The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1907-02-08
MADE REPORT
Railroad Commission Files Re-
port with Senate.
NO BLAME ATTACHED
TO the Railway Companies as They
Warned the Dealers Beforehand
OF Impending Shortage.

OF Impending Shortage.
In it's report to the senate
concerning the fuel shortage
and the car shortage in the
state and other conditions COM
plained of which were charged
up to the railroads operatin g
in the state, the railroad COM
mission which was instructed
to present a report to the
senate under the Macarthur
resolution filed a complete
summary of the action taken
by the commission in the
causes reported to it.
With the report was filed all
of the kilograms and letters
received in connection with the
cases repofted. The board
submitted the following OBJ
servations on conditions as
they found them. The rapid
and unprecedented growth of
business during the past few
years has been far in excess of
the increase of railroad facili-
ties for handling same, and no
man or body of men could have
,foreseen this enormous in
crease, which is largely res
ponsible for the present con-
:gested conditions and resu1ting g
inability to furnish cars as
promptly as demanded by ship
pers.
There are many causes for
the fuel shortage. In the past
dealers have had no serious de-
lay in getting consignments of
fuel el.promptly after orders have
been placed at the head of the
lakes. Therefore no precaution
was taken, or special efforts
made, to fill up storage houses;
and owing to the promised
lowering of rates, many deal
ers held back their orders.
Again, owing to the scarcity of
labor and increased work on
the farm, many farmers were
reluctant to lose time in secur-
ing the usual winter supply of
fuel, until cold weather and
storms had set in.
It has been observed by the
commission that the employees
in the freight service are in
many instances indifferent to
their duties to the public.
This Indifference has been so
apparent that the commission
has criticised the conditions to
the railway management.
Incivility to patrons has been
noticed, and unnecessary time
consumed in moving cars.
Such indifference would not be
tolerated by private enter
prises. Whether this is due to
the lack of harmony between
organized labor and railway
managers, or to some other
cause the commission is unable
to say. It is true, probably, on
account of the scarcity of labor
that many inexperienced men
are in the train service of the
several railways of the state.
It might be we'll to state that
the SO called car shortage is not
an entirely new condition in
our state. The same condi-
tions obtained in 1905, but not
in so aggravated form as at
present. It would therefore
seem that the maximum short
age has been approaching for
at least one. year past or more.
The commission, therefore, has
given for your inspection the
files bearing on the subject
under inquiry during the past
fiscal year and up to the pre-
sent time. This is the comp
lete office record on the subject.
In addition thereto, were the
matters taken up with com
plainants in person and with
various officials of the traffic.
managing an Id operating
departments of the several
railways Of t he state, in
furtherance of attaining as
rapid a n d equitable ca r
distribution as possible. All
complaints and requests filed
with the board were duly con-
sidered and necessary action
taken. No request has been
ignored, and it has been its