Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-10-10
THE FIGHT IS ON!

Public Service commissioners stating that the Northern
Pacific Railway company had p%etltioned the board for
an order authorizing the DISCONTINUANCE of pas
senger service on its branch line between Billings and
Red Lodge in the event that the railroads application,
also submitted to the board, to inaugurate a bus and
truck line between these two points is granted.
In justification for the issuance of such "A permit the
railroad gives the following reasons: 4 coordinating
highway service with Northern Pacific rail service and
(2) to give store-door delivery of property. Its passen-
ger service under this proposed arrangement, it is set
forth, would consist of busses leaving daily from Bill
ings at $3.50 a. m, arriving at Red Lodge at 1880 a. m.
and, on the return trip, leaving Red Lodge at ) p. NJ.
and arriving at Billings at 5 p. m. It's freight service
would leave Billings at 4:45 a. m, arrive at Red Lodge
at 1880 a. m, and, on the return trip, leave Red Lodge
at a. m, and arrive at Billings at 1905 a. m.
The board has selected Billings as the place where
this public hearing should be held and set the date for
October Is at 10 a. m. at the courthouse there.
1t seems logical both for the board and the railroad
to hold such a public hearing at Billings, especially
since the issues involved are so vitality important to the
people OF Red Lodge. The railroad is well aware from
past experiences as to the kind of reception their pro-
posals to discontinue this city's daily train service have
met with here, and the railroad commissioners, for
reasons known only to themselves but easy to deduce,
agree with the railroad that the issues at stake are more
important to the city of Billings than they are to Red
Lodge.
But the citizens of Red Lodge are not the "easy
marks that the high moguls of railroad officaldom
and commissionerships make them out to be. Five min
utes after word was received here that the Northern
Pacific had openly made a move to gain their ends,
machinery had been set in motion to oppose such action
to the fullest as it concerns holding such q hearing III
Billings,a it concerns granting the railroad permission
to operate busses between this point and Billings and as
it concerns granting them permission to discontinue
the local train service. Every civic-minded citizen IN
this community is out to oppose the railroads. action.
A recent news dispatch gave indication that rail
roads are instigating such actions all through the state.
The Northern Pacific has applied for truck and bus
permits between other Montana cities, while the Great
Northern railway has requested bus and truck permits
for operation between a number OF northern Montana
points.
1t is high time that the citizens of Montana rise up in
their wrath against this outlandish abuse of the public
highways. Montana's arterial systems have been
built and are being built by money from the pockets OF
her motoring public.
Now, it is plainly indicated, the large corporate pow
ers-the railroads and motor transportation ciques-
are jumping at the chance to utilize them for their pur-
poses, without footing the bill and with no c%onsidera-
ton whatsoever for the real owners OF the highways.
Because of these large numbers of buses and trucks,
it has now reached the point where it is not safe to
drive upon our public highways. Pick up your paper
almost any day and note the many times these self.
same trucks and busses jeopardize the life and limb of
this states private automobile owners. Glance at
Mohtana's death list through highway mishaps. 1t
has now reached 131 lives lost, and it gives every indi-
cation Of setting an all-time figure for any single year.
Many of these can be laid at the doors of the truck and
bus operators.
1IOWONcl Z 10 a lCuICuy III tndO IL bChOONS tS
electors of the state in the coming election to ascertain
the views of the two who are seeking a place on the
board of railroad and public service commissioners and
if one Of them agrees to oppose the granting of truck
and bus lines to the railroads, that man should be up
held regardless Of POLITICAL affiliations. And if both
men commit themselves to a policy in opposition to
granting bus and truck lines to railroads, then the
court should be resorted to to enjoin the present public
service commission from granting any more licenses
until an election can be held. If this is not a remedy, a
campaign should be started to elect a Legislature that
will ABOLISH the public service commission.
AS far as the line between Billings and Red Lodge is
concerned, the citizens of this city are ready to fight to
the last ditch the granting of any permit to the railroad
to operate busses and trucks between these two points.
Back of it all is the purpose of taking off the present
daily train service, and, as bad as that service is, Red
Lodges citizens are for maintaining it. This was indi-
Gated only last May when officials of the Northern
Pacific appeared before a special meeting of the local
business and professional mems club to discuss the pro-
posed change. The local club members went on record
as unanimously opposed to such a transformation of
this city's transportation facilities. They appointed a
committee of three to grid for the fight. N THE