Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-07-16
MUST HANDLE
freight Cars
Railroad Commission Says Rail
roads Must Switch Cars Of
Competing Lines.

Competing Lines.
In the matter Of the complaint Of
the Northwestern Sheet and lro1
Works, OF Wahpeton that the Great
Northern Railway Co. has refused tc
switch cars which move via compel
Ing lines to the industry. track Of
complainant, the board Of railroad
commissioners recently HANDED down
their decision in the matter, after
due consideration Of the questions in.
yolved, maintaining that the com
taay must handle these cars, for an
adequate compensation.
Not on Right Of Way.
It appears that the plant Of the
complainant is located upon the in
dustry track Of the Great Northen.
but is not upon the right Of way,
which is there only q few feet wide.
The company has been in the bahit
OF spotting all cars consigned to the
complainant, and coming over the
Crest Northern road but refuses to
spot cars routed over competing
roads.
Ordinary Clipper.
The railroad company held that n.
asmuch as the complainant a not
on the right Of way, and had no In
1terest in terminal facilities, etc,
that they had 10 more rights than
an ordinary shipper. and could be re.
'quired to unload upon the team
track and to haul their freight q
considerable distance, II the com.
pany saw fit, the spotting Of cars
for them being merely q concession
On the part Of the railroad company.
I~ntsrssts at Work.
Y Though the railroad commission
stated that they had found interests
at work to bring about this coadi.
tioa Of strife, they took cognisance
only 81 the larger question Involved.
= hearing was held. at which repre-.
tS~entatives Of all the roads doing
business n North Dakota we're pres.
isnt, and It appeared that ~ mutual
agreement. the roads refuse to haa-
die each others cars 1t competing
POINTS. y
~ Code Provisions.
h The commission recognized that
there Ia considerable weight to the
contention Of the companies that
where they have built up terminal
facilities for the handling Of their
own cars. they should not be com.
PEELED to use these for competing
cars, for a nominal switching charge,
but the provisions Of the code regard
ing the matter in question are that
companies cannot discriminate be-
tween the cars Of competing lines
md their own, and may be required
70 switch and transfer cara for al.
other for the purpose Of being loaded
or unl0aded. upon such terms and
conditions a. may be prescribed by
the commissioners. Reasonable COM
pensation must be allowed for this
work however, according to the code.
Transfer Free.
The commission interpreted the
ruling II the code to mean that the
transfer Of freight shall be absolute.
u free and unrestricted between all
shippers in the state, regardless Of
the number of carriers handling the
shipment. and that the only question
is one Of compensation for such serv.
Ice. The commission considered It
immaterial whether or not the ship
per was situated on the right Of way
Or Immediately adjacent thereto, and
held that this did not affect his right
to be served In the most expeditions
manner.
The commission ordered that the
Great Northern Railway Company
shall establish and promulgate q tar.
IN fol-, the handling Of the cars OF
such competing lines. the order to be-
come effective August Is. 1914, and
the decision in its substance applies
TO all railroads operating in the state.