The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1952-04-17


Commission gave an unanimous
ruling late this Thursday after
noon which orders the Illinois
Central System to make the city
of Durant a conditional stop for
the taking on and discharging of
revenue passengers on the Pana-
ma Limited, crack streamliner
operating between Chicago and
New Orleans.
Attorneys for the &c indicated
an appeal of the ruling would
be made to the courts - in which
case the matter will be tried at
the next regular term of Circuit
Court in Kinds county.
All members of the Public
Service Commission were pres
ent at the special hearing on the
case held in Durant's City Hall
beginning at 900 am. today
and continuing until about 400
pm. These were: Chairman
Alton Massey of Kosciusko, re-
preventative of the Central dis
trict, Hon. Howard Little of
Corinth, of the Northern district,
and the Hon. Ike Sanford, of Col
Inns, representative of the Sou
thern district. Chairman Mas
sey presided at the proceedings.
Assistant Attorney General
Jimmy Kindall handled the mat
ter for the state assisted by the
Hon. Clarence Morgan, Koscius-
ko attorney.
Counsel for the railroads con-
sisted of j. L. Byrd and S. w.
Wise, both of Jackson, and John
w. Foster of Chicago.
Numerous Witnesses
Numerous witnesses were CAL
led to testify as to the need for
the Panama stop at Durant.
These witnesses were, in or
der of their appearance, Harvey
Simmons, oil mill operator of
Kosciusko; Herman Flowers.
merchant, Joe Berman, broker,
Mayor Allie S. Povall, and o. L.
Ellison, merchant, all of Lex
ington; Leroy Paris. wholesale
grocer of Durant and Lexington;
Mayor r. E. McNeer and Marcus
Love, manufacturer, both of Du-
rant.
Also testifying for the state
were Charlie Graham, Ethel
lumberman, and the following
from Kosciusko: Reggie Smith
son of the Attala Mills, z. o.
Graham, dairy manufacturer,
Dwayne A. Shields, assistant
general manager of the Path
finder Coach Division, Ben
Weiner, merchant, and Hugh
Potts, automobile dealer.
Two Witnesses
The railroad attorneys put
onlv two witnesses on the stand
during the hearing. These were
S. F. Lynch. Memphis, general
manager of the southern lines
for the &c System, and E. J.
Meade, &c general passenger
agent, also of Memphis.
Other railroad officials at
tending the hearing included
Mr.. Ellzey, trainmaster at Gre
NADIA, George Pickle, passenger
agent at Jackson, and Vernon
Johnston, executive general agent
also of Jackson
Citation Amended
During the proceedings the CT
tation was changed to ask that
the railroad make Durant con-
ditional stop for interstate traf-
fic rather than a regular stop
as first directed. Attorneys for
the Railroad said they neither
or objected to the
amendment.
Service Needed
Testimony of the various wit
nesses set forth the case of the
state based upon the need for
the additional service which the
stop of the Panama at Durant
would provide.
The several witnesses testified
as to how many time> per year
they used the facilities of the &c
and how much more they would
use the Panama Limited should
this additional service be made
avail able at Durant.
This testimony revealed the |
extent of the growth of business
in central Mississippi during the !
past year, particularly the grow
4 of industry in Kosciusko.
OF particular interest was the
testimony of Mr.. Shields of the
Pathfinder plant in Kosciusko.
Mr.. Shields testified that Path |
finder now employs about 800 |
people in its Kosciusko plant and |
VIII ultimately employ from 400 +,
to $50. This plant is part of a % |
million dollar concern, with prin-
cipal offices in Lima, Ohio, which
means that frequent trips have
to be made between the Koscius-
ko firm and the home office, Mr.