Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-30
DAILY ST.lNTEllIGEhCER.


OWE Of FhLns
When Mr.. Harris was IN Seattle last
somnser, be intimsted that the Northern |
Pacific Railroad Company would not Dc
DESTROYS of parting with its coal lands |
after it obtained possession OF them
that it's best interests would De Sud-
served BY allowing them TO be operated |
mon payment of sufficiently large roy
atty. This matter has not been mach
discussed, presumably because those
mostly TO be afscted-to Wit, the clti-
zens of this csuBty-havs great hopes
that the Northern Pacific will not be
able to obtain title 10 such lands and
therefore will have none to lease.
The Chronicle yesterday gave pub
licity to the following item OF news,
which. in view of its strenuous aavo- |
oacy Of the railroad side of the land |
grant question, while at the same time
declaring itself to be an answering
friend Of this city and county, suggests
a little inquiry into the effect that own
ersbip of the title TO half the coal lands |
in this section by the Northern Pacific
would have upon our business interests
and prosperity. Ii lie little more den
mite than the statement made by Presi- |
dent Harris, bat to the same effect
II ia understood that the present |
poIioy of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company Is not 10 sell any Of It's lands
containing coal, bat TO lease the mIn-
ing rights upon royalty. All sppliea-
tions for coal leases are passed upon by
the Board of Directors on reports made
by the General Land Agent and Land
Commissioner.
Ii is hardly necessary TO suggest that |
ownership of coal lands does not differ
from ownership of timber or agricul- |
tural lands, that il TO say, the owner has |
full control over the mines thereon sit |
uate and their output. The lessee OF
such an owner must obtain his lease |
upon Just such conditions as the holder
of the title chooses to demand and pre- |
scribe. large item Of expense in turn
ing coal into money is its transportation
TO market. Il will cost much more to |
get the coal from any mine in King |
county to the place where 1t Is to be |
sold and consumed than to get 1t out OF |
the mine. Transportation Is the main |
item. These facts admitted, what fol-
lows? The Northern Pacific Railroad |
Company is engaged not alone in the
business of grabbing and selling agri-
cultural and timber lands, Of leasing /
coal mines and Of selling town lots, but /
incidentally is operating railroad, and
proposes to operate steamship line. II /
is now extending branch from the |
Puyallup coal road toward the Green |
river fields, title to half of which ii ex-
poets to secure by so doing. IL il sue
ceeds in this attempt We are told that |
these coal mines are to be leased, THAI it |
is not deemed best to sell tn Sun. Has |
our friend of the Chronicle stopped 10 |
consider tohy the company will not sell |
these lands If it gets hold Of them I |
The reason Is plain enough. IL it sell |
them il can thenoeforth not control the |
transportation of the outpat of the |
mines thereon. But so long as it holds |
title and can lease them, il can stipulate |
10 every lease that all the product of the |
mines shall be- transported by its rail |
road. 1t can absolutely and for an in |
definite period control the transporta-
tien Of every ton of coal mined from |
every section of coal land to which it |
obtains title from the government.
Would such a state Of things be bene-
fetal to King county and Seattle
This railroad now building from
South Prairie 10 Green River terminates
at Tacoma. To that point the North
srn Pacific can dictate to lease holders |
that all their coal shall be shipped. |
From that point II can, by its own lines
Of golfers, transport it to domestic and |
foreign markets. 1t will have the pow |
or, IL IL obtain title 10 these coal lands, |
20 divert from Seattle 80 per cent. OF |
their output in King county, u which,
by location and the topography Of the
country. this city is the natural outlet |
Will this stimulate our growth and bus |
mess development What are the main |
factors upon which Seattle. together
with other cities on Puget Sound, de- |
pend for solid growth and prosperity?
Are they not the coal and lumber indus |
tries and products? This city Is so sit
uated that. il business is allowed 10 take
its natural course, the products of this
county, at least. in lumber, coal, iron,
marble. gypsum, etc., would infallibly
ind their outlet to the ocean and to
market over her wharves. IL il not aF-
parent tha. any policy that seeks to di-
vert these products from their natural
course toward market is hostile 10 her
best interestsG
To get at these resources, railroads
are necessary. Seattle is just now en-
gagged in aiding the construction of one
such road. Suppose the Northern Pa
cihc owned the mines whose product il
is intended TO transport over this line
TO Seattle. and would not sell them, but
required the lessees thereof TO ship
their coal over its line TO Tacoma,
would the road be builtg Will any
railroad eastward from and tributary
to this city be built under such ciicum-
stances in the face of saoh a prospect
Unless mines are owned by others than
the Northern Pacific. unless the trans
portation of their output can be secured,
there will be bat one road. Nothing Is
more certain than this fact. and fur
shermore, nothing is more certain than
that such a state of affairs means injury
to this city, prostration 20 its business,
and hindrance, II not stagnation, to its
growth. Between this city and she
mountains there are hundreds Of thou
sands Of acres Of coal lands. there are
vast ha1a and ,,nnpntasna - s..,., 49,.