Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-24
DAILY .lnTElllGEMCER.
rr PROvss roe MIN.

-
m PROvEs roc MCFu.
The statements OF an Official OF the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
upen the relations II that company to
tine city OF Seattle are of interest to
every property holder aud every cit Zen.
When, in addition, such official Is
wealthy resident, with property inter
eats intimately associated with and Dc
pendent upon the progress and prosper-
i.y OF our city, his assertions are en- /
lied In respec,fni and err fui considsra
ton. In the Herald last evening ap
peared lengthy rrport of An int rvieS
With James MoEau2ht, E-q-. rtsad~n'
attorney for the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company. In this interview Mr..
McNaueht ID reported as making SOM
ststenents with which, having due re
card TO the high authority from which
they emanate, We feel compelled to take
issue, For instance, he says: HAD
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
acted similarly 10 the Central Pacific
of California, there would have
been just grounds for complaint. Oar
company has never Disseminated
against one point in favor Of another"
We are otherwise informed. IL Il
alleged and supported by published IN
stances that the Northern Pacihc has
adopted toward interior towns along
its line of road system identical with
that invented and enforced by the Cen
trail Pacific, towit: charging on freight
from the Z .st through rates to tide
water. and adding thereto local rates
hack TO the place of ultimate destina-
ton. The papers of Eastern Washing
ton and Oregon abound With complaints
against this unjust practice, practice
in direct conflict with that instituted
under the Willard management. We
shall be glad to publish on the authority
OF Mr.. McNaught statement that
nj no interior point on the line OF the
Northern Pacific Railroad are con
sienees compelled to pay higher charges
on through freight from the East than
are consignees at Portland on sisnilar
oonsianmsnts.
One other assertion by Mr.. Mo
Naueht il entitled to special attention
Referring to the natural resources OF
the country along line passing through
the Stampede pass, and after stating
that there are hundreds and Thousands
of acres Of good agricultural land cas-
Of the Cascades, through which ths
railroad will run, he adds: "Also. ada
cent to the Stampede pass, anthracite
coal, copper and iron are found in suct
abundance AZ will amply warrant th'
building of line for the conveyance o
these alone" We are glad to receive
m endorsement from so high aud well
informed an authority, of the correct
meas of the position taken by this paper
regarding the natural Resources Of tbs
country which line from Puget Sound
over the Cascade mountains will pene
trate. We have consistently anc
persistently maintained that suct
resources were ample TO justify th'
contradiction OF a railroad over thai
route and render it a very profitable
Investment. What then follows
Shall the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company be given half the lands fo'
eighty miles in width along a route sf
fruitful in resources TO build railroad
which will at once become profitable
property 2 At a low estimate. the v,lu,
of the lands demanded for building
the railroad exceeds the cost of its con
struction and equipment. What aid
then, is justifisble. or indeed neces
sary2 Admittedly, the line, IL built
will traverse and the land-grant claim
will cover the best coal fields In this
Territory or on the North Pacific
Coast, In the United States, transporta.
ton of the output from which alnnt
will afford large and permanent profit
10 the road. Then why give away ball
these landsr IL occurs To- us that Mr.
McNaupht's assertion, while undoubt
eddy true, proves altogether too much
Il L., In fact, an unanswerable argu.
ment In favor of the forfeiture of every
acre of land on the Cascade division.
II 10 comforting TO be assured that the
Northern Pacific Company will not dis
criminate against Seattle. We have
never had great fear OF that. II isn't
very easy to discriminate against the
ocean. Ships and tide water ara ele-
mental factors in fixing transportation
tariffs. San francisco In not very far
away, and the Pacific ocean il free
highway for the world. No railroad
company can freeze out" this city.
To attempt to do 80 would be very I'M
profitable and extremely unbusiness-
like. The Northern Pacific wants TO
haul freight here. So do ships and
steamers. This city oan choose DO.
tween them.
Senator Van wyck, OF Nebraska, Ia
w;-..oun 80 ~nu.s.saus Tkn~n L. :.