Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-23
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ra8 RAlIRoAD CoSFERKyrR.
The Northern PaeiAe MAKING n B>l.
stand fer It's De0anAs -ProeeeHune
II the Ceavenstsa-Ese.
SAN FRANcrsCo, Sept. 0.-Siuce III,
completion of the Northern Paci6s
Railroad the mercantile community ha,
fostered hope that it would have !
saiutary influence in determining Ii,
question Of Low freiuhts and fares. anS
while IL was conceded that the then ex
listing pool voald be tsrminsted, il Val
expected that q Subsequent pool, If an,
was entered into, would result in cheap.
er rates OF transportation. The e6eci
Of making towns intermediate to Sau
francisco common points for through
business still under the 90 itroi of the
Central and Southern Pacific Railroads
was to detract from the metropolis and
disturb the center, and Vas for this
reason productive Of considerable dis
Satisfaction among merchants. II was
mainly on this account that public in
terest and the attention of the press
was sugrossed With the meeting of the
railroad ma4natcs, which convened at
the Palace this morning. Judging
from the reports OF the papers. the
managers assumed a stoic.si indifFer-
ence during recess, and were, az last
accounts. entrenched behind the AFR.
nation that nothing of Importance had
been done beyond the transact. ON of or
binary routine business.
The subjects to be discussed with a
view OF solving the mooted queetion of
freiRhts and fares, is Of most vital i'm
portance to the northwest in general.
and to Portland in particular, as it ia :
wolves not only \ continuance of the
existing conditions Of freignts and fares.
under the Censorship of the Central and
the Southern Pacific railroads, but a
still more important question, whether
San Francisco or Portland il to be the
distributing commercial point OF the
norta Pacific Coast trade. Stating the
case briefly, 80 "a to invoke with some
degree OF success the tender mt rc,ss of
the telegraph company, the claims of
the Northern Pacific Railroad. in the
interest of the Northwest, lies az the
bottom of the entire controversy, form
ing the sole question of importance be-
fore the meeting. The Northern Pacific
claims that 1t 10 prepNed to compete
for through freight and passenger traf-
no fron San Francisco to the East. and
vice versa, because of its trauscoAtin.
entail road and feet of iron ships, both
IN number and quality more than suffi-
cient to transact any business likely to
arise.
The position ASSUMED by it, substan
italy as above, is oOncedei to be well
taken by both the Central and South.
ern Pacific roads, and for purposes of
argument against claims made by roads
other than the Northern Pacific, it is
considered as practically settled. The
inside history and facts are as follows:
Under the provisions of the poll termi-
mated by the completion Of the North
ern Pacific, the sunset Route Was 40
corded IA per cent. of through Business;
but while eni0yinR this income, it in
reality did business equivalent to %
per cent. The Central Pacific contends
that the features in its favor, those of
time and popularity of the road, in the
OF freight from the Pacific to
New York, via New Orleans, justify
these figures. As to the justice Of this
claim, a comparison between the Sun
vet Route and the Northern Pacific,
taking the extreme length of both
roads and the time consumed in making
the trip, will show quite another fact
upon which to base q conclusion.
The distance from San Francisco to
New Orleans, via tho Sunset, is 24OO
miles; from New Orleans to New York
by water, 1850 miles, giving total Of
$40 miles, while the Northern Pacific,
with its connections, fOots up total of
800 miles bstween New York and San
Francisco. Following out this general
answers that 1t is in even better posi-
ton than the Sunset route for the dis
tribution Of patronage.
to take Portland and San Francisco a.
freight and fare. If the same charges
prevailed on the Northern Pacific as on
other franscontinental roads, il would
practically leave San Francisce out of
the commercial fields in the Northwest,
and ut the same time would have the
effect of making Portland the center of
the northera trade.
The object sought to be accomplished
by the Northern Pacific is to make
Portland the distributing center of the
Granting that Portland and San
Francisco arc made common points,
paying the same charges on freigats to
Pacific would be realized by additional
steamer freight, which merchandise
from here gould have to pay, and thus,
at the very least, leaving Portland mer-
chants to receive their freight at less
cost than it could be sent by merchants
here.
The stand taken by the Northern Pa
cific, in the interest of the commerce of
Oregon and Washington Territory, is
one, and beyond shadow
Of doubt will cause some animated
at the next conference.
has yet been definitely settled.
Bearing the above point in mind It will
be apparent that any concession made
BY the pool in favor Of the Sunset route,
or the Central Pacific, as against the
claims Of the Northern Pacific, would
have dsteriorating influence on north
west commerce aud on the business of
the railroad itself, and for these rea-
sons q stubborn fight Is anticipated.
The conditions which the Central and
the Southern Pacific will attempt 10 i'm
pose WALL % met ov RESISTANCE on Tue
part Of the Northern Pacific.
THE NANA0Ens AoArN N COUNCIL.
SAN Francisco, Sept. 2l.-The rail-
road conference today resumed oonmd-
Grafton of the points enumerated above.
While all Of the Pacific roads and their
connections are represented in the
meeting, and have, 20 certain extent.
a common interest In the proposed pool,
the great questions to Be decided in
volve primarily only the Northern Pa
cific, Central and southern Pacific and
the Sunset route. Il is essential to the
existence of the p,ol that sone salts.
factory 40 cement BE- arrived at between
the last above mentioned roads, n in
the event of the claims Of the Northern
Pacific proving unsuccessful, a general
fight would be created among other
roads, whether represented in Q pool
that was terminated by the completion
of another transcontinental route or
not.
To substantiats this statement it 10
only necessary 70 cite the fact that with
out pool some of the lines Represented
IN the meeting would not do business
equivalent 10 tie percentage allowed BY
thu mol. On the OthOr hand some Of