Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-27
THE IDAHO SITUATION
GOV. COOLING BLAMES THE
OREGON SHORT LINE FOR IT.

In reply to an inquiry of the interstate
commerce commission Gov. Frank Good1ng
of Idaho has sent the commission a letter
which he wrote to the Oregon Short Line
on the subject of the fuel famine in Idaho.
Both in this letter and his letter Of trans
initial to the commission Gov. Gooding ar
raigns the Oregon Short Line severely for
the conditions existing in Idaho. He says
that the railroad has subordinated every
thing to the one matter of paying dividends,
that it has supplied the big smelling COM
panies with coal to the entire neglect of the
public. and that if the conditions complained
of are not rectitied at once he will advise
| the state legislature to create railroad
| commission which can deal with the sltua-
| ton.
Gov. Goodng in his letter to the commits
| sion says:
"The serious trouble is the fact that
| among the transportation companies the
! only important consideration in their man
agement is the securing of DIVIDENDS, WITH
! out regard to service rendered TO the people.
! The, latter consideration is entirely ioSt
| sight Of The Oregon Short Line Railway
| Company. in the southern part or the state
! has a complete monopoly of the railroad
| business. You are no doubt aware that TINS
company is a big dividend payer.
The Oregon Short Line is using great
mart of it's equipment. both in cars and mo-
| tive power. to furnish smelters at Butte
| and Anaconda with coal, while the people
| here have actually suffered.
The governor says 1t is true THAT the rdi-
| road is short of cars and motive power. put
! that what facilities it has are put entirely
at the disposal of the big smelters, with en-
tire disregard to the needs OF the peop,e' 7,
In his letter to Geperal- Manager W. II.
| Bancroft of the Oregon Short Line Gov.
| Gooding says:
| After careful consideration OF the whole
| matter l feel warranted in saving tnat
! your company is wholly to blame for the Sc
| riOuS condition now existing IN southern
! Ida no from the coal famine from Which the
| pe0ple are suffering. ] shall not attempt 10
! picture the suffering already ehdureu III
| Boise 1t is enough to say that strong men
and women have suffered from lack or fuei
| to keep them warm, TO say nothing OF IN
| ValidS and children.
! ..Irnless this situation is relieved at once
| I shall consider it my duty as governor OF
! mis- state to advise drastic measures so that
! the present fuel famine may be brought to
| an end. .
| The report of the commissioner OF immi-
| grafton to Gov. GoodlnS says tilat there
| are four companies operating mines IN the
/ wyoming coal fields. One of these is the
| Union Pacific Coal Company. the same com
| pany charged with acquiring immense
/ tracts of government coal lands by fraud
! II is occupied wholly in furnishing coal to
the Hartman lines, by which 1t is owned.
Two of the other mines are owned py the
railroad and smelling interests, and only
one of them is free to furnish its output TO
the public. The key to the whole transpor-
| tation situation is held by the Oregon Short
| Line, and Gov. Gooding holds 1t entirely re-
snonsihIe for the coal shortage and suffer
ing.
Complaints still continue to be received
at the offices of the commission concerning
matters of transportation IN Minnesota Tue
Dakotas Wyoming and Idaho. 1t IS repre-
scented in some instances that freight trains
have not passed certain stations for month
or six weeks; in others that freight is
pilng up at points where empty cars are
seen in abundance.