The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-07-09
BUSY DAY
FOR The
COMMISSION
Continued From Pare one.

\ vt q 1C
Forks Commercial club was represent
ed by Sec. c. w. Graves.
Mr.. Gibbs produced a large array of
figures tendIng to show that the North
Dakota rates were considerably higher
than those in South Dakota or Mime
sofa and made an argument in favor OF
a reduction by the railroad commits
sion. The discussion then became gen
eral and all phases Of the rate situa-
ton were dilated upon with the re-
suit that 1t was decided by the COM
mission to hold a rate hearing in Far
go Aug. IL, at the commercial club
rooms and that all commercial bodies
of the state be invited to participate
in this issue as we'll as all the railroads
having lines in North Dakota. In the
meantime the Fargo Commercial club
committee is to formulate it's data and
urge other commercial clubs to do the
same in relation to rates applying to
their localities to the end that the
entire subject may be we'll understood
by the shipping public and properly
presented to the railroad commission
at the hearing.
Bangs Appeared,
Tracy r, Bangs or Grand Forks then
appeared before the commission as the
representative of the North Dakota
Association of Telephone Companies in
the matter of what is known as the
Berthold telephone case. This case
arose from a refusal of the Northern
Telephone Co. of Minot, which has an
exchange at Berthold, to make a phys
ical connection with the Berthold
Farmers Telephone CO.
The original complaint was made by
the Berthold company, but this was
later withdrawn and a private citizen
of Berthold made complaint against
both companies, and asked the COM
mission to enforce a physical connec-
ton so that patrons Of the Farmers
line could use the long distance service
of the Northern company upon pay
ment of proper tolls, n it was upon
this complaint the commission was to
have set a date at this meeting for a
hearing of the issues.
Mr.. Bangs contended that the rail-
road commission lacked legal
authority to enforce a physical con
| dition, and while admitting that ne
had not given the subject" full study
offered to file a brief to sustain his
contention, so the commission ordered
that both sides of the issue
brief the issue of the com
| missions authority, upon receipt
of which the commission would decide
whether it had competent jurisdiction.
This is an important issue as it ef-
| fects every town where two telephone
companies are doing business and in
a Wisconsin case lately decided the
railroad commission of that state held
public utility companies could be com
PEELED to give the public the uttermost
service they were capable of, whether
the companies SO desired or not, anc
compelled the I'VE companies at La
| Crosse to make the physical connec-
| +;~- n~lr1I fnr Tho On W rI1ncti0r rnKx
at issue in the Berthold case is the
competency of the state railroad com
mission to regulate the telephone COM
panies beyond the matter of rates, ex-
cept where physical connections are
already installed. H.
This afternoon delegations from Ayr
and Absaraka appeared before the
commission and%asked for improved
train service owe the Great Northern
branch upon which those two towns
are located. Assistant General Super
intendent Leverich of the Great
Northern appeared for the Great
discussion as The Forum goes tC
press.
The commission will be in session
all of tomorrow and expects to clean
up a great many issues which have
accumulated since the meeting last
month. The commissioners report
great satisfaction over the readiness
with which the railroads, and 9th y
public corporations with which they
have to do, comply with The numerous
demands made upon them by the peo-
pie, and the tendency on all sides to
treat each other fairly enables tht
commission to effect settlements read
lily and quickly. Many new duties
have been laid upon the commission
by recent legislatures and it is nov
a real railroad and warehouse com
mission with adequate powers in most
instances to amply protect the in
terests of the people Of the state, and
the commissioners seem very anxious
to be of the utmost service posi-
BILE. 49,
There are bargains in every, line be-