The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-20
ELLIOTT ON THE STAND
President Of Northern Pacific Looks
for Improvement Next Year.

Howard Elliott, president of the
Northern Pacific. believed next year
roads will be in much better condition
to handle business. He said:
During 1906 we bought 5000
freightcars, 2,1S0 not yet delivered; "a
passenger cars; 19l engines, of which
"a are not yet delivered. These rep
For 1907 we have ordered $500 freight
cars, l6O locomotives, Ito passenger
cars, all to be delivered before july /.
and costing $12,100,000. The policy of
the Northern Pacific is to move the
maximum amount of the commerce OF
the county between the head of the
lakes and Puget sound. I don It re-
gard discipline lax, or repairs behind.
We have congestion at Portland. Seat
tie and even the head of the lakes. You
can't run more than a certain amount
'of water thru hose. So it is with
railroad: You have too much traffic
and it backs up.''
- Troubles of a Railroad.
Mr.. Elliott told of troubles over
building bridge at Duluth. One was
started but the war department. OBJ
Jected, and another new bridge had to
be planned. This has caused delay, and
will next year. About Is to lis per
cent Of the Northern Pacific engines,
he thought, were in shops. Only per
cent of cars are out Of service.
81 think the chief difficulty this
year has been in Duluth's taking so
much larger proportion of the crop than
usual, causing congestion which has
backed up even into central Montana
On the subject of coal, Mr.. Elliott
said his agents made an effort last sum-
mer to get people in North Dakota to
store coal in summer, but the storage
facilities there are limited.
The last few weeks we have made
a special effort to get out coal, sending
it even ahead of merchandise. ,,
No Coal Famine.
:" Can you say there will be no serious
danger of coal famine along your
line, and that all demands will be
met?' asked Mr.. Lane.
can say SO relative to Minnesota
and Dakota points, but I cannot prom
Use as to Montana, altho we will do
the best we can. Coal is very scarce
IN the west. At San Francisco it is
seillng today. at $3.50 a ton. Unless
more coal mines are opened in Monta-
ma and Washington, those states will
rave to go. long distances, to British
columbia or the east, for coal.
Mr.. Elliott, we are getting numer.
Gus suggestions from grain men and
other organizations. suggesting a re-
c1procai demurrage, that the roads be
charged demurrage for nom delivery
OF car after an allowance Of time for
car delivery after being ordered by a
shipper said Commissioner Lane
Reciprocal Demurrage.
ri don't believe that would be a
wise plan," replied Mr.. Elliott, and
there was general laugh in the room.
'"The, railroads are straining every
nerve to do a maximum amount Of
business. and for not doing more than
the maximum you would penalize the
railroads. The payment of a demur-
rage by the shippers, aids the railroads
to get the cars quickly and give them
to another shipper. The shippers are
benefited If absolute gross negligence
could be shown on the part Of the rail-
roads, possibly something of the kind
you suggest would help. At present,
however, the railroads are buying all
the new equipment they can and car
factories are taxed to their utmost
capacity. I don't believe a reciprocal
demurrage could make the railroads try
any harder than they are today to im-
prove the situation
At the conclusion of the Minneapolis
hearing, Commissioner Lane announced
that the railroads, on instigation of the
commission, were taking care of the
points in North Dakota most distressed
for want of coal. He said that Ojata,
which had no fuel, would have car
Thursday. Park River had been given one
car of wood and two cars of coal were
to arrive there that evening. Finley
has just been given six ears of coal
and one of wood. Cando has been sup
piled with four cars of coal and four
of wood Granville has received two
cars of coal.