Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-27

n lTldl week OIL ulSpdIcullS lrdlHS ny
telephone from the stations of the Lack
awanna system has resulted in the adop-
ton of the phones.
The line of the Wisconsin Central road
from Ladysmith to Superior has been
completed as far as the Northern Pacific
crossing within the Superior city limits.
Several hundred thousand freight cars
may be standing idle, as the railroad
managers tearfully protest, but some Kan
sas grain dealers complain tkRt they are
unable to get box cars enough.
In the Circuit Court at Chicago Judge
Kohlsaat enjoined the issuance of trans
portation by the Chicago, Indianapolis
and Louisville railway to the publishers
of Munseys Magazine in exchange for
advertising. He held that the contract
under which this transportation was is
sued is in violation of the Hepburn rate
law. The railroad company gave notice
of an appeal to the United States Su-
preme Court.
At Helena, Mont, legal representatives
of the government began suit against the
Northern Pacific Railway Company, the
Rocky Fork Coal Company and the
Northwestern Improvement Company to
recover title to valuable coal lands which
it is charged were procured through mis-
representation The lands in question
contain coal mines from which the rail
way obtains great quantities of coal
through it's control of the subsidiary COM
panies.
Presumably due to the industrial de-
preston of the past year, the death rate
from accidents by rail appears to be on
the decrease. The Accident Bulletin of
the Interstate Commerce Commission for
the first quarter of 1908 shows a total
of 125 passengers and employees killed,
as compared with 800 such deaths in the
preceding quarter, and with 346 in the
one before that. The latest record is the
smallest since these statistics were first
collected in 1901. During the first quar-
ter of this year the number of deaths of
passengers and employees from all causes
was 72S, against 1892 in the preceding
quarter. In the same period the number
of casualties was 15,441, the least within
three years.
The right of shippers to combine small
quantities of freight of various ownership,
either by arrangement among themselves
Or by a forwarding agency, was confirmed
by the Interstate Commerce Commission
in a decision recently rendered.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
has published the final figures of the in
come of the railroads for the last fiscal
year. The total net earnings amounted
to $40. $50, 944, which is an increase Of
S54, SOC, 399. The total number of en-
ployes on the pay roll on June 80 was
1,672,O74, against 1921 ,355 year ago.
The Erie railroad management has is
sued a statement to the public telling of
improved business conditions. 1t says
they have been adding to the force of en-
pIoyes and getting rolling stock ready for
the fall crop-moving rush.
At Faribault, Mimi, the city council is
after the Chicago Great Western and
Rock Island roads to compel them to put
in viaduct over their crossings on Third
street. The council has requested the
railroad and warehouse commission to or
der the roads to put in the viaduct, which
is especially needed to protect students
of the schools tor deaf and blind, who
have to cross the tracks.
The fling of equalized grain rate sched-
ules from Omaha to Chicago and from
Omaha to ST. Paul by the Great West
ern. reduction of about 2 cents, is re-
gardeG as threatening a disastrous rate
war in the midst Of the crop-moVing sea-
son.
The dispute between the switchmen's
union and the Lackawanna railroad near
ed the strike stage while friends of ar
bitration worked to bring about better
understanding. The cause of the strike
threat, as presented by President Hawley
of the union, was the dismissal of men
without due cause. They demand fair
ness in the treatment of the men, and ask
a hearing from President Truesdale.