American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-07-23

IANNtE " NAAAh &tetA - hAAhtA WV
designated where the up-grades occur.
He said many complaints had been
made of the high coal rate. On cross
examination he was asked, for the
purpose OF ascertaining why the com
mission brought. the suit, to name
some OF those who had complained of
the rates. He named Governor Haines
and The manager of the gas company
here. but said he would not undertake
TO name any others. He said he had
made a study OF the coal rate question
as best he could and had compared
the rates here with the rates in Monta-
ma. Arizona and New Mexico. where he
knew personally that conditions were
very similar to those here, and he had
found the rates IN southern Idaho
much higher than those charged any
where else.
II. II. Miller. auditor and account
ant for the public utilities commission,
vas called. He presented the tables
showing the rates charged to various
sections as used above and also identi-
fed certain financial and other reports
OF the Short Line.
Reeves Explains Method.
Traffic Manager Reeves explined
the method OF establishing rates. Be
ginning at Kemmerer. he said, the
road has made rates leading up to the
$3.50 a ton which was fixed by the
interstate m commission In
the decision OF 1910 as the maximum
rate to be charged. Coming west this
maximum is reached at the first sta
ton west of Shoshone and all stations
are charged that ate from there on
and an additional charge is made for
points on the Idaho Northern. the rate
TO Emmett being $3.50, but the rate to
Donnelly being $3.50. This latter rate
he said was too low and should be
higher, but he did say that the rate to
Emmett and to Murphy should be re-
duced from $3.50 TO $3.50.
He said he had had no complaint
whatever from any shipper as to the
coal rates, nor by any consumer ex-
cept hat when the Democratic admin
istration anne into power the sugar
people had come to him and declared
that the existence OF the sugar indus
try depended upon a reduction I'm coal
rates and in sugar rates. He said he
couldn't see why the railroads should
make good the tariff red iction, but he
had consented to a reduction I'm the
rate on slack coal and hat was why
that rate was lower to Sugar City than
} other rates.
In discussing the branch lines that
! have been built. he said that the rail.
road officials had been led to believe
that the Hill City line would be more
productive than the Twin Falls line
e which he admitted was as productive
mile for mile as the main line. bu.
b that It was a toss up between the Twir
S Falls branch and the st. Anthony
n branch as to which Is the better pay
e ing line.
G He said that IN the division of tn,
Utah rates the D. e. r. G. gets $1.1I
and the Short Line $3.50 per ton from
= the Utah mines to Boise.
y Big Dividends Paid.
n On cross-examination Captain Davis
e for the state, made the assertion il
n questions that the Short Line had paiC
100 per cent dividends in 1908, 25 pei
d cent In 1909, so per cent n 1910, anC
3 6S.6S per cent In 1911. Mr.. Reeves de
3 clared he didn't know anything abou
the dividends.
He said the rate per ton per mile OF
coal Is three or four mills lower thar
8 the average for all freight for the en-.
tire system, but he had no figures tC
g show how it was In idaho alone.
o Q. DO you know any other place IL
a the United States where the rates are
r. as high as they are in Idaho?
A. ! don't know any.
= He said, however. that he dldn'
I know one way or the other whether
Q they were higher or lower.
Q A. b. Stevenson. superintendent OF
the Idaho division. was called. He de.
scribed the grades over the Idaho divi-
a sion. claiming that there are eight
miles of 2 per cent grade at Medbury
which controls the traffic over the d.
, vision together with other short heavy
: grades. He also explained that there
, are heavy grades on the Wood River
the Hill City and the Idaho Northern
branches.
He said operating cost had increased
since 1910, the wages OF the trainmen
having increased between 7 and 8 per
cent; section hands. 8 per cent; clerks
5 per cent. and supplies some. but he
could not say how much. On cross -ex-
animation he admitted that the trac-
ton power of locomotives has in
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