Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-03-27
PIE NORTHERN PACIFIC WILL
LRAsE THE o re COMPANIES
LINES.

A dispatch from New YORK dated
March 10Th makes }. b. Montgomery OF
Portland, Oregon says as follows to a re-
porter. 1.-THE Northern Pacific will lease
the Oregon Railway and Navigation lines
aad take the Oregon and California off the
hands Of the Oregon and Transcontlnal.
Otherwise they would fall into the hands
Of the Oregon Short Line" Mr.. Mont
gomery ought to be in position to know
the facts, though he may not. lie is in
New York especially to learn what is to
be done, and is deeply interested in the
result Of the arrangements to be made.
Admitting that Montgomery is right in
ln statements, then it would seou that
Ne object is to prevent the Short Line
from getting control of the o. Il. Il n
oompany's lines, so as to get an outlet to
the Pacific via. Portland, which annlhlates
the theory Of the Oregontnn and the
Portland people, that in case the North
eIn Pacific don't continue to grant to
them the greatest of favors, they can fall
back on the Short Line and the Baker
City branch of the q. r. Il n. Co. 1t
will be remembered that in the TELLER
Of Jan. 18th we published a statement
from the St. Paul Pioneer Press to the
effect that Endicott, the president Of the
0. r. l. N. Go. was opposed to finishing
the Baker City branch, that the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy, in which Enid
colt had large interests was opposed to
making the Baker City branch connect
with the Short Line lest it would take
much Of the through traffic from the
Northern Pacific in which they also had
deep financial interest. Montgomery s
statements seem to confirm the purpose
Of the Northern Pacific magnates to pre-
vent the completion Of the Baker City
branch to connection with the Short
Line, if it be possible for them to do So
If they succeed what will the Short Line
do for Pacific Coast outlet? The west
cru press generally have endcavored to
make it appear that the managers of the
Short Line were deeply anxious to have
. connection with the q. II. & N. Co.'S
line at the mouth Of Burnt river. But
We have failed to see wherein the Short
Line people have shown any solicitude in
the matter since the o. Il. 4 N. Go. broke
faith with them in scizing their survey
in the Burnt river canyon, and We very
much doubt that they will ever form any
connection with them whatever, save, per
hapa, temporary pooling arrangement
till they can build their own road. But
the Northern Pacific is now doing all she
can to build up and enrich Portland al
the expense of the interior country cas-,
Of the Cascades, and she has no good rca
son to complain Of her treatment The
Northern Pacific determinations in freigh,
charges IN favor Of Portland, which tn,
N. p says she has to make to prevent
Portland's patroniziog the Union ant
Central Pacific, is working an oppression
upon Portlands patrons east Of the Gas
cades. This discrimination makes tn,
consumers east Of the Cascades pay moi
only the extra freight from Portland W
10 Ills ~ountry but also pay to Portlant
merchants an extra profit on tho good'
consumed, besides warehouse and cartag,
charges. We would like to know why i,
becomes necessary to take from the pock
etx of the producer aud the consumer
these extra charges to appease Portland!
Why should goods from tho East owe,
Ahe Northern Pacific be charged from,
Ahrce TO four dollars per hundred more
If landed at way points west of Spokane
Falls, than they are charged if continued
90 to Portland! Such discrimination
virtually forbids our interior men from
making their purchases in the East, and
forces them to purchase in Portland and
re-ship from Portland here and pay from
% to SIS up freight to obtain their goods.
In considering the advantages the com
1ilction of the Northern Pacific to and
through this Columbia Basin, We had
always included the privilege of making
pardhases in the East at less cost to our
people But the present programme OF
the NWthern Pacific anaihilates this
happy consideration and leaves us as much
bottled up as ever, and the only hope We
can have left isthat the rates of the Union
and Central Pacific will become so low
that Portland can ship by these roads
and undersell from the prices, they will
be able to sell for if they ship by the
Northern Pacific Or that the Short Line
viii soon be built through this country
and not feel themselves constrained to