The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-06
POTATO men WIN
S2O,O0g,0 600 CASE
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM.
MISSION REvERsEs RAILROAD
ORDER REFUSING HEATED
cARs-GooD NEWS FOR PoTA-
TO SHIPPERS.

The best news to the potato
dealers of. Clay county and in fact
growers all over the northwest was a
dispatch which appeared in The Min
neapolis Journal Of last evening which
IN substance was that the railroad
companies must supply potato growers
and shippers proper equipment for the
transportation of potatoes and other
Eperishabls freight during the winter
months when there is a danger of the
contents of the cars being frozen dur
ing transit.
Leslie Welter, after he chad read the
decision of the commission, said it was
a great victory for the potato men Of
Clay county and will mean a relief
from a vast amount of worry a1d
anxiety during the shipping season for
potatoes, especially so during the
movement of seed stock. F,orSself pres
eryation we had to take the matter of
the supply of proper equipment up to
the commission and so8We co-operated
with the potato men and dealers in
perishable goods of other states in or
to find out exactly where We were
at.
The story of the. decision as it APP
ipeared In The Journal was as follows:
The Minnesota Potato Growers and
shippers association. in a case involv-
ing the annual movement of $4,000. 900
of perishable freight, today won the
greatest victory of its history when
Interstate Commerce Commissioner
James s. Harlan decided that the rail-
roads must take shipments Of potatoes
in freezing weather and provide suit
ably lined and heated cars.
Millions of bushels of potatoes in
the city and at country loading sta
tons We're held up last winter because
the roads would not load them when
the temperature was below freezing
point and refrigerator cars not avail
able, which is declared by Commits
Sioner Harlan to be not justified. The
ruling makes a precedent, relative to
possible like conditions elsewhere in
the United States, for the roads to
provide sufficient rolling stock proper
ly constructed to handle such business.
or take upon themselves the cost OF
artificially heating the ordinary box
cars when such cars r used.
No Mandatory Order.
Commissioner Harlan, according to
Washington adyices today, will issue
no mandatory order upon the rail-
roads, but will request a conference
between the railroads and the potato
shippers to arrive at a definite under
standing.
j. r.. Beggs of st. Paul, president of
the Minnesota Potato Growers and
Shippers association, and Secretary r.
r.. Sevey of Minneapolis filed a pro-
test with the commission last winter,
after a ,tie-up of the movement of po-
tatoes from Minnesota south and west.
George B. Higgins of Minneapolis, who
is now secretary, has had correspond
ence with the commission since then.
George It. Simpson, former attorney
general of Minnesota, was attorney
for the association.
1T is a great victory for the ship
pers," said Mr.. Sevey. 1T means that
Ia condition like that of last winter,
which blocked, temporarily, a heavy
traffic movement, cannot again devel-
op."
y The decision also covers Wisconsin.
1t is principally important to Mime
sofa because of the enormous quantity
of Minnesota seed stock that moves
southwark to Texas, Oklahoma, Kan
sas, Missouri and other states in win
ter