Omaha daily bee., 1918-02-09
WITNESSES TALK
OVER EARLY CLOSING
Shippers on Stand to Tell
Whether They Will Suffer
by New Freight
Order.
tFrom a staff corresponhent.)

Lincoln, Feb. 8.-(Special.) 1.-The
hearing before the state railway com
mission over the closing of freight
stations at an earlier hour. which be-
gan yesterday, was continued today,
the scene shifting from Omaha to
Grand Island with Mr.. Ryan, a
shipper of that city, on the stand
much of the day.
The attempt to show that the clos
ing Of the depots three-fourths Of an
hour earlier than has been the Gus
tom would work hardship on the
shippers was the bulk OF the testi-
mony brought out. Byron Clark, for
the Burlington, in the cross-examina-
ton endeavored to have the witness
show just how much he knew about
the handling OF freight at the Grand
Island point.
Meat OF Question.
The meat in the cocoanut ais
whether the carriers can close at q
o'clock in the afternoon instead of
4:4s as at present and not work a
hardship on the shippers, the roads
contending that by closing at the
earlier hour it will compel shippers
to get their shipments to the depot
earlier and save congestion OF ship
ments at time when il compels the
employees of the roads to hurry, max
ing mistakes which would not be
made il they had time to handle them
as at other times in the day.
The carriers on the other hand con-
tend that the closing OF the depots
at the earlier hour will deprive them
OF sending out shipments on orders
coming in on afternoon mails.
In the afternoon Freight Agent
O'Halloran of the Union Pacific was
the principal witness. The same line
OF questioning as pfopounded to other
men called was used in an effort to
get line on where a change would
Be beneficial alike to carriers and
shippers.
Mr.. O'Halloran said that he be-
lieved advancing the time OF closing
the depots to 4 o'clock would force
the shippers to get their shipments
delivered earlier and in the end as
soon as they became used to the new
condition would admit the advantage
and discover that both the shipper,
carriers and employees would be benc-
fited.
]. J. Ledwith of Lincoln, appearing
for the shippers. sought to bring out
an admission from Mr. O'Halloran
that a reorganization of the working
force into two shifts would remedy
the defects alleged, but the witness
could not see it in that light.
Childe on Stand.
Traffic Manager Childe Of the Oma.
ha Chamber of Commerce as a wit
ness for the carriers, told of condi.
tions regarding handling freight in
Kansas City, which closes its freight
houses at 4:30 in the afternoon. The
carriers, shippers and transfer men
had got together and made a salts.
factory agreement in which the ship.
pers filled their orders earlier in the
day, the transfer men changed their
schedules so as to cart the shipment,
to the depot in line with the wishe,
OF the shippers and the railroads wer,
thus able to handle the shipment.
without the big rush at closing time
Mr.. Childe said he was working tc
get a similar condition in Omaha ant
he believed he would succeed. Hi
was asked by Commissioner Wilson
what kind OF an order he thought tn,
commissioner ought to make, but re
fused to state very specifically wha
his opinion was.