bur:
lington 69.40, the Pennsylvania 1918
The 500, Great Northern, Union Pacific
and Northern Pacific are operated more
cheaply than any other roads in the
country.
If the inquiry enables the commits
sion to state beyond a peradventure
that the dividend won by permitting
grain to pile up on the ground is the
primary cause of inadequate car ser
vice, congress stands ready to do what
it can to remedy the situatio In fact
today's dispatches tell Of such a move
already under way which will have tc
depend in large part for it's supporting
arguments upon the results of the Min
neapolis hearing.
With the exception of a possible trir
to Duluth, Mr.. Marble will. remain in
Minneapolis till the hearing next Mon
day, by which time he expects to have
all evidence in shape for speedy pre-
sentation to Messrs. Lane and Prouty
Of the commerce commission. The
hearing will extend thru till Wednes
day afternoon, when the commissioners
will leave for Chicago.