The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1932-06-03

opcidtlHS SedSOH anu lHelT pOWe
costs them less by reason of thej
being closer to the source of ga,
ollne. In fact the N. e. .Montan
farmer is paying the highest pric
o petroleum products that is be
? ing paid in any farming section O
t the United States.
At this point representatives O
the railroads i~nterposed an oh
lection to the implication that rate,
are governed by the needs of thu
farmer. This objection was owe,
ruled and it was brought out tina
petroleum products form farm
power, just as coal is the indust
r1alists' power, and if it is desirable
to have a cheap rate on coal be
cause it is used in manufacturing
so should it be desirable to have a
cheap rate IN petroleum products
In northeastern Montana the har
vesting operation is conducted al.
most entirely by combines, and
it is necessary to use gas or dis.
tillate in operating a combine. In
the production of wheat, Prof.
Starch said, the cost of petroleum
products is approximately twice
that of labor, the exact ratio being
$3.50 for fuel and 1870 for labor.
Agriculture is a fundamental in
dustry of northeastern Montana.
In an average year a $40 acre farm
in northeastern Montana would
produce on summer fallowed ground
an average of 20 bushels to the
acre. Under o examination,
Prof. Starch stated that the horse
population in Montana was less
than it was ten years ago, but said
that the Montana farmers were
more efficient than they were ten
years ago.
Asked Friendly Adjustment
L. c. Lindemann, of Minot, sec
retary-treasurer of the Westland
Oil company since 1919 when the
company was established, said that
in 1929 and 1880 he was a member
of the association of commerce of
Minot, and that then he asked rep
resentatives of the Great Northern
and 500 lines to discuss informally
the rate situation. That a Mr.. Beid-
Gilman of the Great Northern and
a Mr.. Newman of the 500 held a
conference at Minot but stated that
they could do nothing until rates
we're fixed. AS far as rates from
Minot to Montana points were con-
cerned, these were subject to adj
justment, and the promise was
made that they would be adjusted
within 60 days, but up to the pres
ent time no adjustment has re
suited.
Neal e. Williams of Fargo, com
missioner of the chamber of COM
merce of Fargo, was on the stand
1
for a long time, and went extern
sively into the matter of various
in effect North Dakota and
into Montana. He introduced a
large number of exhibits including
graphs showing the elevation at
various points on the Great North
ern in the territory under discus
sion, graphs showing the elevation
railroads to the south, including
the Union Pacific, the Santa Fe
and B. and r. o. roads, a rate
study comparing Minot to Montana
rates with rates in effect on other
divisions and other roads, tables
showing car mile earnings, cost
Of production, etc. These he dis
cussed in detail.
He said that at the present time
the interstate rates are slightly
than the intrastate rates.
This was because at a time when
there was a rate change, the rates
from North Dakota to Montana
increased 1918 per cent while
he rates west Of the Montana Dor
Ter were increased only 20 per
cent. The North Dakota intrastate
were established by the North
Dakota state railroad commission,
effective June II, 1880.
Lines Should Be Changed
Mr.. Williams called attention to
he western boundary of zone 3
md said that eastern Montana
ihould be accorded the same rates
sub-zone 8, and instead OF hav-
ng the western boundary of the
one the present one, he suggest
ID that it should run approximate
Y along the 107th meridian, veering
westward to take in Malta and
Iogeland. He pointed out that the
fontana division of the Great
Northern from Williston to Havre
ad an easy grade and showed that
he cost of transportation was less
han on some other divisions OF the
anne road, and less than CORES
onding stretches OF road on other
mes.
Railroad Men Talk
w. d. O'Brien of St. Paul, assist
general freight agent OF the