The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1920-04-15
.-ow MOVE FOR NORTH
AND SOUTH RAILWAY.
s.,.e Utilities Commission Asks
~ Mile Connecting Link Be-
tween camas Prairie and
p. & I. N. Lines.

po;se. April 10.-A complaint
.o1;no p1 that the three railroad
aomnauies asnna interested in the Cama'
p,a;rie fVa; line between Lewiston
and &c MGrangeville be ordered t
make all a 90-mile extension from
Fenn, IaanI in Idaho county, to New
Meadows. in Adams county, to
annnect ~ with the P. & |. NJ,
thereby giving Idaho a north and
so,,th s railroad, the dream of her
citizens for years was forwarded
- The interstate commerce COM
m;ssion ~ this afternoon by the pub
lie utilities commission.
Only recently, under the trans
nortafion act Of March l, turning
hack the railroads to the private
owners, was the interstate COM
morce commission given authority
over m such matters, and this is be-
lieved to be the first action un-
dertaken under the new provis-
ion. The proposed extension
would be 81 miles in length, and
the greatest engineering demands
would be two per cent grades be-
tween Rocky canyon and Fem,
and between Falls and Keska
ranch, according to a map filed
with the complaint.
According to Attorney Gener-
al Roy L. Black and Assistant At
torney General Raymond L. Civ
ems, who prepared the complaint,
the estimated cost Of the road
would be $4,000 per mile at most.
or approximately 100000.
This official report Of the pub
lie utilities commission in 1915,
covering an investigation made at
the direction of Gov. M. Alexan-
der,was attached by the states at
torneys to the complaint as an ex-
hibit. At that time there was no
way by which official action could
be taken to compel the building OF
the extension. Among the great
things which the public utilities
commission, in it's complaint and
by deduction, contends the exten-
sion would bring about for the
benefit of north and south Idaho,
are the following:
Create railroad competition in
southwest Idaho between the Ore
gon Short Line and the Northern
Pacific.
Decrease the railroad distance
between north and south Idaho by
one-fourth.
Cut off 1000 miles Of the pres
ent distance to the Great Lakes
and ocean transportation ON the
Atlantic.
Reduce the distance between
Idaho and the great markets OF
of the Orient, by decreasing the
railroad distance to the port OF
Seattle.
Bring to south Idaho's doors
the rich timber resources Of the
north and central Idaho sections
and open to them the great agrl-
cultural resources of south Idaho.
Cut in half the present travel
ing time Of 25 hours between Spo-
kane and Boise.
Reduce the railroad distance be-
tween Lewiston and Boise by 610l
miles, or from 953.7 to 1857 miles.
Greatly reduce the Pullman and
freight rates to all outlets, there
by removing the present "unreas-
enable, excessive and discrimina-
tory burden" from the people of
Idaho.
Change P. & I. N. and Camas
Prair3e railroads from '1stubs
TO through lines, with the con-
sequent increase in tonnage and
industry.
Facilitate the administration of
Ihe state government by bringing
the now divided "north and
south" sections together.
Increase the advantages of car
Fylng on the livestock industry in
Ihe favored grazing regions OF
central Idaho, now held back by |
their isolation.
The Camas Prairie Railroad
company is only a nominal operat-
ing. company. Its line from Ri
y para to Lewiston is owned by the
Nv. R. & N. company, and from
Lewiston to Grangeville by the
Northern Pacific Railway Com
oany.
FOR this reason all three COM
9anles are made defendants in the |
A table of distances
'ha a1a grades accompanied the COM