The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1914-12-22
BEMIDJI TO AGAIN
HAVEsUNDAY TRAIN
Railroad Commission Decides That
Great Northern Must Replace
Duluth Grand Forks Passenger.
WAS TAKEN OFF NOVEMBER q
Had Been in Operation for Sixteen
Years and Considered Public Ne
cessity-To Start Next Sunday.

Bemidji is to again have SUNDAY
trains on the Great Northern, and
what is more the service will be re-
placed Immediately, beginning next
Sunday, December q.
This has been decided by the rail-
road and warehouse comission which
had ordered the railroad to restore
service of trains No. 33 and No. "a
lon the Duluth, Grand Rapids, Be
midi Fosston, and Grand Forks line.
Trains have not been operated since
November %. - -
No sooner had the trains been dis
continued when series of protests
were made by the Commercial clubs
|of Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Duluth.
Crookston and many other places,
the result being that hearing was
held in Duluth on December 5, con-
[cerning these trains and consequen4lv
this order has been issued.
The order to resume, together with
ia review of the case reads as follows
THAT the Great Northern Railway
company is a corporation organised
under the laws of the state OF MIN
nesota, and operates a line Of rail-
way as common carrier from Du-
luth, Mimi, and through the north
|ern part of the state, to East Grand
Forks, Mimi: and that under the
laws of this state it is the duty Of
said company to give reasonable
passenger service to the people and
communities served by it.
Operated Sixteen Years.
THAT trains No. 33 and No. "a
have been operating daily, including
Sundays, between Duluth, MINI,
and East Grand Forks, Mimi, dur
ing all Of the past sixteen years, and
that during said period of time the
communities along said railway have
enjoyed substantial growth; large
tracts of land have been cleared and
reduced to cultivation; population
has largely increased; freight and
passenger business has shown
marked improvement, and the pub
lie as we'll as business institutions
have come to depend upon the pas
senger service which has been given
it by these trains upon Sunday, as
well as upon the other days of the
week.
"That the removal of the said
trains Nos. 33 and "a leaves the COM
munities along said line, except the
terminals, without necessary Sunday
service.
Costs $1.19 Mile.
''That the earnings per train mile
of passenger trains Nos SO and "a,
including the revenue from passen-
ger business, excess baggage, parlor
and chair car, mail and express rev.
enue, is approximately S1.19, and
that this exceeds the operating ex-
penses of said trains. While figures
were introduced which attempted to
show that the operating cost of pas
senger trains was about $3.50 per
train mile, it is clear that they were
based up on a wrong assumption;
they evidently include the operation
of freight and passenger trains, in
used on the Missabe division. No
testimony was offered to show the
earnings of these particular Sunday
trains, but the evidence indicated
that they were as largely patronized
upon that day as upon week days.
'.That the distance between Duluth
and East Grand Forks is 296 miles,
and that said trains move a distance
of nineteen miles through the state
of Wisconsin, and stop regularly at
Superior, Wis; that Duluth and SUI
perior are adjoining cities located
upon the shores of Lake Superior;
and that the Commercial club OF Su-
perior protested against the removal
of said passenger trains, that the
operation through Wisconsin is but
an incident to the handling of the
trains between Duluth and East
Grand Forks.
Public Necessity.
THAT the public necessity requires
the Great Northern Railway company
to maintain and operate Sunday
trains Nos 3s and "a between
Duluth and East Grand Forks.
THAT the reason given for the re-
moval Of said trains is the serious
Confined on last page)