Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1920-09-17
STATE OFFICIALS
GATHER DATA
REPRESENTATIVES UTHI-
TIES COMMISSION HERE
WEDNESDAY, EVENING

Three representatives of the
pub Ii C utilities commission,
Leonard Way, rate expert, At
torney Raymond Givens and En-
gineer Gordon, arrived in the
city Wednesday evening from
Lewiston to have a conference
with farmers and business men
of Cottonwood and surrounding
country to obtain information
that will be used at a hearing be-
fore representative of the u. S.
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, which will be held in Boise,
November 10th, asking the in
terstate commerce commission
to order the Northern Pacific,
Camas Prairie, and Oregon
Washington Navigation Co. to
extend the Camas Prairie rail-
road from Fem, Idaho to con-
meet with the Pacific & Idaho
Northern Railroad at New Mea-
dows, Idaho.
The representatives of the
utilities commission met with a
number of business men in Cot
tonwood Wednesday evening and
Mr.. Givens stated the purpose of
their visit. He said that in or
der to force the building of the
road the state had to prove three
things: First, that the public
convenience demanded the exten-
sion; Second, that sufficient ton
mage was available to support
the road and third that the ex-
pense Of building the extension
will not in any way impair the
railroads ability to perform its
duty on other lines.
Mr.. GivenS also said that there
were three routes to select from
and that the route from New
Meadows to Fem was selected
because it was the shortest and
most feasible one and also be-
cause it opens up a vast terri
tory, which at this time has in
adequate transportation facili-
ties. That distance was one of
the main features in railroad
construction and that the pre-
sent route selected would place
the entire proposed road in the
state of Idaho and therefore be
under the jurisdiction of the
state.
Mr.. Way, the rate expert, ex-
planned how the rates would be
materially reduced, should the
line be built from all points in
the southwest.
The information sought by the
representatives of the commits
sion is for the exact tonnage
from this section and the pro-
able tonnage that might be ex-
pected should the line be extend
ed. The above information
will be given the commission as
soon as it can be obtained.
The action taken by the state
utilities commission in asking
for the building of the north and
south railroad is in accordance
with an amendment to the inter
state commerce act, known as
the transportation act of 1920,
effective March /, 1920, which
provides that the commission
may latter hearing, in a proceed
ing upon complaint, OF upon its
own initiative, without COM
plant, authorize or require by
order any carrier by railroad
subject to this act, party to such
proceeding, to provide itself with
safe and adequate facilities for
performing as comman carrier
its car service as that term is
used in this act, and to extend its
line or lines; provided that no
such authorization OF order shall
be made unless the commission
finds, as to such extension, that
it is reasonably required in the
interest of public convenience
and necessity. or as to such ex-
tension OF facilities that the ex-
pense involved will not impair
the ability of the carrier to per-
form its duty to the public"
Country Surprises Him
Mr.. Way was greatly sulpris-
ed at the fertility of the land on
Camas Prairie and that such a
prairie existed. He stated that
this was his first visit to this
section and that if the same i'm
preston can be made upon the