The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-09-06
Figures Show Losses.

Figures Show Losses.
When Mr. Gibson opened the hear
ing in the district court room, the rail-
road company was represented by E.
j. Canon. of Spokane attorney for the
Northern Pacific: J. E. Craver, general
superintendent of the central district
with headquarters at Livingston; +. r.
Bartles, superintendent of the Rocky
Mountain division with headquarters
at Missoula, and j. G. Sanders, general
agent of the company at Wallace c.
e Arney, of the immigration and tax
departments of the company. was also
present but took no active part in the
proceedings. The hearing so far as the
Northern Pacific was concerned was
conducted by Mr. Cannon, who first
called Mr.. Bartles. Mr. Bartles identi-
fed various exhibits submitted as evil
dence showing the train schedules be
tween Wallace and Burke. Wallace and
Larson and tabulation showing the
operating costs and receipts In general
the exhibits showed total annual earn
ings. based upon receipts during the
first week of each month from Deem
her l, 1922, to August 1923, were
SS694.4O. Against this the station and
operating expenses were given at S34,-
Q022l, showing a net annual loss Of
s25.3O7S4 Herman J. Rossi asked Mr..
Bartles if it would be feasible to oper-
ate gasoline car at greatly reduced
cost, to which Mr.. Bartles replied that
it would be impractical on account of |
the heavy grade, the snow and absence I
of turning facilities at Burke
J. G. Sanders told Of local conditions |
which operated against profitable pas
senger traffic, and how the people per- /
sisted in patronizing jitneys in spite of I
the fact that fare is double that charged /
by the railroad company.
Mr.. Craver discussed the earnings /
and costs of operating the trains and .
gave it as his opinion that the service /
could not be mentioned on a profitable /
basis. Mr.. Rossi asked him if the com
pany would consider leasing it's tracks
to a responsible company to operate
gasoline car, its schedule arranged
to prevent interference with freight
traffic and with the railroad company
free from all liability. To this Mr..
Craver replied that he would not favor
such a plan. and that such an enter
prise would find the road preferable to
the tracks He also said that if the
railroad could find it practical to oper-
ate gasoline cars in all other respects
the cost would be practically the same
as the railroad brotherhoods would re-
quire the usual train crew.
Both N. P. and o. w. r. & N.
On behalf of the people of Wallace
and the canyon, A. J. Dunn stated that
there should be a morning and after
noon train service between Wallace and
Burke; that it probably could not be
made to pay, but that the people were
entitled to the service and that the O.
w. r. & n company should be re-
quired to share the service with the
Northern Pacific While these thains
are unproftabel, both companies derive
large profits through the freight traffic
and the loss is not a heavy burden for
them to carry He pointed out that
heavy snow during the long winter
months is liable to tie up jitney traffic
and the people should have the trains as
safeguard against such a contingency
Although the patronage Of the trains
is light. the fact remains that there
are a good many people in the can
-,r,,,,or ,tfbo dappnd ]