Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-12-22

On December 9TH, in the capacity
of private citizen, Senator Frank r,
Gooding appeared before the Inter
state Commerce Commission to tes-
tify in the case Of the dissolution of
the Central Pacific from the Southern
Pacific railroads, the Union Pacific
being the principal contender for the
dissolution. His statement. practic-
ally in full, follows:
1 have been a resident of Idaho
since the spring of 1881. During that
time, 1 have taken an active part in
the affairs of the state I have seen
Idaho grow rom thinly settled terri
tory into great commonwealth I
Yas twice elected Governor of Idaho.
and it was during my administrations
that many of the great irrigation pro-
jects were built that some day, hope,
will make Idaho one OF the greatest
agricultural states in the Union.
Through closed door policy. the
Union Pacific has closed the gateway
at Ogden, Denver. and to the North
at Butte. No other railroads are per-
mitted to participate in the freight
originating in the territory over which
the Oregon Short Line has monopoly
do not believe it will ever be possi-
BILE to give the people of Idaho the
proper railroad service when we are
forced to depend entirely upon one
road-the Union Pacific-with its long
haul, for when freight cars reach the
congested districts of the East and get
into, or beyond what is called the
neck of the bottle, I think even those
who are not railroad men realize that
there is some difficulty in getting cars
returned to the West, and with the
fixed policy of the Union Pacific never
to haul empty cars in any direction
when it is possible to avoid it, re-
gardless of the service they give TO
the people in these communities over
which they have a monopoly, it is
not hard to understand how the people
of my state have suffered from a lack
of proner transportation to carry their
products to market, which has done
much to retard the growth and de-
velopment of Idaho.
This year, it is estimated that there
will be something like 5000 cars of
potatoes rot in the ground owing to
car shortage. high freight rates and
low prices There has been a great
loss in fruit this year on account of
car shortage. I understand that in
some cases the fruit has been left un-
picked upon the trees and much has
been stored in warehouses that is
now waiting for cars to transport it
to market.
At times this year the grain ele-
vators in some parts of Idaho were
forced to suspend the buying of grain,
from the fact that the elevators were
overflowing and there We're no cars
to move the grain to market saw
wheat on the Camas Prairie. which
is served by the Oregon Short Line.
that had been piled up in the fields
for more than two months waiting
for cars. When ! left Idaho. on the
18th Of November. some Of the grain
was still in the fields waiting for
transportation.
Practically all Of the farm products
of Idaho for the past twenty years
have suffered more or less through
the utter failure Of the Oregon Short
Line 70 meet the needs Of the people
d that state BY furnishing proper
transportation 70 carry the farm and
range products 70 market
think "a can De said thar che a.
aancial condition ~ me people Of nay
state today is more serious than thaf
u ANY state in fhe Union This a.
aae 20 ths policy - ihe pnion Pacific
ana fhs Oregon shari lSne in noi fuf'
oishlne proper transportation a. move
.n0 clopf toFefhar Niih fhe efeesslYf
IrsIsm faiea NAi1n sle fhe h'ehefi
lnshf uiff mla hf aAF people a.
lHf a'aie |n ihe inlon Hhen iholf
s anything NlF HeN maleHfm r. +
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