The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-10-18
new STATION
FOR BILLINGS
RAILROAD COMMISSION WILL
ADVISE, THEN ORDER IT.
HAS POWER
Can Make Railroads Obey Mandates
MIR. Godfrey, RIroad Commissioner,
Talks on Efforts Of Northern Pacific
to Handle Traffic.

Is + + VI {
The Montana Railroad Commission
has been looking into the situation
here in Billings" said Nathan N.
Godfrey, Of the commission, who is in
Billings, "and finds that the passen-
ger station is miserable barn, in
adequate, unsanitary and an eyesore.
Eve shall bring the matter to the
attention of the Northern Pacific be-
fore long and ask them to make ar
rangements for better depot. It the
railroad does not soon comply with
the request, that request will pro-
badly be followed by an order to the
Northern Pacific to put in new sta
tion, and there will be no loop holes in
the order.
There is much misconception as to
the powers OF the commission" con-
tinued Mr.. Godfrey. MANY people
seem to think that we have only
advisory powers. That is not true.
The commission can make new rates,
order them in spite of the protests
Of the roads, and the new rates will
stand unless reversed by the courts.
The commission this year has already
reduced some coal rates as much as
rs cents per ton, timber rates mat
erially and other rates which are not
so important.
Allow Hearing.
"We always allow the railroad a
hearing, but the law does not MAKE
this mandatory upon US, for we can
change rates by SIMPLE notice to the
railroads. They can complain il they
want to but only a court reversal
will restore the old rates.
"All the changes we have made are,
however, SO reasonable that none Of
the roads have made any attempt to
challenge them by court proceedings.
people are 50 used to abusing the
roads that / feel 1t is only just to the
roads that should mention at this
time the report Of General Manager
Horn of the Northern Pacific on the
efforts which the road is making to
handle the traffic.
Handicapped though It is by the
boiler makers strike, which has al
ready put most Of the motive power
of the road into such shape that 1t will
take Ia months at least to get it back
into condition, the Northern Pacific
has done an enormous amount Of work
in the past year.
Much Coal Moved.
"Mr. Horns report to me shows that
since September rs, out Of 1908 cars
Of coal awaiting westward movement,
all but 81 have oeen moved on the di-
vision between Billings and Living
ston. This in the face of great in
crease in the coal business Of the
Northern Pacific due to the practical
cessation of the coal trafac which u.s.
ed to come in over the Short Line.
During June the road, on its own
pay rolls, to say nothing Of the con
TRACTORS, employed 10000 more men
than a year ago, an increase of 35
per cent Employment agents at the
east end of the line have shipped out
for four months ending August 31st
$4,000 men.
Comparing the engines of the
road June 80, 1901, the Northern
Pacific had 700 engines. On October
| 1, 1907, 1t had 1900 engines but on
account of the heavier engines which
were bought by the road the driver
weight was increased from 64.0O000C
to 194, 900 900 pounds.
"The road now has 800 more
engines than year ago, an increase
of engines has meant the employment
by promotion or hire of about 70C
engineers and firemen.
| MUGSt fNOW tFaCR.
ITO handle these new engines, and
the proportionate increase in cars
the Northern Pacific had to build ap
proximately 100 miles Of new track
age and hundreds more round house
stalls and facilities.
'.Westbound, between Billings ant
Livingston, the coal trafac Is almost
double that Of a year ago, az more
than that OF two years ago, and 81
times that Of three years ago.
/ "The tonnage handled over the above
district in July per mile Of track was
the heaviest Of any main line distric
on the system.
\ Heavy Traffic.
u sit was within ten per cent OF tht
freight tonnage hendled by one OF tht
| busiest railroads out OF Chicago, ant
was considerably better than that o
| many double track roads out OF ths
Windy city.
4 "Tt may surprise you," said Mr.
1 Godfrey, 'tto know that out of ths
$6s 10000 gross revenue of the North
lern Pacific last year, Montana furn