The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-19

shortage as q thing actually existent is
eliminated. 5ssst
The traffic paralysis remains. It5was.
shown that northwest lines have more
rolling stock than ever before. 1t be-
comes then, purely a question Of opera
tion or of facilities fol-. handling. There;
is no actual shortage of cars.
2This&evidence, contrary to all public
conception Of the situation, came out in
today S inquiry when it was shown that
additional to ordinary equipment and
new equipment the. Great Northern and
Northern Pacific roads are using nearly
10, 900 cars belonging to other com
lpanies, in excess Of what they haVe lost
| to these lines, and still the crops have
EnOt been moved. vs. ~
It brought up anew the cont tti ionn
THAT there never has been "a genuine
Iseareity Of cars, and leaves either sheer
Inability OF economy as the cause Of the
present situation
The Great Northern has 6,O57 Of its
| cars off its rails, but has 9,462 foreign
cars IN use, and the Northern Pacific
has! 1000 Of it's cars gone and has 15,-
$40 of the ears of other roads. Tt leaves
/ the northwest 1883 cars to the good.
The two roads have lost 1853 cars,
which has been standing excuse for
car SHORTAGE but they have 81, 402 for
|eign cars and are ahead 1883 on the
I.exchange. ID
Railroad Men Testify.
s. @HFiieh ting undo direction Of their
Igreatest leader against the charges Of
farmers and shippers that economy of
cause Of present deplorable conditions,
the railroads brought forward their
| best forces to-day. sxst ss/ 49,.
Mr.. Hill was not in the courtroom
IN the morning session, but able rail:
road lieutenants were there. The arriv:
| al of Mr.. Hill yesterday was the signal
! for crystalizing railroad plan of de-
tense. 1t was evident that confer
the roads had decided to stand or fall
on present method and in opposition to
the economy charge.
Esta blishment Of this as fact would
be serious from the railroad viewpoint.
On the supposition of the possibility
of its presentation to the president as
accepted fact, and that it might come
before congress embodied in the finding
Of the commission. a long train Of sug-
! gestion follows at which the railroad
mind pals. Hence it was upon this
! point that the RAILROAD fighting
strength was concentrated.
I Today the younger generation of
railroad men Of affairs began to APP
pear. Henry ]. Horn, general manager
i Of the Northern Pacific, and George T.
Slade, general superintendent of the
Great Northern, too young in appear
ance to suggest the headship of great
estate, the management Of concentrated
4 alertness of mind and comprehensive
ness of view. Il.
4 Defend Present Policy.
| The commission evidently knew that
the point of economy, SO sensationally
raised yesterday would be the railroad
| base of argument today, and so Mr..
i Marble led right into It and Messrs.
|Lane. and Harlan followed with sup
4 plementa questions. That there is
not and has been no extreme economy,
was the contention Of the two young
railroad heads. Firmly they stood their
ground q and 1 could not be shaken. The
j commission made no pressure with the
idea Of forcing point; but 9dwelt ratb-
er with persistence, but not with insist
ence, upon economy as an important
cause of the present state of affairs,
their reason for this being the state
ments Of witnesses who had gone be.
fore. But by no admission could Mr..
1 Horn or: Mr.. Shade be drawn away from
their stand. Mr.. Horn did not know
how, if he had unlimited money he
could at the present time spend It to
material advantage. Mr.. Slade almost
resented the suggestion that his com.
pany was praeticing undue economy
and rejected the contention of J w.
i that better service could be rendered II
Tears were moved faster, but he unddid
the:.Work Of His great chief by one i'm
i poftant admission