Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-07-08
BOARD
MEETS AT FARGO
Several Complaints Against
Roads Are Made by
Shippers

Fargo. N. D., July s.-The railroad
commission Ia a busy and long day
OF 1t wrestling with the representa-
tives of the railroads on the matter
of charges for sidetracks for local in
dustries and regarding the large va
rlety of switching charges in vogue
on the different lines, n a prece-
dent was established by the Northern
Pacific which may have wide-reach-
ing effect in provoking claims against
all the railways Of the state for money.
paid the companies for sidetracks.
All the railroad commissioners,
Messrs. Stutsman, Anderson and
Mann, were present and the sessions
were held, as they will be today and
tomorrow, at the court house. The
various railways doing business in
the state were represented by the fol-
lowing officials:
Northern Pacific: Assistant General
Manager J. NJ. Rapelje. General Su-
p~erintendent G. L. Nichols. Division
SUPERINTENDENT Bartles. Division
Freight Agent j. l.. Burnham, Trav-
cling Freight Agent w. T. Kraft, and
Local Agent ]. E. Johnson.
Great Northern: General Superin-
F. Bell. Division Superintend-
ent p. H. Heating. and w. C. NC
candles. Division Freight Agent Jas.
Robinson and General Roadmaster A.
A. Stone.
Milwaukee,: Division superintend-
ents j. NJ. Melin and F. NJ. Hill,
General Roadmaster Grace.
Midland Continental: General Man
ager Maxwell, 500; W. H. Schutt,
superintendent mail and rental en-
ployment bureaus. Chicago & North
WESTERN: General Agent H. J. Wagon.
Tho Belfeld Case.
President Stutsman explained the
object of the conference with the
railroad men and the first case taken
building an extension of the industry
track at Belield wherein one eleva-
tor company was charged for half the
expense and by an oversight the 9TH
er company paid nothing, but was
now, upon the first company making
application to the commission for a
relund OF its money. asked to pay
long discussion of the various meth
ods OF the several companies in rela-
ton to such charges and 1t was found
that no uniform system of charges
was In vogue and the reasons for not
charging all patrons of the roads
alike. The officials held that no
uniform standard was possible bur
that each case must stand upon it's
own merits, and finally the Northern
Pacific people agreed that no charge
would be collected, from the overlook-
ed elevator company at Belfeld and
that a refund should be made. to the
elevator company at that point which
had already paid. so that all the in
dustries-there being several other
elevator companies at that point
which had not been required to pa-
for trackage-would be on the same
basis.
A number Of other cases were TAX
en- up and either adjusted to the mu-
tual satisfaction of patrons and roads
or were taken under advisement by
the commission after all parties had
expressed their views on this import
ant subject.
Refuse to spot Cars.
Among the complaintants was the
Northwestern Sheet & Iron Works Of
Wahpeton, which charged that the
Great Northern road refused to spot
cars at its warehouse which had come
over rival lines. The company off,
because it was more favored with ter
minal facilities, go out Of its way to
accommodate business coming in oyer
rival lines and an hour was consumed
In debating from various angles this
interesting and important phase Of
the relationship between a public car
rier and the public, the matter being
finally taken under advisement by the
as similar cases have
been reported from other points and
the issue involved being very import
ant.
J. G.. Miller of Page and other APP
peared in behalf Of a petition FOR a
side track or the Great Northern be-
tween Galesburg and Erie and made a
showing Of the possible business
which might be done by the company
IL the siding WAS mt In h nf9-
Gals OF this line wanted more light
the subject of tributary territory
and the matter was taken under adj
yisenent, |