The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-01-15
koTABIEe IN NORTHWESTERN
RAILROAD AFFAIRS TO TEsrl-
FY As TO BUSINESS,
JAMES J. HILL HEADS THE LIST
inquiry Expected To Turn Eyes 81
Railroad World On Minneapolis
For the Next Few
Days.

Louis w. Hill, ]. M. Gruber. Edward
Sawyer, w. w. Broughton, r. I. Far.
rington and Howard Elliott, forming
one of the most important groups Of
railroad executive officers In the coun.
try, will appear in Minneapolis, Mon.
day, Jan. II, and give testimony In an
inquiry into the Great Northern OF.
press business.
Franklin K. Lane, tho former San
Francisco Judge, who Is now consider.
cd the traffic expert Of the interstate
commerce personnel, Commissioner
James 8. Harlan, and probably Chas.
A. Prouty as third commissioner
will be on the bench.
The fact that tho inquiry is to be-
held came out when 1t was learned
that subpoenas were served on some
of the railroad men, including J. <
Hill. who is chairman Of the board OF
directors of the Great Northern. Ed
ward Sawyer. assistant secretary and
treasurer of the Great Northern Ex.
press Company; W. w. Broughton,
general traffic manager Of the Great
Northern railroad, ]. NJ. Gruber. gem
eral manager of the Great NortherA
railroad. and Louis w. Hi. president.
That Vice President R. L. Harrington.
will also appear Is probable. although
to this time Mr.. harrington has not.
30 far az is known, been served with
of1icial notice. A subpoena for Howard
Elliott. president Of the Northern Pa
ciflc. is expected to be served today
and the result will be that the hearing
will be ono of the most important hold
anywhere Ia tho United States fer
some time. 80
1t will be the most important in
Minneapolis since Dec. II, 1905, at
which time Commissioners Lane and
Harlan held court of inquiry in tho
federal building into causes Of .
freight blockade in the northwest, and
James J. Hill. Howard Elliott and q
score Of other prominent railroad OFF,
Gals were ON the stand.
Howard Elliot, president of the
Northern Pacific, is not interested d.
rectly. as are the other railroad men.
and is not named in the complaint.
but his testimony as general traffic
expert and his knowledge Of the cost
Of conducting transportation in vari-
GUS lines is considered of value. and
there is = summons out for him, 1t II
said.
In 1906 James ]. Hill appeared be.
fore the Minnesota railroad and Yare-
house commission and the attorney
for the Shippers and Receivers Asso.
citation undertook to question him with
regard to allegations Of unfair rates
In express charges of the Great North
ern Express Company. 1t was ruled
by the state commission ut the time
that such questions were not germane.
Charge Great Northern.
Tho complaint, which was forwards
ed later to tho interstate commerce
commission and which resulted in the
decision of the commission to open an
inquiry in Minneapolis, states that the
Great Northern Express Company Ia
capitalized at 100000 and that there
was invested in the company and
actually paid Ia in cash not more than
$4,000. The capital stock was is
sued. the complaint says. In tho
amounts of 1915 to the, Lake SUI
perior company limited, $500 to r. I,
Harrington. $500 to Edward Sawyer.
$500 to Louis w. Hill, $500 to J. M
Grvber. and $500 to w. w. Broughton-
All the money, which the complaint
.retterates. did not exceed $1,000 was
furnished and put up" by the Great
Northern Railroad Company and the
officers named.
The complainants then allege that
the rates that the Great Northern Elk
press company charges to Duluth. st.
Cloud, Willmar. Granite Falls. Pipe
stone. Appleton, Gracevills, Alexand-
ria. Breckenridge, Moorhead, Crooks
ton and Kennedy and other points in
Minnesota, from the twin cities or
other points, are exorbitant. This.
they alleEe. applies to the Transports
ton Of bread, cream, fruit, butter.
honey, poultry, fresh meats, cuttings
and plants between Minneapolis and
other points on the Great Northern
in Minnesota, which the complaint
says should not in fairness exceed 40
per cent of the present charges.
Complaint Gives FIsurss.
1t is alleged also that the rates for
horses shipped by express are 50 per
cent too high, that berries take an ex.
cessive rate and should be charged for
at only 45 per cent Of the present
rates. u
It is stated In the complaint that
the Great Northern Express company
in its last annual report filed with the
interstate commerce commission listed
all It's real and personal property ct
3s3,s745S. Other charges are made.
The complaint asks that the dstsn.
dants be compelled to answer ques.
tions relating to the business Of the
company, and 1t is IN response to this
request that tho interstate commerce
commission will begin what may prove
to be one of the NEST important eases
Of it, kinl.-