The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-03-07
|REMOVALISTS using
| DATA ON WHEAT IN
| DRIVE FOR CAPITAL
Statements Made BY Them Ap.
ply to Transit of Grain
But Not Persons
OLD FILE IS REsURRECTED
Was Prepared in Fight For
State Mill.Eievator But
Not Capital
by Tribune Staff Mani

Jamestown, N. D., March What
Jamestown presents as facts relating
to the transportation Of human be-
ings really are facts relating to the
transit of wheat, 1t developed here
today.
The story is a peculiar one. It goes
back to both the genesis Of the effort
to move the state capital from Bis
marck to jamestown and even to
years before that. It was obtained
by this correspondent from James
town men whose names had better be
left unsaid. The feeling generated by
this issue in jamestown is bad
enough as 1t Is. One thing is def
nitely proved, however. That is the
fact that the wish to move the cap.
ital to jamestown was father to the
claims which have been presented as
to why it should be moved.
Having decided to launch the move
ment to seize the capital, and having
assumed that Jamestown was nearer
to the center Of population than Bis
rnarck, the capital removalists started
out to obtain evidence to bolster their
idea. One of the first men they ap-
pealed to was a Jamestown leader
who since has taken a definite stand
against removal. They wanted his
assistance in getting the help Of the
one jamestown man who had the
ability to assist in the effort. This
man Is former traffic expert now
engaged in another business which
takes him away from this city much
cf the time. s-.@-
This effort failed. The man had no
time to give to movement which he
considered both ,1onsensical and un-
fair and he said 50. pointedly.
But the removaliSts were resource
full. They browsed around In the files
of the Midland Continents! railroad
office and finally came upon q docu-
ment which. was prepared in 1918 by
the very man who had refused his as
sistance to the removal movement.
It had to do with the transit Of
wheat from all parts Of the state to
jamestown and was prepared in con-
nection with q bid by Jamestown for
the state mill and elevator, Subse-
quently located at Grand Forks.
It had little or nothing to do with
transportation Of persons, but it would
do. The capital removalists used 1t
and this was the source Of the pecu-
liar data which they have since ad-
yanced to show that It Is easier for
persons to reach jamestown than Bis
marck.
In all cases, because wheat needs
no care In shipment and need not be
fed or find beds, the shortest possible
rail connections then existing were
used in the computation. Branch
lines which have one train each way
daily, or less. we're given the same
prominence as main lines with sew
eral fast trains.
This is the reason the capital re-
movalists have made no answer to
Bismarck's showing that the cost OF
transportation, on the basis suggested
by jamestown. would be heavily In
creased by charges for hotel room and
meals, to say nothing Of as much as
two days spent in travel. That Is why
jamestown since has changed It's
story from the nearness Of jamestown
by rail to one of alleged savings to be
made in transportation costs.
The removalists felt in their bones
that, sooner or later, someone would
take the trouble to investigate their
data and that, when they did, the
truth would come out.