The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-20
ROADS QXERN H MED
WITH TRAFFIC. :, SAYS HILL
Minneapol. Hessing Of Freight Blockade Close. with
His Te.timo Inquiry Has Accomplished All That
Was Hoped.

VdS I1OPed. s. sssi,
With the spectacle of the greatest
TaliToad man of the country accounting
70 Ene representatives OF the people for
the e CARRIERS fallure.to Move legitimate
LraInc, the Minneapolis hearing on the
northwest 2 freight blockade came to a.
.c HVGt .late yesterday afternoon.
~ 4 commissioners Lane and Harlan, with
y: III. Marble, attorney for the commits.
sion, and the rps sof Experts ana T. sps-
yclal agents left for SChicago last night,
W Vplsles, hearings were taken up today
Eon. The same questi 81. s5s
so IN ~ their own admission tke commis.s
slohers begin the Chicago. hearing with
9 qulckened realization $ofs the impor-
lance g. or this Investigation the neees-
Sly Tor " hlchs developed SO suddenly
!, Nevera IS "a the body which they repres
sent conducted an inquiry on conditions
so intimately effecting the welfare Of
SO great a number of people The com &
mission has adjudicated cases involving
6, ciasnes between various restricted ship
Pig Pig interests, rates on commodities,
eillIerentlals and other matters almost
leeh meal in their mature, but hereMWas
"a problem which brough It the inVlestiga-s
tors close to the masses and gave them
intimate knowledge of the men Of the.
SOL SO IN whose prosperity is bound up
the prosperity Of the nation.
Before his departure, Commission
q 81 harlan expressed particularly his
k Keen n ! .a5p ,, Of the opportunity
ne mad q !, enjoyed here to become familiar
with the northwest and its people. He
SAID ne had been especially impressed
by the wealth and vast resources of
TINS section, inferentially Indicating
that the northwest THU the magnitude
OF It's interests and its relation to the
country at large, deserved to be well
looked after. 7
Much Information Secured.
IN opening the hearing on Monday.
MT. Harlan made a brief statement out.
llnlng certain questions the answers to
which !,ll were sought. Were the investi-
gatlon to stop. with the Minneapolis
nearing, the information obtained here
YOU'D go long way toward satisfying
tne COMMISSIONS inquiries. It has
| peen developed that the crops and
voal supply nave not been moved this
year with anything like the usual facil-
lty; that actual loss and hardship have
resulted to The farmer and that the
common carriers for three months at
least had failed notably to operate their
lines in the. bestsinterest of the peo-
PIE. The railroad witnesses contended
that they We're doing the best thew
could under the circumstance but that
Is the nub Of the&Whole matter and the
commission heard testimony which indi.
cate es u. that there may be another side
Big Audience Heard H,1l. i
Ct was an i audience ~ofs.:notables in
finance and ,:transpoTtatio thatnheard
James Jam J:s5EIill addr ess to fhe8inter-
STATE commerce eOM1ni ssion yesterday.
lodges, ana the lobbies and anteroons
were crowded. AIf Hill came on. an
sWered a question: thens rose and with
one hand on9s the table, the other on
MP, launched into theE matter. Crisp
and clear the sentences fell from his
lips: He was there to defend his rail-
road, = - :
When Mr.. Hill entered the courtroom
G S 81. ON the stand. and
not and heavy were the words that
greeted the railroad presidents ears.
a. the hatrack some swor d of more than
oFdihary import struck his ear, for in
the act OF hanging up his coat he
turned toward theS witness stand. Two
long narrow Sits told, that ewes ap-
parently closed were alive and alert
to, everything mi -gs. :..,i =, !. 4
Mr.. Hill sat down beside Farmer
Blair of North Dakota Members Of
the Chamber Of Commerce who could
get away from business were present.
George u. Rogers, counsel, L. T. Jamme,
IN the last investigation clashed with
| MT. Hill, came in. Mr., Hill glanced
fup quickly as former Governor Van
SAINT passed him, but there was no rec
ognition. g.. r. + *S4 -" - 5.<
J. B. Gilfllanssand Louis Hill, who
had entered with the latter's father.
held a whispered conference. William
q enry Eustis entered land sat near
Howard Elliott, president Of the North
ern Pacific. In the room were Sam
Site kney, J. j. Quinn of the grain deal
ers, p. w. Decker, ii. v. Jones, James
de .VeaI and other 4well-known men in
business and finance. It seemed odd
that Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Pennington Of
| the 500 should not have been ac-
qualnted, but Louis Hill introduced his
father to Mr.. Pennington, and the two
fell into whispered conversation.
Mr.. Hill looked the master Of men
when he rose to- face the commission.
His utterance tagged at times when
Mr.. Lane questioned him on ton mile.
age, and once he stammered, GILL
LILA, peIoIe ne @gOt away, but once
started he talked fuently.
1t was a great plea for the railroads.
The transportation problem is as high.
he said, as the highest stone wall and
no man can see the top Of it. It is the
great problem of the day. It's per
feet solution seems; beyond human pow
lfer, but great things are being done
toward its Improvement.
That matters relative to northwest
transpo rtation will be better next sea-
g g.! 2, definite promise made BY MI.
THRoNG HEARD HILL
l ttt9t