The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-11-22
Gives Evidence as 10 Relations
Between Railroad and Grain
Companies.
THINKS RAILROAD SHOULD
OWN TERMINAL ELEVATORS
Ayers That Farmers Are
Treated Unfairly by the EIe-
yator Companies.

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 2l.~-James J.
Hill president OF the Great Northern
railway, took the stand today when the
Interstate Commerce commission began
its inquiry in Minneapolis into the rela-
tlons between tho railroad companies
and the grain companies in the North
west, The hearing is held pursuant 10
the La Toilette resolution adopted by
Congress at its last session.
Commissioners Charles A. Prouty and
Franklin Is. Lane personally conducted
the hearing, though several attorneys
Of different grain interests participated
In the questioning.
Mr.. Hill proved to be a willing wit
ness. HIS answers TO all questions were
gwen without hesitation and in detail.
lie told OF the tremendous grain traffic
on MS road, equalling each year twice
as much as the grain hauled into Chi
cago IN year by all roads running
into that city. lie said that the Great
Northern in 1870 hauled 2,s70,000 bush.
els, while in 1906 this had increased TO
probably l15,000,000 bushels. In view
Northern business comes from the Tar.
mer, he said IL has always been its
policy 10 aid the farmer whenever pos.
sible.
Freight Is Not Delayed
Is IT the policy of your road, Mr..
Hill, to delay freight for any reason2''
was one of the opening questions.
No, it certainly is not" was the
reply
freight foster we could do a great deal
better. The fact that tho traffic is
sometimes congested on our line is
simply the fault Of the immense amount
of business. Other lines ere more open
TO criticism than the Great Northern.
In Chicago few daye ago 1 took spe-
cial pains 10 make inquiries about traf-
tic and could not get single line which
would agree 10 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-
yators, OIr. Hill testified:
eyes, il is our rule TO permit any.
one TO erect elevators OF stations on
our road on the right'of'way. We now
make our contracts, however, not trans
ferable, as VIC have found instances
where such applications were not made
III good faith aad afterwards sold at
q good figure. We have found trouble
in keeping elevators from combining
tiops for elevator sites nave found dif-
ferent applicants TO really represent
one interest. When we have found OBJ
jectionable elevator combines we have
sometimes built elvators Of our own
and placed some man in charge. In
such instances the combines have tried
TO freeze our man out. We have such
an instance at Litchfeld, but were able
to- help our man out. But that, gentle
men, Mr.. Hill said with a smile, was
before the passage OF the Interstate
commerce law
Should Control Grain Loading.
In regard TO the Great Northern Is
terminal elevators at Duluth, Mr. Hill
stated his company did operate them,
but because Of the wisconsin law re-
quiying grain in that State to be i'm
spected by Wisconsin inspectors, that
these elevators would now be leased.
They are located on Wisconsin ground
~ think IL is g. great detriment 20
business that we cannot control the
loading of grain" said Mr.. Hill ~
think it is the best thing for railroad
TO have its own terminal elevators, unr
load into them, and include the charge
for so doing in the freight rate. By
our building Duluth terminal elevators
we have reduced for the shipping far
mers the elevator charge there from
one cent to one-halt a cent bushel.
J This included unloading into the ele-
vator, a short storage aud loading into
boat for shipment through the lakes.
We. cleaned, but did not mix the
grain,
"Did you make charge for clean
ing7"
20, sir. II should be remembered
that in cleaning. the elevator gets the
screenings, which are worth IS to s6
a ton,
Mr.. Hill thought the present legal
method Of handling grain is wrong, that
| the farmer is too much the victim Of
| the speculator. He said every receiv-
ing elevator should devote itself to
simply that business; that the operating
in grain should be another separate
! business; and TINT the business of the
grain-miXer should be still another sep
arate business,
''Do you think the farmer is getting
what he should for his crop,''
u do not think he is getting what
he should for some classes OF grain,
For instance, farmers are now raising
q lot of Durum wheat. There is a great
deal OF risk in what the foreign demand
will be, and market at home for only
a limited amount.
Mr.. Hill said that elevators are con
! tinually treating the farmers unfairly,
1--WE have to watch the elevators
all the time he said. "This work
is done by the traffic department, but
as a matter of fact the department is
! pretty powerlsss.
Platt Loses His Case.