Newport to the Railroad Commission: Our Depot Is a Disgrace

K. R. COMMISSION HERE To Inspect Depot Facilities and Train Service. Will Be Here Friday, May 7th

The Miner received the following letter from the State Railroad Commission on Thursday:

Olympia, Wash., May 4, 1909.

Dear Sir: The members of the Railroad Commission will leave Spokane May 7, for the purpose of inquiring into the station facilities and train service along the line of the Great Northern in the northeastern part of the state. It is our intention to stop at Newport and listen to any complaint that may be made, and take such evidence of the same. If the citizens of your locality have any complaint against the station facilities or train service, kindly be prepared to present evidence covering this complaint on our arrival. We will be accompanied by officials of the Great Northern, and in case your community desires to present any evidence to the commission and wish to know the exact time of our arrival, the Great Northern agent at your place will be able to catch us by wire, and we will be able to notify you in advance of the approximate time that we will reach your station. Respectfully yours, Railroad Commission of Washington. By O. Calderhead, Asst. Secy.

Now is the accepted time for the Commercial Club, the members of the town council and the citizens of the South Side to appear and file their complaints against the Great Northern. The local station of that road is a disgrace to the town, as well as the company owning it. Ladies are compelled to wait in a room with tobacco smoke and foul language. There are no toilet accommodations. The building is poorly lighted and also poorly heated in the winter. In fact, the old depot is nothing better than a good, fair stock barn.

The attention of the officials should also be called to the only crossing over the Great Northern tracks leading to the South Side. It is possible that the commission may have authority to compel the road to open another crossing or to compel them to keep the crossing open and well guarded, so that the public may have the safe use of it.

If any reader of The Miner has any kicks coming against the Great Northern let him phone to the secretary of the Commercial Club and state his complaint and afterward appear before the commission.

The Great Northern should be compelled to construct a new depot; to build a sidewalk off their right-of-way from the depot to the right-of-way of the Idaho & Washington Northern; to provide separate waiting rooms for ladies; to heat and light their station properly; to furnish drinking water for their patrons; to keep the Fourth Street crossing open and to open another street or two across their tracks.

Let everybody turn out and let the commission know that all of Newport is kicking about the way Newport is treated by the Great Northern.