The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-21
|. {. c. MEN QUIZ
HILL ON TRAFFIC
Two Commissioners Here to Study
Relations Between Shippers
80 and Road.
G. N. President Says Eastern
: Roads Are to Blame for
Congestion.

James j. Hill, president Of the Great
Northern railroad, was a wit ness he-
fore the opening session of the inter
state commerce hearing in the Mime
apolis federal building today. The
hearing is relative to the transporta-
west. 1t does not look to anything
more weighty than the mere accumula-
ton of information. --s ,
! Commissioners Charles A. Prouty and
Franklin X. Lane personally conducted
the hearing. doing the main part Of
the examination of witnesses, tho sew
5eral attorneys of different grain inter
ests partici pated in the questioning
when they desired The courtroom in
well filed with men, most of them be-
ing prominently connected with local
elevator companies.
Mr.. Hill proved to be a frank and
willing witness. His answers were
given to all questions without hesita-
ton and in detail. He told of the tire
mendous grain traffic of his road equal
grain hauled into Chicago in year by
all roads running into that city. He
said that the Great Northern in 1879
hauled 100000 bushels, while in 1896
this had increased to probably lis ,OOO,-
600. In view Of the fact that the bulk
of the Great Northern s business comes
from the farmer, it has always been
its policy to aid the farmer whenever
possible.
Does Not Hold Up Freight.
els it the policy of your road, Mr..
Hill, to delay freight for any rea-
son?' was one Of the opening ques-
tions
Ono, it certainly is not,' was the
reply. eff the connecting roads would
move freight faster we could do a
great deal better. The fact that traf
fic is sometimes congested on our line
amount of accumulated business. Other
lines are more open to criticism than
the Great Northern. In Chicago a few
days ago [ took special pains to make
inquiries. about traffic, 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 al
business received from the east prompt
~. The congestion comes in traffic
from the west.'
Great Northern's Elevator Policy.
On the specific subject of grain e]e
vators Mr.. Hill testified:
Yes, it is our rule to permit any
oh0 w oloCI cleVdtoIS at stations OF our
road on the right of way. We now
make our contracts, however, not trans,
ferable las we have found instances
where such applications were made in
good faith and afterward sold at :
good, figure. We have found trouble ir
keeping elevators from combining. and
sometimes in tracing down applica
tons for elevator sites, have found diff
terent applicants to really represent
one interest: When we have foun:
Objectionable elevator combines we
have sometimes built elevators Of o nv,
own and placed some man in charpe
IN such instances the combines have
tried to freeze our man out. We had
such an instance at Litchfeld, but we
were able to help our man out. Bit
that, gentlemen with a SMILEY 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
put !hat because of the Wisconsin law
requiring grain in that state to be 81.
sspected by, Wisconsin inspectors, that
tnese elevators were now leased. They
are located on Wisconsin ground.
Believes in Terminal Houses.
think it is a great detriment to
business that we cannot control The
unloading Of grain, = said Mr.. Hill
think it is: the best thing for
railroad to have its own terminal ele:
vators unload into them and include
sthe charge for SO doing in the freight
rate BY our building of Duluth ter.
mInal elevators, we reduced. for The
shipping farmers the elevator charge
there from 1 cent to one.half cent a
nusfel This included unloading into