The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-07-20
OVERLAND RAILROAD RATES.


CAIcAGo, July 13.-The Tribune says:
There is one aspect Of the high charges on
the Northern Pacific, on which we COM
mented the other day, that demands further
consideration. Although the management
Of that road shows disposition to attract
public favor by disavowing in advance any
intention Of resorting to some of the grosser
abuses of the land-grant transcontinental
lines, such as charging more for short than
for long hauls, they have still fixed their
rates ut point which will not emily seem ex-
cessive to the public, but will have serious
tendency to restrict the business of the road.
1t is to this latter point that we especially
desire to call the attention Of its managers
Cheap rates, which they can easily afford to
make, will not only be Of enormous service
to the people, but will more than anything
else develop the interests of the Northern
Pacific itself and thereby pay better than
high rates. The Northern Pacific has re-
ceived more land than any other road SUBJ
sidized by Congress, and Its land is better
than that given to any other Immigrant cor
poration west of the Missouri river. There
is hardly an acre of It thai is absolute waste
land.
Tho first thing the managers Of the road
should do in determining upon their tariff Is
to throw altogether to one side any compar.
isons between their charges and these of the
Union and Southern Pacific lines across the
continent. Those other lines have from the
start been managed on "grab-all" principles.
It has been the aim of the narrow and selfish
men who have had charge of them to handle
them As sponges, with which to soak up all
the floating capital of the communities
through which they run. II farmer or mi
ner goes (as our New Mexico correspondent
showed the other day. to the Southern Pa
cific with shipment, he is forced to tell what
he expects to make on the stuff In the mar
ket. The Railroad then fixes ITS freight so
Is to absorb just so much of his profit as the
shipper will stand and have enough left to
induce hEm to come again to be shorn in the
same style. In the same spirit the Central
Pacific deliberately refuses to allow local
manufactures to be established along its lines
since 1t would lose ultimately the long haul
on manufactured articles from the East by
rail.
The community has Entrusted Henry VIII
lard and his associates with the royal power
oftaxation upon the human and commercial
intercourse afa vast district, whose highway
he controls. The dnaneirring of this great
enterprise has been free from scandals Of
stock jobbery ard stock watering and Credit
Mobileu, which have made the other Pa
cific roads black with disrepute. To complete
the good record it i, necessary that
taxation Of the people hy corporations
should be human, 50 IL win BE- most profit
able for the road itself. The Northern Pa
cific will miss a great chance TO lay it,
foundation broad and deep for its future ii
it fails now to advertise itself 10 the world
BY low rates for passengers and sreights.
What It wants Is IN industrial population
- speedily ny possible To develop its Terri
tories and TO get them IL must lower IL
frefghts and fares.