Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-07-19
NORTHERN PACIFIC POLICY.
An Important Interview With Traffic
superintendent Miner.

|, AL OTeyoHtdH reporter, recently, secured
, from John Miner, Traffic Superintendent
1 an extended interview covering variou
matters of policy which the Northern Pacif
9 Company propose to adopt in the manage
ment of the road. One Subject of fnit
importance-with regard to freights ant
rates as applied to different localities
dwelt upon at length. The topic is ap
preached and discussed in this interesting
. manner
What basis of through freight rates d.
, you propose to adopt?"
1--WE will adopt practically the same classi
fication and tariff on overland business a
that now in force upon the other trans-conti
mental routes"
What is the policy Of the company il
regard to rates from the east to points cas-
of the Cascade mountains? Are you goin,
to make up your rates to inland points b,
adding to the Portland rates the locals from
Portland back, so that merchant at Wall;
Walla, for instance, will be compelled t,
pay for transportation which he never en-
joyed?"
mo sir; the rates to all points west O
Lake Pend d. Oreille will not be higher thai
those to Portland"
What other Pacific coast points will
be placed on the same footing with Port
land? 2"
Astoria, New Tacoma and Seattle will be
common points with Portland"
why not Victoria?"
Victoria is not upon our line. All the
other points have named will be railroad
points when the system is complete. How.
ever, there will be but small additional
charge added from Seattle to Victoria fol
lighterage."
will any points east Of the Cascades be
made distributing points for the business OF
the INTERIOR"
"Under the plan which l have just out
lined-that is, putting Spokane Falls Che
ney, Sprague, Walla Walla, Dayton, Pendle-
ton, the Dalles, etc., upon the same footing
with Portland-each OF those places will
become distributing point for the locality
which is naturally tributary to it. The idea
is to make the rates common and let the bus
iness divide itself geographically.
I'm what manner do you propose to treat
shippers who now have contracts via the
other overland lines?"
I'VE have not determined what course to
pursue in regard to the contract system. All
contracts now in force with Pacific coast
consignees by the other lines expire Decem-
Der 31st, and until the end of the year we
will take up such contracts upon Pacific
coast business and duplicate such contract
rates to Portland. Understanding this, ship
pers no doubt will reduce their present
stocks to a minimum, with view Of saving
the transportation from San Francisco
north"
What new avenues of trade, if any, will
be opened up to Portland and the northwest
coast on the completion of the line ?"
"The traffic of the Northern Pacific will
be divided at point midway between Boze-
man on the east aid MissOula on the west.
That is, the rates from the Pacific coast to
Missoula and points east of Missoula as far
as Bozeman will be precisely the same as
rates from st. Paul to the same points. This,
you see, will make neutral territory for
distance of 245 miles equally accessible to
trade from the east and from the west This
territory, moreover, includes all the impor-
tant points in Montana. Merchants from
this coast will have the same opportunity to
supply this neutral section as those in St.
Paul and the East"
"What new west-bound traffic, if any, will
be opened up from this interior section ?"
THAT question touches upon a subject
which promises to become Of great interest.
In addition to the mineral and cattle inter-
ests, which are constantly growing, there is
an immense quantity of copper ore and matte
at Butte, Helena and vicinity which is now
shipped through via New York to reduction
works in Swansea Wales. Upon the COM
pletion of the Northern Pacific this product
will find new outlet by way Of the Pacific
coast. One large smelling company alone in
Butte guarantee during 1856 the shipment
Of not less than 10000 tons of this matte. l
believe the time is not far ahead when this
traffic in copper matte and ore will not fall
far behind the present wheat surplus of Ore
yon and Washington. If ship charters can
be obtained for something like fifty shil-
ings which ought to be done in connection
with return cargoes of coke, a through rate
could be made via this coast which would
BRING the entire copper and matte business
his way.
II might allude also, in this connection, to
he fact that as soon as the price of English
,oke can be figured down to something like
$3.50 per ton of 1000 pounds delivered
)e worked up in this article from Port
and to the smelling works. Connellsville
oke coming from Pennsylvania, is now of
curse the standard, but it is an acknowl-
dyed fact that the English coke is superior
" about IA per cent, and as soon as its
uperiorty could be shown to the smelters,
hey would doubtless take it up even at a
light advance on the price of Connellsville."
do you expect to carry any of the grain
urplus east over the new line ?"
"That is matter which will be developed i,
fter the completion of the road. With the
Experience of the first six months of through {
rafic, and before the grain crop of next sea- ,
on is harvested, we will be able to see the G
eneral direction of the volume of our s
eight traffic. If the copper ore and matte c
usiness which have spoken of is diverted a
, the Pacific coast it would of course give n
3 large surplus of empty cars to return b
which we might proftably load s.
ith grain at a comparatively low rate. One Il
ling is certain, after our line is in operation h
trough charters will never be as high as Il
ley were season before last. You recollect 81
ley were at one time as high as 80 or 80 Il
Filings, and, Of course, should they reach p
ch figures we will either step in and take Il
e business overland or compel a reduction "
figures approximating say so shillings." n
ut has been stated that you propose to 81
n of line refrigerator cars to take our fruit e,
ID fresh fish to the east?" Il
"Yes, that matter has already been pro- hi