Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1920-09-09
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER Q, 1920

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER ., 1920
HIGHWAY VS.. RAILROAD
Interstate commerce commission
hearing on the proposed north and
south railroad in Idaho, originally
set for September IS, in Boise, has
been postponed until November IS.
The Idaho public utilities commission
n through complaint filed with the in
terstate commerce commissio II, is at
tempting to force construction of
railroad link between Grangeville and
New Meadows, thus directly connect
ing, by rail, northern and southern
Idaho
That such railroad might be built
binding together the two sections of
the state, surely is desirable Hear
ings have been held in Weiser, and
later will be held in Grangeville to
promote the railroad, while railroad
men are preparing evidence to show
that construction of the road would
be impractical, and the returns
road would mot justify
|ssive expenditure which its j
would entail.
hearing was postponed for
hths, it is announced from !,
h order to grant more time G
pilation of data on the coun (
proposed road would traverse \
her any political significance =
ched to the postponement of d
bring until after election day, a
course, not disclosed 1t may q
~Smembered, however, that several y
Years ago, Moses Alexander, in one
of his campaigns for election to the N
governorship of Idaho, promised to
build the long discussed and prob nc
ably far remote, north and south
railroad Alexander s agitation prov
ed an effective vote-gettting scheme tie
for him in central Idaho, and in OF
many other parts of the state. Is e ee
it possible that the state public utili- IF
ties commission is following in
Moses footsteps, in filing its sa
comlaint with the interstate com IN I'M
merce commission The rail
road men insist that the interstate ---
commerce commission has absolutely =
no power to force the building of
ninety miles of railroad. They in
sist that that portion of the law en-
acted by congress last spring, to en-
able the interstate commerce com
mission to force railroad construc
ton applies only to the building
of sidetracks and spurs to industrial
plants.
From another source comes the re-
port that the agitation for north
and south railroad is inspired by
persons who hope TO prevent addition
al appropriations for completion of
the North and South highay, in or
der that the money may be DETECTED
to other parts of the state for road
building. This rumor of course, can
not be verified but nevertheless it
Is Gin the wind, - and seemingly will
not down
WIN uuuuituS OF thousands Oh
dollars already expended ON the
North and South highway, and with g
substantial beginning having been -
made on the road, to fail to com f
,lete the highway would be a ca ~
amity to Idaho county. The work Va
n idaho county, which was made pos %
ible only through the earnest en- lsf
eavors of Idaho county representa- n
ives in the state legislature, should IkASI
" all means be continued. We can &
lot feel overly sanguine over the 1~<'s'
roposed north and south railroad. ----
'ut we of Idaho county can be as Ezzszs
ured of a completion of the high b
Tay program in central Idaho if
re send to the legislature men who =
re pledged TO work in every legi-
innate way for appropriations for
ighway work in this county. 1t
therefore, would not seem out of place &
0 put squarely up to each -candi IS
ate for the legislature from Idaho &
ounty the question of what he pro
oses to do if elected, toward the 9
ompietion Of the North and South q
BAD, and guide ourselves accordingly. y