The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-04-17

friendly feeling expressed by Mr. Dur
land and the outcome OF the meeting
apparently brought the club and the
railroad men together in a common
plan OF action before the state com.
mission.
The chairman Of the mass meeting
was Conductor Pat Dolan, councilman
from the Fourth ward. George Fos-
ter. station agent at Scribner, was
chosen secretary.
A set of resolutions OF considerable
length to be presented the state rail.
road commission were offered. These
resolutions were at one time adopted
but their action was later rescinded.
In the discussion that followed mum.
Der of short talks were made by va.
rious prominent railroad men, among
others Engineer c. j. Hibben, council
man-elect from the Fourth ward, c.
NJ. Wurzbacher, station agent at Til.
den Conductor A. ID. Lane, Conductor
j. +. McGrane and Mr.. Foster, the
secretary of the meeting. Mr.. Foster
reviewed the railroad situation at
some length Railroads he said in
stead of being viewed as the life blood
of the republic were getting to be
looked at as simply enemies OF the
republic. Radical antirailroad agita.
ton had resulted in two unfortunate
conditions. according to Mr.. Foster.
One was that politicians we're using
attacks on the transportation com
panies for political capital and the
other was that different sections were
bending the hostile railroad feeling to
their own ends.
Commercial Club President Speaks.
Mr.. Foster was followed by Presi-
dent Durand of the Commercial club
He said that he had a very friendly
feeling for the railroad men and that
he was glad Of an opportunity to ex.
plain what the club was doing. He
was not a politician but he was an
eX-employe of the railroad company
having with his od-time law partner
Mr.. Bronze. represented the Elkhorn
road as its attorney back in 1881. In.
cidentally he mentioned that in the
legislature of 1883 he had dared to
vote against the three-cent fare bill
and was mainly instrumental in get
| ting for the NJ. & o. and the North
western roads three-and-a-half cent
fare for two years when the other
| roads Of the state were getting only
three cents. because he thought that
the development and extension of the
railroad companies was needed in the
north part of the state.
Mr.. Durland explained that at the
time the two.cent fare bill passed he
thought the action i'll advised because
he thought the legislature was acting
on a very important matter without
possessing the data to act intelligent
! ly. He so advised our Representatives
in the legislature.
He is now inclined to think tina
the bill was fair in it's results anC
that the revenue from the passenger
department had not been crippled.
II have paid out quite lot O
money in Norfolk" the president said
Il am always glad to give good maj
a good price for good work. l don
believe that any man as a rule get
too much for his labor
1--WE are all interested in Norfolk
| did not seek that presidency of th
Commercial club but when / took VI
the work it seemed that the question
| nf Nnrfnll-'. D.
the freight rate question. We want I,
build up manufacturing, wholesale an
retail businesses here. Everyon
knows that no town has better tel
ritory in which to do business thai
Norfolk has to the west and north
Some of us have worked for abou
thirty years to build the town up an
we feel that We have gone about a
far as possible unless we bring I
this city new industries that will Civ
employment to labor.
What we are asking of the raj
roads is that they give us what Teddi
Roosevelt calls a square deal. w
don't ask for the best of it. We d
ask to be put on as good basis a
, the bigger towns of this section, Oms
ha, Sioux City and Lincoln. | appea
to you if this is not right and honor
able.
I'VE are asking to be allowed to d
business in this territory on the sam
basis that the bigger cities are pei
mitted to do business. We don't wan
a rate reduction. And we do nc
want discrimination"
f. A. Bullock, who is a member G
the Commercial clubs committee O
rates, also spoke.
Just what the Commercial club wa
: asking for was pointed out by the tw
speakers. The question Of the Dulut
rate was explained and also the e.
tent of the negotiations with the raj
road company.
7. Morrison, who came up fror
Fremont to attend the meeting
thought that it was probable that til
question of general reduction i