The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-05-11
COLLINS TESTIFIES IN
R.R. RATE INVESTIGATION
Rate Hearing Warns Dennis of Coming Attack
State Body Via The Initiative ROute-ints War on
State Railroad Commission.

N Sheridan county have |
Farns5i' the opinion that unless the !
expressed, .,oJ .lv commission is vested |
state Id Lo''I nower to fix valuations for
win ,afi6g ..I purposes it would be
t,r f. abolish the COMMISSION as
better ..oIoss y according to Oscar }. /
BENG of PIentvwood, testifying Mon
Col--s -,rning N at the hearing before the
da! -o-ii :.-ion on the complaint OF At
comm General w. D. Rankin that
t.,g, .:-i+ rates charged in Montana are
tIelsL' Inc with the rates charged IN
ol. .,,Jino VI states. In this cOnnec-
slILOo.',',,. .la wi+ness Collins said he be-
lOn r-o measure would in the near
.s.eg ., h. initiated, anyway, Tor the
lr,-ro --no.e Of abolishing the COMMISSION
DENNIS IS DISTURBED
ru1,r do YOU make the statement
.... VIZ abroad commission has done
u.. .s;rgqn NO. asserted Lee Dennis, char
a- ly..I,f of the commission, following the
a..i .a..imonv Of Mr. Collinb
"i,EJ ~ EJ not make such a statement,
Odd Mr.. Collins, "I said that un-
l'sF4 .5o commission has power to tlX
70 .5., tbo DaoDle would be better oil
!. obolisb the commission, and l THINK
4" .oos,,ra @go'.r will be initiated for that
..Dasan d rIg he continued. 81 am here
dynrees the sentiment of my com
.su0tt,,. Z 0;T 7 have no personal complaint
..o;rst the commission as to WhateV-
~ The commission may have been able
g. accomDlisb in the way of obtaining
t,+tor earvice on certain branch lines
Van are getting me wrong boy, as to
NV nnrnose as a witness here" he
sad directing his remarks directly to
the chairman.
CITES COMMISSIONS RECORD
Chairman Dennis then enumerated
number of freight rate reductions
bp state commission had obtained, de-
nrts that had been ordered opened,
and also Improvements made in the
eOuiDment and running time of trains.
'Maybe you are a little thin skinned
bbe public official; you want to get
more skin on your back" was Collins
reply when Dennis had finished.
Witness Collins said he had farmed
for Is years in the PlentywOod coun-
hy had been sheriff of Sheridan coun-
ty the last two years, and previously
had Is years experience in railroad
ing, as a brakeman, conductor and
yardmaster.
"If the board con get lower grain
rates, they will be entitled to the
thanks Of every person in the state, .
volunteered the witness.
did the people Of your community
ever make a complaint to the railroad
labor board that didn't get attention :?
Chairman Dennis continued question
ing.
4 don't know Of any such instance,
replied the witness who followed his
answer with the statement that the
board should not be too thin skinned
MUCH WHEAT ON BRANCH
He testified to the effect that a few
years ago the freight rate on a bushe
Of Wheat off the Bainville-Scobey
branch to Duluth was 13 cents. but
mat now it was 19 or 20 cents. He
&So sand that this year that branch o.
le Great Northern viii ship abou
oWJg0O bushels of wheat. and will
me freight rate 20 cents instead of 1:
-e.ght on the crop Of wheat shipped
q that branch this wear viii total APP
goX.mately $500 600, which will b,
so.'OVV more than in FORMER years
Vu'e an extra burden. i'm his opinion
o"s.aeHng the present price of Wnea
agricultural conditions on the Mon
@'a SIDE, he continued, are about tn
zane as ON the Dakota side, and tn
-a.aJ rates should be the same, n
W-Sidefed. He said he realized ther
.S mountain rate on the MOntan
@oe' oQt eastern Montana. he sal
". s q level country and he did no
I5( .-eNe the farmers in that sectiol
-o0o pc penalized Cor the mountain
@ SecQon through which trains ar
-a1e4 I'M the western part of tn
-5 lie was not adverse to the rail
oS receiving a fair return on thei
1S'Ment, but believed the farmer
.Ie entitled to the same cOnsiders
o., @g., Many Of the farmers have bee
v~Ipe.led to leave the country, and h
~s Ol the opinion that freight rate
g Vy.. one OF the contributing cause.
l'AeSS Collins was uuestione
SoSsly by the railroad attorneys O
evss examination. Ghe matter q
vl;.t llsyefed stock was discussed,
y |D.l connection the witness said ths
,al"a}ys believed there was som
Ho 1.sIea stock, and imagined ths
g consumer paws.
e,a;.s, e railroad attorneys insisted tn
~ fF.'al!Lauon of a railroad. its amour
syn;snI1al S4pl1al stock or bonds had n
"a, il.lcanee me- as applied to freight rate
yev ~le reason that rates are f,xe,
Sysd II'a1e, on the actual valuatio
M 6C 10y oy the I. c. c. on the basis {
sVT1I1uSl sV1Ia3l amount Of capital investe,
nnnether stock is waterad oy n,
49, gsA I enter into the matter of fv;n
he Cue oeecIIared Attorney Hagman I
NIeat Northern. '''''-'
AITORNEYS CLASH
Hapn,Caaney General Rankin and M
tonev- clashed as to whether the q
ysluss. general knew that a .r,e recel :
somraaeh put out bv fha ;n+arsto .,
OF pernsn.eso. eo.mmllssioR was tentati,
said the tbsnent The railroad attorn,
1e valuation was pure