Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-22
STORY Of THE
, GRAIN TRAFFIC
lanes ]. Hill Tells It Before the
Interstate Commerce
Commission.
-----------------
Ne WAS A WILLING WITNESS.
~ Saws Farmers Are Not Treated
Fairly by the Elevator
Companies.

,u.,,aanolis. Nov. 2i.--James j. Hili,
a,sapt of the Great Northern rail-
p.y took the stand today when the
,,,srsatte commerce commission began
us inquiry in Minneapolis into the rela-
.isns botween the railroad companies
and the grain companies In the north
Vat The hearing is held pursuant 10
,he La Toilette resolution adopted by
rongr,ss az its last session.
commissioners Charles A. Prouty and
r,anklln X. Lane personally conducteu
me hearing, though several attoiheSs
At dinerenL grain interests participated
IN Inc questioning. ,,
Mr.. Nm proved TO be q WILING Wit
,sss. His answers TO all questions We're
9lven without hesitation ana IN uetaii
ge fold of the tremendous gram ttdinc
On his road, equalIing each year twice
az much as the grain hauled into chi
eaeo in a year by all roads running
info that city. He said that the Great
Northern In 1879 hauled 2,s'O,OoO BUSH
sls while in 1905 this had Increased 10
rrobably ll5,QO0,0O0 bushels. IN view
~ The fact that the bulk OF the Great
yorthern business comes from the TAR
NOR he said II had always been It's
Motley 10 aid the farmer whenever pos
abe, Ia A.
NH 10 delay freight for any reasonF'
was one Of the opening questions.
No, il certainly Is not, was the re-
ply. ds o,,d n,ove
freight faster we could do great deal
hotter The fact that the trafiic Is
sometlmes congested on our line Is
simply the fault of the immense amount
Of business. Other lines are more open
10 criticism than the Great Northern.
In Chicago a few days ago | took spe-
clal pains to make inquiries about trat-
nc and could not get a single line which
would agree to move 100000 tons OF
freight to New York before December
The Great Northern can right along
handle all business received from the
east promptly. The congestion comes
from traffic from the west"
On the specific subject of grain ele-
ryators, Mr.. Hill testified.
"Yes, IL is our rule to permit any
one TO erect elevators at stations on
our road on the right-of-way. We now
make our contracts, however not trans
terable, as we have found instances
where such applications were not made
In good faith and afterwards sold at
good figure. We have found trouble
1 IN keeping elevators from combining
4 and sometimes In tracing down applica-
I ions for elevator sites have found diff
isrent applicants to really represent one
Interest. When we have foundo objections
abe elevator combines we have some
times built elevators OF our own and
psted some man In charge, In such In
stances the combines have tried to
freeze our man out. We have such an
instance at Litchfield, but were able to
hep our man out. But that gentle
mel" Mr.. Hill said with a smile, was
before the passage Of the interstate
commerce. law"
In regard TO the Great Northern'S
TERMINAL elevators at Duluth, Mr.. Hill
stated his company did operate them,
but because OF the Wisconsin law re-
curing grain In that state to be In
spected by Wisconsin inspectors, thai
lnese elevators would now be leased.
ihey are located on Wisconsin ground.
mink II Is great detriment to
business that we cannot control the
ioadlng OF grain" said Mr.. Hill. II
thlnk It Is the best thing for railroad
70 nave Its own terminal elevators, UNI
loan INTO them. and include the charge
Tor 50 doing In the freight rate. BY
our building Duluth terminal elevators
we nave reduced for the shipping farm
es he elevator charge there from
.sn, 70 y cent a bushel. This in
vluded unloading into the elevator, a
saort storage and loading into boat for
snpment through the lakes. We
uslied, but did not mix the grain"
irgl"
No, sir. II should be remembered
maj 10 cleaning, the elevator gets the
a ton" W " Y"
Mt Hill thouSht the present legal
aeMVi OF handling grain is wrong,
Iaat the farmer Is TOO much tho victim
.ne Spectator. He said every re-
.eylng elevator should devote itself
simply that business; that the oner-
suag N grain should be another sonar.
w business and that the business Of
we srain, miSer should be still anothe,
separate business.
rha, y you tnink the farmer is getting
',t ne should for his orop?"
20 not think he Is getting what he
rrsr. ioi some classes Of grain. For
nnr, latlHers are now raising q lot
dsst wheat. There Is great deal
"a ~ "nat the foreign demand will
United amount" "'''e io' o'''
,,, w. hill said that elevators are con-
mgally treating the farmers nnsair,v
We have to watch tbe siavato 'g
" lne time" ne said. This work
SOae by the traffic department, but
w.. matter Of fact the tiepartment is
H,V powerless.r
w. Hill gave a story NJ bon, ha han