The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-01-04
EMPLOYEES
HOMES IN WALLACE
RAILROADS COOPERATE
Great BENEFIT to the City--Now
is the Time for Business
Men to Get Action

DHE NEW year finds the question
of establishing rapid transit be-
tween Wallace and Burke and
its companion problem. homes
for canyon workers in Wallace. still
unsettled The board of trade period
ically takes up the matter, discusses
it with seeming interest and even en-
thusasm and refers it to commit
tee The report of the committee
dwels upon the many advantages to
be gained by carrying the project to a
successful conclusion, and very prop
erly points out some of the difficulties
TO be overcome, none of which seem
insurmountable If properly approach
ed. But so far as the board of trade
is concerned, it has advanced no fur
Their toward working out the problem
than receiving the report of the COM
mittee SO far as providing homes in
this city for married men employed
in the canyon is concerned, it is doubt
full if that could ever be handled di-
rectly by the board of trade. 1t Is
rather one that should be handled by
private enterprise. and it would be If
permanent and adequate transporta-
ton was provided to and from the
mines That is the thing to which the
business men of Wallace should earn
estly turn their attention, and when
ever it is once settled that the trains
will be provided. there will be a de-
mand for homes that will make the
~ 81 mo
and they will be forthcoming without
Intervention of the board of trade.
Get the Train Service.
1t is hardly to be expected that the
railroad companies operating between
Wallace and Burke will voluntarily
establish and maintain a train service
that will accommodate employees of
the mines living in Wallace; on the
other hand. it is hardly to be expected
that they would refuse to provide such
service if requested to do so by the
organized business men of Wallace,
supported by the mining companies
operating in the canyon. This is a
matter Of such far reaching import
ance to the prosperity of this city that
the business men through the board of
trade should take it up now with a
firm determination to secure this great
advantage. No other matter has ever
come before the board of trade COM
parable with it in its direct and last
ing benefits. AS q matter of fact, the
proposition is not as difficult as it
seems on the face of it, Here are two
railroads with tracks between Wallace
and Burke. The only passenger SER
vice now is maintained by the North
ern Pacific, which sustains a loss OF
several hundred dollars a month in
doing so. Evidently if trains were run
at more frequent intervals throughout
period corresponding to two S-hour
shifts. beginning in the morning and
ending at II midnight the schedule
arranged to accommodate men going
on and coming off shift, would induce
married men employed in the canyon
to live in Wallace and thereby greatly
increase the passenger BUSINESS of the
railroads. Such a service could &c
maintained by the two railroads. each
operating eight hours, and the loss
from the start would be less than the
Northern Pacific is sustaining now,
with reasonable expectation that the
business would increase until both
companies would at least break even
and probably show a profit.
Employees Now Living in Wallace.
It is estimated that 40 or so men are
now living in Wallace who are en-
ployed in the mines of the canyon
most of whom go to and from their
work in jitneys, paying SIS per month
for transportation. The railroad COM
panies could meet the jitney COMPETE
ton by making a Communication rate
that would get the business, in view
of the greater comfort they would pro-
vide passengers and their dependable
ity in running on schedule time. This
is the service that the board of trade
carrying a loss in maintaining the
present inadequate service. Insist up
on the other company coming in and
giving a service that meets the re-
quirements. sharing the loss If need
be, but which in all probability will
there should be a continuous loss, the
profits derived from Wallace and the
canyon by the railroad companies in
freight traffic would amply compensate
them for the shortage.
Within a year. possibly In less time.