The Sidney herald., 1955-08-11
By Ernest Tmmel
BY Ernest IrnrneI

L1SIeud - Once again MOntan
IS confronted with a shortage o
railroad car to handle the grail
crop. In Washington, Montana
senators, James E. Murray an,
Mike Mansfield, persuaded a sen
ate commerce subcommittee II
investigate the situation. Senator
Murray told the subcommittee
that despite high net income o.
class railroads, the number Of
boxcars retired is greater than
the number replacing them.
The grain a shortage in Mon
tana this season will probably be
the worst in several years, Sena-
tor Mansfield said, on the basis
of reports from Montana eleva-
tor operators.
Meanwhile the Montana rail-
road and public service commits
sion is trying to do something
about the matter. The commits
10 has found that three out of
i've boxcarS available in Mon
tana for grain shipment are nm
suitable for grain.
This Is an old story. 7 recau
nearly % years ago when a con-
gresham from this state was trv-
ing 10 get grain cars to haul Mon
LdnaS crop. In 1927, a heavy
wheat year, railroads serving the
states wheat areas were apnar-
entity as impotent in meeting the
need for cars as they have been
since. AS a means of helping 2
railroad traffic official who U,ac
desperately trying to get action
1 wrote a newspaper report Of
wheat being piled in the fields in
one locality. The president of
the railroad happened to be in tbn
state. When he saw that story
there was action. Within two days
gram cars were rolling in from
east and west.
In 1858, 1 listened in on a con-
ference called by Albert H. Kruse
STATE commissioner of agriculture.
10 consider plans for moving what
was anticipated to be and WAC
"a record wheat crop. Railroad
representatives were warned of
the unprecedented need there
would be for grain cars, but this
uIu not seem to disturb them
Ihelr attitude appeared to be that
the railroads would take are of
mat situation if and when II
arose.
The situation did develop as
commissioner Kruse and elevator
men thought it would. Wheat was
being piled on the ground be-
cause the elevators were clogged
- mostly with carryover wheat
they had been unable to move
because of lack of cars. One in !
stance of wheat piled on the
ground was along the Northern ,
.aclfIc'S Glendive- Circle brancb :
Inc cry for cars was assertedlv +
largely unheeded = until a truck J
ng company got on the Job. Then .
ooXcarS began to roll in fast q
year one of the biggest
elevator and milling companies in
Montana has reportedlv arrangad
o truck its wheat to Great FAILS p
instead of further coping with G
ne grain a shortage in that re-
ard. D
Perhaps the railroads operating T
n Montana are the rather helm
victims of eastern lines that L
.ppear to be little concerned
bout whether Montana grain ele- tt
atorS are clogged or wheat is
lied In the fields because e1e- L;
ator and farm storage have been
Xhausted. There is evidence that FL
1ese lines r calculatedly slow
I releasing cars belonging to Re
ram belt railroads. Whatever
lie reason, the effect is unfor- Br
mate for Montana wheat farm
s and elevators. Ia
In view of this lo~ngstanding
tuatlon, 1t may be reasonable to
* whether the railroads are civ
g adequate service and wheth- VI:
they are justified in efforts TO Un
inmate competitive transporta-
systems.
30 far as Montana is concerned
morally, available electric ener- Irl
IS presently more than ade-
late and the output will keen
ce with the needs of the future Ne'
projected hydro development
oJects are approved by the fed ~ "a
power commission. But TAX To
the Pacific northwest as IT,
lole, there is a shortage TODAY -
q this shortage will become
rmlngly acute within the next
. years unless the installation
additional generators is ac- PPPFlG'
Grated. N>
n this regard the Eisenhower
Illustrations partnership plan
Oeen made a political issue bv
'Se who contend that all cleo
power should be develoned
the federal government or 9TH -
puoLc agencies. This ignores
Iact that hydroelectric power
'elopment was pioneered bv
Vate enterprise, and that pri-
e enterprise has the exneri-
e and can finance at Ieas+
siderable part of the expan~
q SO urgent in the Pacific north