The Redwood gazette., 1936-04-16
to
Keep Present
Trains, Claim
CONSIDERS NORWOOD TO
HANLEY FALLS LINE
OF LITTLE VALUE
BUYERS PLAN TO DROP
MINNEAPOLIS TO
NORWOOD LINE

Assurance was given at the IN
terstate commerce commission
hearing in Minneapolis this week
that service identical with that
now afforded by the M and st. L
from Norwood through Redwood
and Renville counties to Hanley
Falls will be maintained if the
dismemberment plan under con-
sideration is accepted and the line
becomes a branch of the Mil
waukee road.
C. S. Christoffer, general super
intendent of northwest lines of the
Milwaukee, assured the commits
sion that daily way freight serv-
ice would be maintained each way
to and from Minneapolis except
Sunday. Trains between Norwood
and Minneapolis through Hopkins
and Excelsior would be abandoned,
however, as the Milwaukee main
line parallels this trackage.
Under the plan under scrutiny
by the commission, the Milwaukee
would acquire 429 miles of road
of which only 168 miles from Ma
son City to Abba in Iowa is re-
garded as valuable, Mr.. Christoff-
er testified. No real value from
the standpoint of operating profit
is placed on the remaining 261
miles of road including the Nor
wood-Hanley Falls section of "a
miles which, he said, the Milwau-
kee is offering to buy only because
no other road wants it and be-
cause it fits into the Milwaukee
system better than any other. He
added that he thought his road
could make a little money on it."
Sees Advantages
The Milwaukee's contribution to
the purchase price Of the M and
st. L system is 81 1864, 900 of which
$964,0e0 is for terminal interests.
9hriss tffer added under cross ex-
animation that "as many of the
NJ and St. L employees as possi-
BILE will be retained"
E. w. Soergel, assistant freight
traffic manager Of the road, testi-
fed that towns along the line will
still be directly connected with
their important markets and be-
cause Of the size of the Milwau-
kee, would have a one-line haul
over far greater distances.
The hearing will be moved to
Fort Dodge, Iowa, April 20 and to
Aberdeen, South Dakota, April "a
with possibility Of return to
Minneapolis April q. The oppo-
sitiOn will not get its innings
much before the hearings are NOV
ed to Fort Dodge.
Predict Failure
The railroads which seek to buy
the M and st. L attempted in last
weeks sessions to prove to the
ICC that
The M and st. L is doomed to
serious retrenchment programs, if
not total failure, under unit oper-
alton.
Purchasing carriers could give
better service than is possible if
the road continues as at present.
The purchasers would realize a
profit from the sections of track
age acquired.
Every attempt would be made to
retain as many as possible of the
NJ and st. l. employees in jobs on
the lines purchased.
Through crossexamination Of
railroad witnesses the opponents
of the plan, gathered under the
banner of the M and st. L execu-
tive defense committee which is CO.
ordinating all opposition activity,
attempts have been made to show
The purchasers had no very de-
finite plan for absorbing M and st.
L workers and that no large num-
ber of them would obtain jobs
from the purchasing lines.
Most of the purchasing lines al
ready are heavily in debt and in
no financial position to acquire
and operate more trackage.
Services would be curtailed and
rates increased because the pres
ent through-traffc would not be
enjoyed.
In addition to more than 500
miles Of abandonment scheduled
under the plan, other sections of
trackage would be dropped in the
event they were found unprofit-
able.
The case at present is being
confined to the question of serving
public convenience and necessity
through the acquisition Of the M
and st. L by the Great Northern,
Milwaukee, Rock Island, North
Western, Burlington, 500 and Illi-
nois Central lines. Should the
lCC rule that the acquisition is in
the best interests of the public, a
new series Of hearings will start
on the proposed abandonments.