The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-03-28
ON This
|: Occasion
Just few thoughts by the Editor
on things Material and Immaterial.

That fellow, johnson, at Virginia
has the right bunch in his letter to
the editor in another place in this
paper. The Railroad VS.. Truck sub
ject not only applies to Duluth but to
every city in the country served by a
railroad. Even here in Ely served by
the Duluth g. Iron Range, the same
conclusions apply Here, the men en-
ployed lirectly by the road will affect
about sixty families and indirectly
hundred more when dray lines and
delivery men employed by individual
stores are taken into account. Ely is
no different from other towns. Throw
60 families out of chance to make
a living in Ely and the unemployed
sitution is increased with just that
number. The twice a month payroll
of these men will be lost and it is a
forgone conclusion that should all
shipments be made by truck instead
of by freight or express, a layof OF
railroad employees must follow.
&%nn
The service given by the railroad in
this city is second to none anywhere
and has service by truck backed clear
off the boards Some who get their
that they get heir goods cheaper as
delivery is made to their door and they
are not compelled to get a dray or
send their delivery men to the depot
for shipments. We fail to find case
where this course is compensated for.
The way-bill calls for freight charges
and delivery charges are included.
The only thing that is being accom-
Il; ri, &c of local
ployees and dray lines, the money is
leaving town to enrich some outside
concern.
Railroads run on their own tracks,
built by themselves. Trucks run on
roads built by the taxpayers money.
Roads that were built to accommodate
the taxpayer and his private car, are
being utilized to run this same tax
payer out of job and endanger to a
large extent the method of travel for
himself and family. Private cars
sometimes have hard time of it get
ting over the roads crowded with
heavy trucks. The Miller Trunk is a
fair example of the fallacy of allowing
private freight lines to run over roads
built by tax money. And, we are told,
that No. between Duluth and Mime
apolis is considerable of menace to
smaller cars by reason of the number
of heavy freight carrying trucks usu-
ally attached to a number Of I'M
wieldy trailers. These roads are paved
On unpaved roads the danger is still
more apparent besides the upkeep
charges are greatly increased by the
heavy trucks.
Some 46 years ago, the D. & I. r.
built a road from Two HarborS to
Tower to haul iron ore. Private par
ties furnished the money for this
venture. With the advent of the rail-
road, the country was opened up and
civilization followed. Since that time
the road has been furnishing service
not excelled anywhere in the freight
line and for many years furnished the
finest kind of passenger service. With
civilization and the advent of the auto
mobile came a demand for highways.
These were also built and the prop
erty owners were taxed for their con-
struction. At the present time, the
auto license and the gas tax are used
for this purpose and the taxpayer Is
saved the cost of trunk lines although
still donating for feeder roads. Be
this as it may the fact still remains
that the railroad built and maintained
its own line while property owners
built the trunk lines upon which truck
freighting service is being done in
competition with the railroads and the
labor employed by them. One man
operates q truck with no terminal
labor. Five men are required for a
train crew besides the yard and ter
minal men.