Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-05-14
RANCHERS ASK
BETTER SERVICE
Enter Objections Before State Public
Utilities Commission to Reduced
Train Service on K. v. Line
MEETING HELD HERE TUESDAY
Railroad Contends Business Does Not
Warrant More Trains

The Public Utilities Commission
of Idaho, composed of Axel P.
Ramstedt, John w. Graham and
A. L. Freehafer, held an informal
session in Boomers Ferry last Tues
day at which several questions of
very great interest to this section
were considered. The one that
aroused the most interest was the
matter of the recent reduction of
the train service on the Kootenai
Valley branch of the Great North
ern railroad between Boomers Fer
ry and Porthill from twice-a-week
service to one train a week, and
that on Sunday. A number of
ranchers were present to enter OBJ
lection to this action by the rail
road company, the company basing
its actions on the grounds that de-
creasing business made this step
necessary.
The case for the ranchers was
opened by Attorney Bartlett Sin
clair, who related how, when the
railroad was being built several
years ago he had acted as right-of-
way agent for the railroad and had
secured the greater part of the
right-of-way at very low figure
on the promise of the railroad to
maintain daily service. Attorney
Sinclair stated this service had
been gradually reduced until now
it was the same as no service at all.
Senator E. E. Elliott also APP
peared before the commission in
behalf of the ranchers and his arg
ument largely covered the settlers
side of the question. Briefly stated
his contention was that rates on
the road never had been such as to
secure from the territory served
the largest possible amount of traf-
6c; that the service had not been
in other ways such as to develop
business; and now, just at the time
when it looked as though there
would be great development in the
valley due to reclamation, the rail-
road gives the whole thing black
eye by train service of no prac-
teal value to the farmers.
Referring to the excessive rates,
Mr.. Elliott stated that he recently
could have secured an order for a
very large shipment of cottonwood
timber but the freight rate was so
high the business could not be
handled. He and other witnesses
also brought out the fact that like
wise rates on hay, potatoes, and
other farm produce had been so
excessive as to make it practically
impossible to ship to points on the
main line and meet competition
This matter of rates, however, has
recently been met by the railroad
putting into effect new schedule
of rates embodying considerable
reductions on many products. The
ranchers claim, however, that the
benefit to be obtained from reduced
freight rates is lessened largely by
the fact that a once-a-week Sunday
service is of so little value to them.
This was illustrated by the exam
pie that if a rancher received an
order for a hay shipment he would
put in a requisition for car which
would be brought out the follow
ing Sunday; the car would be load
ed during the week and started on
its way the next Sunday, making
from 10 days to two weeks before
the shipment could be gotten I'M.
der way.
The ranchers also contended thai
there are not enough sidings for
, the loading of cars along the K. V
line, and some of those now exist.
ing are so located that the shipper:
cannot use them. In reply to thi:
the railroad officials intimated thai
they would put in sidings where
: needed if the settlers would stanc
! the expense, which they said wa:
5 customary.
Briefly summarized the ranchers
4 contention was that the line hac
. not been run in manner 10 devel
| op business; that. a once-a-weel
Sunday service did not meet the
: needs of the shippers and would
{ result in much harm TO the settlers
: and that by. the railroads actor
they are left with very poor mai
= service. They requested that re
} lief be given by the re-establish
= ment o. at least the twice weel
service.