The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-19
BLAME CAR FAMINE ON ROADS.
SUFFERERS DECLARE 1T rs A RE-
VENGEFUL CONSPIRACY.


~
VALLEY CITY, n. D., Dec ls.-North
Dakota independent grain buyers to the
number of 800 were in session here to-day
The railroads, they declare, have entered
into a conspiracy to drive out the indie
pendent grain dealers and to defeat the
delivery of coal in the Northwest as punish
ment for the movement i~naugurated for q
reduction OF rates.
The independent elevator men declare
that the railroads sent them cars OF 22,OOO
pounds capacity while they send the line
elevators cars OF 90 900 pounds capacity
and that the line elevators are able to ship
five cars to the independence one car.
The farmers elevators. they declare,
paw more for storage, higher rates for
freight and receive less for their grain thar
the line elevators.
The shortage Of fuel is regarded as a con-
spiracy to drive the people into supporting
legislation pending, but 1t is having the OPP
posite effect. The people are aroused, and
the most stringent railroad legislation ever
enacted will be placed o n the statute books
OF this State this winter.
ST. PAUL, Dec. s.-Evidences tending
TO show that a coal combination exists in
the Northwest and Of favoritism in the dis
tribution of oars was presented to the inter-
state Commerce Commission to-day.
kilograms were received from nineteen
North Dakota towns suffering from lack
Of coal and oil appealing for relief.
Late this afternoon q message was re-
ceived from the Duluth. Missaba and North
ern road, owned by the United States Steel
Corporation, saying:
The management has decided to loan to
| the Northern Pacific Railroad 500 steel ore
cars and eight locomotives for the purp ose
Of hauling coal ron Duluth to North Da-
kota to relieve the suffering in that State
Witnesses to-day testified that wheat
values are lowered for the producer and in
creased for the consumer by the car short
age and that favoritism in the distribution
OF cars threatens the OBSTRUCTION OF mae
pendent grain buyers. IL
The commission examined nine wit
nesses. 8. Blair, secretary OF the Mlnne-
sofa Farmers Exchange, said that cars
might be had IL a bonus were paid. II
was shown that millions of bushels OF
grain are still in the farmers hands,
with the result that although the farmer
had wealth in his granary, or heaped on
the ground, he was obliged to borrow
money because he could not get IL to market.
The First National Bank of Fargo has
loaned 5000 900 to country banks that
usually have large balances at this season,
and iobbers have been heavy borrowers
because collections were delayed by the
same cause.
Photographs were presented Of grain
piled on the ground, and individual farmers
testified that whereas in former years they
had got thirty or forty cars this year they
had been able to get but one or TWO.
Witnesses estimate that about 40 per CEN
Of the 1905 crop is in the farmers hands
and about rs per cent. in country elevators.
The effect Of this is to lower the price at
the point OF production, as grain men de-
manded a margin OF six or seven cents In.
stead Of two cents, owing to the delays OF
getting grain . sO % Su r e. fra, v,,D.., TO-
morrow.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 1s.-Interstate Com
merre Commissioners Prouty to-day opened
an inquiry into the car shortage. some
witnesses testified that they had been unabt
to get more than rs per cent, OF the cars
needed.
j. c. Lincoln, Commissioners OF the Mer-
chants Exchange traflc bureau, read a
prepared statement in which he declared
the freight delay u not so much to In
sufficiensy Of cars as 70 lack OF mo1ye
power and facilities for handling cars. He
said tina one Of the greatest delays was
caused by the embargoes which certain
lines maintained against others.
These embargoes he thought were Justl-
fed to a certain extent, because a line per
hitting its cars TO go beyond It's own ralls
Ia Gripping its facilities, as cars are not
alw y promptly returned.
Requested by Commissioner Prouty TO
suggest remedies, Mr. Lincoln said that the
roads ought to be required TO keep up their
equipment and track facilities, furnish
more and modern terminal facintles' that
all railroads should be required to freely
interchange their oars and that the Y should
establish a clearing house for equitable
interchange of cars among different lines