Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-18

as ,he- told them 70 the state railroad
commissioners at the hearing in the
Marshalltown Club rooms Friday aft
ernoon. For almost four hours ship
rers. retailers, bankers. business men
and farmers recited in detail, while
under oath. the causes they have FOR
complaint against the service furnished
/ then? on the branch by the NJ. & ST. l.
/ Twenty witnesses from Roland.
! Fearing. St Anthony. Clemens. Brom-
lev. Minerva and this city complained
against the branch line. Superintend-
ent H G Kruse denied some of the
complaints as untrue. heprofessed not
70 know Of the facts regarding others,
but promised TO investigate and rem
! edy- them al once Some information
that was lacking but which was
wanted by the commissioners, he
promised TO furnish. With him, repre-
| senting the company. was General
/ Counsel George w Sewers and As
sistant Traffic Manager A. B. Cults.
Of Minneapolis. Mr.. Sewers cross
examined the witnesses.
COMPLAINTS Fill Volume.
Set out in detail the reasonable and
iunreasona Die causes for grievances
would fill volume. Some of the wit
nesses were plainly hostile and prob
ably over described the conditions they
complained of, but the majority were
candid and wanted no more than they
believed they were entitled TO. All Of
those who were asked had no COM
paint TO make on the train service of
the past few weeks. Some of these,
however. were candid enough TO admit
that they thought the improvement
vas due 10 the proceedings started for
hearing.
| Some of them showed plainly where
| not only themselves. but their COM
munities had suffered a loss of bust
uess and money because of the lack of
good passenger and freight service.
Others complained Of personal grew
/ ances by reason Of lack Of accommoda-
tons. and still others testified that
they had ceased TO patronize the
! branch because of things complained
| Of
| Will Have Second Hearing.
! The hearing was not completed for
the reason that the railroad officials
had to leave the city, and also because
the- were not prepared to answer the
detailed complaints. They were given
time to do this and furnish certain in
formation the commission asked for.
The hearing was adjourned until some
date. to be fixed later, when the COM
mission will come here again to hear
the railroads answer and the same
time the compliments rebuttal.
The commission asked that the rail-
road furnish it with information re-
garding the movement Of trains. money.
expended for the upkeep Of the road
bed and track, and when the stock
yards at some of the towns were last
cleaned.
Complaints Of Long Period.
The complaints Of the witnesses
ranged over long period OF time, bu,
d good many OF them had to do witt
conditions that existed during las
winter when storms were frequent, and
weather conditions we're unusually Sc
we're.
One witness believed the people
along the Story City branch could OPP
crate better railroad themselves H
admitted he wished the Al. & ST. L
would abandon the branch because
we could get a better one" he said
It's a disgrace to the state, it's az
eye-sore. 1t makes a man sore all TIM
time was the way be vented his feel.
irgs on the subject.
i think the whole thing joke from
| start to finish. I Travelled on it until
| got tired, then l quit. Now 1 go I,
| State Center" another witness said.
It's been a regular farce" said an
ether.
It's as rotten a piece of roadbed a.
| ever rode over" was the contribu
ton of a travelling salesman Of Thu
city.
Jeered at Equipment.
The witnesses jeered at the equipment
motive power. station buildings, ant
accommodations. Locomotive No. As,
fixture on the branch, was reckoned b,
T. J. Pollock, of Gearing, to have tn,
pulling capacity of as many az tire
good horses" I think 1t was borl
there" he suggested as an insight int
its parentage. My wife won't ride OF
the train, it's that dirty. We come t
town in an auto the same witnes
: said.
Mr.. Pollock estimated the Zearin
! |; station had a seating capacity Of ten o
twelve and described the time card a
elastic"
Another witness declared IT to be
were kept cleaner than the coache
used for passengers on the branc
trains.
All ofzthe witnesses who touched o.