The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-26
THE FREIGHT BLOCKADE.

The inability of western railroad:
to handle traffic is causing serious
financial loss, and in some cases
PHYSICAL distress and suffering, to
many residents of Montana and ad'
joining states. The dispatches tell Of
a fuel shortage in many Dakota towns,
q shortage 80 serious that the citizens
of the unfortunate localities are ap.
pealing to the state and federal au.
thorities for relief, and in some parts
Of Montana the shortage of fuel sup.
ply is the subject of apprehension and
inconvenience. Stockmen have suffer-
cred loss from delayed shipments,
merchants are embarrassed by the
failure of the railroads to deliver
holiday and other goods within a
reasonable time from the date of
shipment. and the entire community
is affected to q more or less degree by
the unparalleled conditions brought
about by the freight blockade.
The public dissatisfaction caused by
these circumstances has not escaped
the attention of politicians who favor
the government ownership of rail.
roads, and some of them seize the op-
%portunity to suggest that remedy as q
preventative of repetitions of our
present experience. Here, for in.
stance. is q democratic view presented
by the Bozeman Chronicle:
The business interests of Montana
are seriously threatened by the in.
ability of the railroads to properly
care for the transportation business
of the state. The local freight service
was better when the Northern Pacific
had but one freight train a day than
1t Is at present.
There is not q merchant or business
concern in Bozeman that Is not sub
iected to great Inconvenience and Of
ten serious loss by the inadequate
freight service. The delivery of mcr-
chandise is often delayed until the
goods are unreasonable and q loss is
sustained for which there seems to be
redress.
The same aggravating condition
exists in regard to shipments made
from Montana points. Stockmen Of
ten have to hold their cattle three or
four weeks before they can secure cars
for their transportation, and some of
the coal mines of the state have almost
been put out of commission by the
lack of proper railroad service.
The railroads contend that they are
making every effort possible to serve
the public, but that business has in.
creased SO rapidly that their equip
ment is not capable of properly TAX
ing care of it..
The trouble is that the two great
railroad lines upon which the business
of Montana depends are now making,
every effort to secure as great a por-
ton of the trans continental business
as possible, for which there is strong
competition, and the local business,
which must come to them anyway,
receives but little consideration. Bust.
ness for competitive points must be
taken care of ut all hazards and the
local man who pays the highest rates
and furnishes to the railroads the
most profitable class OF business,
must take what is left.
1t is u most aggravating condition
of affairs, but to protest to the rail-
roads is q waste of energy. They
know that the people of Montana are
at their mercy and they are as iude-
pendent as a hog or ice.
To a good many people it is Begin
ming to look as If the time had al
ready arrived, of which Mr.. Bryan
spoke, when the railroads are more
powerful than the people, and that
the only remedy which can ever do
away with the unjust discrimination
in service as we'll as rates, is govern.
ment ownership.
Mr.. Bryan has been criticised for
his advocacy OF this measure, as be.
ing too far ahead of his time, but II
present conditions continue for the
next two years. the people OF Bozeman
and Gallatin valley, at least, will
have had q sufficient object lesson to
convince them that radical action
should be taken to remedy this most
unjust and oppressive condition.