The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-03
WARM FIGHT BEFORE
COMMISSION
At FARGO j..
Travelling Men Oppose Stop
ping of Trains at Leeds
the Arguments.

the Arguments.
Arguments pertaining to connec.
tons between the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern railways at Leeds, N
D.. took up the session Of the board
OF railway commissioners meeting In
Fargo yesterday.
1t appears that the matter had once
been settled in a comparatively sat.
isfactory name when a recent
change was made on the Northern
Pacific between Leeds and Fargo
which upset the advantages gained
and that practically the only manner
the north branches out of there would
be to go back to the former schedule
on the Fargo line. which is strenu.
ously opposed by the travelling public
of this city and vicinity.
Delay of Entire Day.
n travelling public going from
Leeds to jamestown on the Great
Northern and also the jamestown
north branch on the Northern Pa.
at Leeds without a delay Of approx.
mately twenty-three and one-hali
hours. and travelling men have found
1t necessary to drive to Churchs Fer.
ry. a considerable distance, in order
to avoid delay In catching a train
east.
Delays at Junction.
Also. the people along the branch
lines north from Devils Lake, Church,
Granville desiring to GO to points OF
the Northern Pacific south OF Iced.
and south Of jamestown are subject
TO delays at Junction points on the
treat Northern main line and also al
the junction point of the Northern
Pacific, at Leeds varying from thirty.
SIX to se~venty-two hours. In a tria,
at Devils Lake an incident was shown
where Il woman leaving a small towr
on n Granville branch and going
70 q point on the jamestown branch
or the Northern Pacific was required
to spend five and one-half days on the
trip.
Issuance of Order.
AS a result Of this trial an order
was issued by the commission thai
proper connection should be made al
Leeds to accommodate the people in
the northern counties seeking to reach
the southern part of the state and not
compel them to go around by way OF
Grand Forks and Fargo, and conse
quently trains Nos. 2 and 8 on the
Great Northern were required to stop
Train Is Set Back.
However. about the time that this
order should have commenced to work
advantages. the train between Leeds
and aFrgo. which formerly reached
Fargo at 10 O'Clock p. M, was Sc,
pack to get into Fargo at 1880 p. m.
this being the result Of the efforts OF
the travelling men making headquar.
tiers n Fargo to. get into the city al
an earlier hour. The advantage gained
by the connection orders, therefore
were lost by the new schedule, and
1t was proposed that the recent action
Of the railroad company in connection
with the Fargo schedule be knocked
out. "
Speakers Present Argument.
In opposition to such action severa'
speakers presented their case before
me board. Among these were Mayor
Sweet. President Morton Page of the
Commercial club. Secretary T: %
Dunn of the U. c: T., and others. By
these 1T was maintained Thai the board
should act in a manner that would
prove to the greatest advantage OF
the greatest number, and a. plea fol-
the 500 to 1000. commercial men who
make their headquarters in Fargo and
some 1900 more. who must include
Fargo in their regular trips, was pre-.
SPSahSASs
other reasons for the maintenance
of the present schedule were present.
ed. the claim being made that tho
ratio of satisfied and dissatisfied ma
irons relative to the present schedule
is easily .ninety-five per cent against
five. "
An effort will be made to. settle tho
question in an amicable manner, and
the railroad will be prevailed upon to
ehdeavor to SO arrange the schedule
tnat 1t Will conform as nearly as pos
slble to the best interests of all.
Express Hearing In Grand Forks,
August is is the new date that has
been fixed by the North Dakota rail-
road commission for the hearing on
the express rate question. At that
time a hearing will be held in Grand
Forks as we'll as in Fargo. in accord
ance with a conversation between F.
u. cameron, chairman of the Grand
Forks Commercial club railroad com
mittee, and Chairman Stutsman of the
commission. No definite decision on
that point was reached yesterday. but
PRESIDENT Stutsman promised to at
tempt. to arrange for a session here,
and there is little question but what
he will be successful.
The state railroad board had fixed
yesterday as the time for the hearing
on the express rate question. the
hearing to be held in Fargo. where the
quarterly meeting of the board
is in progress.
1t was found necessary by the
board to postpone consideration of
the question, and August 15 was the
new date fixed for the hearings.
Grand Forks shippers have a great
deal Of interest in the express ship-
ment question. and they are DESTROYS
of placing their Views before the com
mission. and for that reason Chair
man Cameron requested that a hear
ing be held here.