The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-17
FREIGHT RATES
BASED SOME ON
n. D. WEATHER
Extreme Cold Makes Railroad
Operation Expensive, Wit
ness Toslifies

Weather conditions which carriers
contend make operation Of North Da-
kota railroads difficult in the winter
months attracted chief attention rat
the state railroad boards investiea-
tion of intrastate freight rates here
today.
E. J. Hackenberg, superinte ndent of
the Fargo division Of the Northern
Pacific railroad, testified that cx-
treme could weather often encounter
ed in North Dakota makes operation
Of railroads difficult and expensive.
Trouble has been encountered this
winter with trains running late,
equipment freezing up, and other de-
tails, he said. He explained that it
has often been necessary to reduce
the tonnage pulled by an engine in
order to maintain time schedules.
No Worse Than Other States
On cross examination he admitted
that weather conditions in North Da-
kota are no worse than those encoun-
tered in Minnesota, Montana and 9TH
er northwestern states. Hackenberg
was still on the stand at noon.
r. F. Rice, assistant general freight
agent for the 500 Line, contended
that North Dakota intrastate rates
already are too low and that to COM
pare them with rates in Iowa and
Illinois, where the population is
greater and traffic density heavier, is
unfair.
Members of the railroad board hope
to complete the hearing late this
evening but decision on the ques-
tions involved will be delayed for
several months.
Railroads Offer Testimony
Rebuttal testimony opposing reduc
tion in North Dakota intrastate
freight rates proposed by shippers
was offered by railroads yesterday.
L. L. Larue, general livestock
agent for the Great Northern rail-
road. opposed proposed request fer
lower rates on hogs shipped in
double-decked cars, contending that
the movement of hogs is not suffi-
ciently heavy and that the average
hog shipped from North Dakota is
too heavy to be shipped in double
decked cars. 1t would cost the rail
roads $4,000 to equip the 2b3 stock
yards in the state with equipment
for loading hogs into double-decked
cars, he said.
s.. D. 0elucJH0us aSSlSt0uL gencr0I
freight agent for the Great North
ern, presented exhibits showing the
cOmpany's earnings in 1925 were 5.22
per cent on its investment but said
it hoped to do better in 1928:
Traffic Density Light
Other exhibits were presented
showing that the traffic density in
North Dakota is relatively light, de-
manding higher rate, and that the
financial condition OF the carrier is
such that they cannot afford to take
q cut.
Other features, he said, are that
North Dakota weather conditions arc
such. that IL costs more to operate
trains here than elsewhere on the
Great Northern system and also
costs more for fuel since its engines
cannot burn native North Dakota, lig-
mite coal to advantage.
Exhibits presented by shippers
showing rates in other states are
lower than the North Dakota intra-
state scale were attacked by Beidel-
man who offered other rate compare
sons which, he said, give a better
comparison when sll conditions are
considered. II . uniform scale Of
rates 10 to BE- adopted for the entire
state It must be higher than is justi.
fled by conditions in some sections
to make up losses which would be in.
curred in the less densely settled
district west Of the 4issouli river.